9 Cool Non-Food Easter Basket Fillers

I've heard a lot of chatter from parents about needing non-food ideas for Easter baskets this past week.  Like myself, they just do not want to fill their children's Easter baskets with knickknacks that will be forgotten in a matter of days.  Below are some ideas I've used this year and past years for my own children's Easter baskets.  These items are also great for stocking stuffers.  If you haven't finished getting everything for your child's basket, most of these items are available with Amazon 2-Day Prime Shipping (with Prime membership or minimum purchase).

9 Cool Non-Food Ideas for Fun Easter Baskets . . .

1. Tongue Twister Books - Tongue twisters are lots of fun for children of all ages.  They are especially perfect for children who struggle with reading because they are usually short and are meant to be read over and over again.



2. Waterweek Water Bottles - My children own several sets of these bottles.  They are all colorful and fun.  They started with the 10oz bottles when they were younger and graduated to the 16oz size. These bottles are dishwasher safe and BPA free.  You can even buy sport tops for the bottles to replace the regular screw on caps.



3. Small Sketchbooks - Somehow doodles become something more when they're done in a child's own personal sketchbook.  Encourage your child to draw by picking up their very own sketchbook whenever the mood or inspiration strikes.  Keep their artwork safe in a sturdy sketchbook so that they can look back at their work for years to come.



4. Stress Balls - Stress balls and other fidgets are being used in classrooms more and more.  In addition to stress relief, sometimes they help children think.  I included some stress balls in my children's Easter baskets this year so they would stop stealing mine.



5. Crazy Aaron's Putty - Putty is a common item to find in Easter baskets, but Crazy Aaron's Putty has fun varieties and cool colors.  Some of the types of putty you'll find from this brand are metallic, glow-in-the-dark, magnetic, black-light, and heat-sensitive color changing putty.



6. Bookmarks For Kids - If you'll be including a chapter book in your child's basket this year, why not tuck a cool bookmark inside it?  Fun bookmarks encourage children to read.  Also, if your children are anything like mine, they are always misplacing their bookmarks and can never find one when they need one.  There are all types of bookmarks that would be fun for children, such as DIY bookmarks and magnetic bookmarks.



7. Colorful Erasable Pens - Erasable pens have come a long way since I was a child.  Now children can write and draw in pen without worrying about crossing out or starting all over again.  These pens even come in lots of fun colors.  I included some in our children's Easter baskets this year, as well as in their stockings last year.  The Pilot FriXion pens shown below are erasable, retractable, and also refillable.



8. Kids' Watches - Having a watch helps children be more responsible in regards to keeping track of time.  Some watches are designed to help young children learn how to tell time and some even come with timers, so you or your child can set the timer when there's just 30 minutes left until bedtime or only 20 minutes of TV to go. 



9. Color Your Own Playing Cards - This is something my daughter found in her Christmas stocking last year.  She just loved it!  Coloring the cards is a long term activity, so it is a gift that lasts.  Your child can color one or more each day.  When he or she is all done, the result is a beautiful deck of licensed character cards that can be used to play your child's favorite card games.

What cool Easter basket ideas would you add to this list?  Share your ideas with us in a comment here.