The Easter Bunny is on his way. Hopefully, he’s planning to leave behind eco friendly Easter Baskets rather than junky plastic filled Easter Baskets for the kiddo’s.  

Now, before we get into it, let’s make a promise that if you cannot or choose not to incorporate all these ideas into your Easter, you are always an amazing person.

Life is about balance and what works for one family doesn’t for another and that’s totally ok. Think of this like a menu of ideas, take what works, leave the rest (either for another time or all together).

Easter is just around the corner although, didn’t we just finish Valentine’s Day?  And just before that, New Year’s and just before that Christmas?  Oh, and let’s not forget St. Patrick’s Day.  

If you have kids (or even if you work in an place where people are always bringing in candy and sweets and treats), you’re riding that struggle bus with me, aren’t you?  Everywhere we turn, it’s another celebration with brightly colored candy, cookies, cupcakes, and any other treats you can think of.  

Holidays don’t have to be filled with high fructose corn syrup and artificial food coloring.  

My kids want candy and sugar and all that jazz just like the next kid but there are better choices.  

If you’ve read my post about harmful food additives to avoid, you know I despise artificial food coloring.  You may not be able to control the school, church and various other community events but you can decide what YOUR Easter Bunny is bringing.

I hate to be “that debbie downer” mom but I can’t get my head around trading candy for trinkets either.  

I know you could hit up Oriental Trading or the Dollar Store for all kinds of cheap trinkets to put in the eggs or baskets or for class parties but then what happens to those things?  

They get played with or used for a day and then end up in a landfill somewhere.  I’m kinda sorta not ok with that either.  

Thankfully, our bunny leaves behind awesome, fun-filled eco friendly Easter baskets.

When my kids were younger, the eggs would be filled with things like graham crackers and cheddar bunny crackers.  Our Rabbit has also been known to leave coins in the eggs.  

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How can you help the Rabbit leave behind eco friendly Easter Baskets?

I’m sharing all my secrets based on what the Rabbit leaves at our house.  

My kids have actually been using the same Easter baskets they’ve had since they were babies so they are a bit tattered and torn but hey, they’re still functional and get the job done.  

If you don’t already have an Easter basket for your kiddo(s), you really don’t need to go buy one. You can use any basket in your house, even if you have to ‘borrow’ it from somewhere else for a few days.

Instead of the plastic grass, we use shredded filler paper (like for gift bags) and that’s held up pretty well over the years.  Another option is this eco friendly Easter basket filler paper made with recycled paper.

Finding some practical alternatives for regular old plastic eggs has been a challenge over the past several years, with the pandemic and all. I found some this year.

Click the image for more information

Sure there are other alternatives like making eggs out of paper maiche or cardboard or plenty of other plastic free egg options but honestly, I’m not a crafter so I’m of no help on this front.

We have used the same plastic eggs for probably over 15 years but our Rabbit has stopped leaving eggs behind for the kids to find, just a few treats in their baskets.  

The problem with plastic eggs is:

• they aren’t recyclable
• some have been shown to contain BPA and lead paint
• once they hit the landfill, which they inevitably will, as they decompose, they contribute to carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions.

You can find hollow wooden eggs but the reviews are mixed as far as how easy they are to open so if you’ve got young kids, the frustration level could be high…

For the aesthetics of the picture, I went with a basket I use for display.

Eco Friendly Easter Baskets

“Healthier” Candy

If you have school-aged children, I doubt you can get away with non-candy Easter Baskets.  It was easy when they were young and even into pre-school but once they hit elementary school, there was no way the Rabbit wasn’t leaving some candy.  

Instead of the brightly colored, chemical-filled candy, opt for something healthier, I mean it’s still candy so you do need to put the brakes on at some point.

RELATED: Dye Free Candy for Holidays

My kids love these, you can find them at most major grocery stores and Target but you can also grab them right here:

Annie’s Gummy Bunnies

Yum Earth Lollipops

Jelly Belly Organic Jelly Beans

Ocho Peanut Butter and Chocolate Candy

Justin’s Peanut Butter Cups and Mini Cups

Non-Candy Treats for Eco Friendly Easter Baskets

Spring Break is here (depending on when Easter falls) and summer is just around the corner which means, it’s time for road trips and vacations.  

If you have a child who is sensitive to chemical dyes and preservatives, I’m sure you’re over the moon to find fantastic trades for the more mainstream candies.

RELATED: 5 Tricks for a Successful Road Trip with Tweens

Definitely, something to keep in mind when advising your Rabbit about what to leave behind for the kiddo’s.

A few ideas:

• Toxin Free Nail Polish
• card games
• jump rope
• sidewalk chalk
• bubbles
• gift cards
• funny socks
• flip flops
• sunglasses
• Lego’s – small sets or mini figurines
• reusable sticker books
• stuffed animals
• coloring books and markers/pencils/crayons
• small travel games

Some of our favorites:

My kids have never been much into dyeing eggs for Easter, I think we tried it once or twice but it never became a tradition.  There are some fabulous natural dyes as well as homemade dyes you can make from foods.  

I’ve dedicated a Board on Pinterest to Easter, I’d love to help inspire your Easter.

I like to balance out the candy with some fun, practical things but let’s keep in mind, this isn’t a birthday or Christmas so there’s no need to go nuts.  

I mean, seriously, how much can a rabbit realistically carry on his or her back?  

July 4th will be here before you know it.  

It’s pretty much Halloween already, at least if you work at Hobby Lobby.  

I’m sure they already have their Halloween decorations in the warehouse.

What’s the Rabbit leaving behind at your house?  Hopefully not rabbit pellets 🙂

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