Easter is approaching and if your family is anything like our families, it comes hand in hand with traditions. Traditional foods, traditional visits to church, traditional Easter egg hunts and traditional Easter baskets. I love all these traditions and the meaning and memories associated with them and I love sharing them with my family. But one thing I don’t love is having buckets full of sugar around the house for weeks afterwards. Now, by no means are we a family that does not eat any sugar, but everything in moderation, right? Also, the more sugar my kids eat, the more carefully and often we feel we need to brush their teeth!
You may be avoiding sugar for health reasons or just trying to thin out the sheer volume of candy your child is receiving from the Easter bunny this year, but whatever your reason there are lots of great non-candy options for filling Easter baskets. The best part is there are options out there that don’t cost much, and your children will be happy to see Easter morning. A visit to your local dollar store in Liberty, Ramseur, or Silver City won’t be much more expensive than some of the candy you can buy at the grocery store and has the added benefit of providing your kids with something to do. The following are some classic favorites:
- Coloring books paired with a fun new set of crayons or markers. If your child is older, they may enjoy a puzzle book or an adult coloring book with coloring pencils.
- Craft supplies for making their own Easter decorations or building a model.
- A small toy that fits their preferences: a building block set, a game, or a puzzle.
- Outdoor toys like bubbles, jump ropes, balls, or sidewalk chalk.
- Sensory toys like playdough or slime.
- Matchbox cars with or without the Hot Wheel tracking.
- Surprise toys and collectibles.
- Bath bombs and toys for smaller children; I also occasionally let my kids take a ‘glow bath’ with glow sticks, which you can buy in packs as large as 25 at the Dollar Tree.
- Small stuffed animals and dolls along with clothing and accessory options.
- Nail polish and cosmetics for children old enough to use them responsibly.
- Water toys for the upcoming pool season.
- Dress up accessories like fairy wings, toy swords, and doctor and dentist kits.
- Useful items like a new cup, pencils, bandages, or a new toothbrush. Kids love novelty and you can get a lot of mileage out of a bright and colorful everyday item.
There are so many great options for Easter baskets: it doesn’t have to be all candy! But whatever you fill your basket with this year, we hope you have a wonderful Easter season and plenty of opportunities to enjoy your own traditions with the people you love.
A big part of our mission is to improve the dental health for all of our patients near and around Liberty North Carolina. We offer dental crowns, dental implants, and many other services! Our goal is that each and every patient that walks through our doors has a positive experience. We love smiles. Let us help you with yours!
