With Spring in the air and Easter right around the corner,

here’s a fun candy-free alternative to the typical Easter Basket.

This Easter, rather than chocolate eggs and jellybeans, why not fill your kiddo’s basket with gardening fun? Include seeds packets of veggies and flowers along with a fun pair of gardening gloves and some little garden tools. Gardening is a healthy, fun activity for children, helping them to develop new skills and learn about science and nature from growing their own food.

Here are some suggestions to get children involved and interested in creating a garden:

• Keep it simple.
• Give children their own garden space. (This does not have to be big. You can start with a large container or a few pots.)
• nvolve older children in the planning and design of the garden.
• Use lightweight, easy-to-handle, correct-sized tools and garden equipment.
• Encourage children to dig in the dirt. (Younger children love making mud pies)
• Grow interesting plants such as sunflowers, corn, pumpkins, tomatoes and strawberries.
• Use a trellis or teepee to grow beans or sweet peas.
• Plant flowers that attract butterflies, ladybirds and other interesting insects or birds.
• Make a scarecrow.
• Install a water feature, a birdbath or a sundial.
• Set up a worm farm.
• Visit community gardens, children’s farms or botanic gardens for ideas.

If you’re not into the gardening idea, here is a list of alternative treats to fill your child’s basket with:

The Golden (Wooden) Egg
Take the drama out of your Easter egg hunt by giving everyone their very own golden egg. Paint a solid wood egg (craft stores sell them) with non-toxic paint, your chickadees will really feel like they hit the jackpot with this one.

Rockin’ Bunny Jams
Why should Christmas pajamas get all the glory? Bring a little life into your kiddo’s sleeping selection by popping a pair of springtime jammies into the Easter basket.

How Does Your Garden Grow?
Even Mary, Quite Contrary won’t be able to find fault with this idea. This time of year, seed packets are plentiful and you can even find kits, complete with seeds, soil and little pots. Your kids will have a great time planting their own flower or veggie seeds and watching them grow.

Sidewalk Chalk
You can’t go wrong with colorful chalk that your little artists can use to decorate the driveway, patio or sidewalk.

Beatrix’s Books
Catch up with pals Peter, Tom Kitten, Jeremy Fisher and Jemima Puddle-Duck. A boxed set of four classic Beatrix Potter tales is the perfect size for an Easter basket and makes a great edition to your child’s library.

Play-Doh
Play-Doh in pastel spring colors makes for hours of creative fun.

Legos
No matter the time of year, boy or girl, Legos are always a hit.

Stuffed Animal
Nothing says spring more than a fuzzy baby lamb or bunny snuggled in an Easter basket. 

Egg-citing Bath Bombs
Fizzy bath bombs in the shape of an egg will magically transform your little bunny’s bathwater into a lovely spring pastel. You can even include a tiny treasure inside (think erasers, animal figurines, etc.) for added fun. You can make your own by following these instructions.

Putty Up
Smash it, stretch it, knead it, roll it… it’s Silly Putty! Kids have been stretching their imaginations with the “toy with one moving part,” since the 50’s. Extra bonus points for the classic egg shaped container.