Easter Basket Ideas for Kids Under $5

As Easter approaches, it’s time to start thinking ahead to Easter baskets. Of course, Easter is about celebrating Jesus’ resurrection, but we do also give Easter baskets in our house. It’s a small, special treat. Nothing too extravagant but something special to anticipate.

While Easter baskets can be a fun tradition, they don’t have to be expensive! I believe you can create a delightful Easter basket for $5 to $10. Easter baskets are only as expensive as you allow them to be. With a little bit of planning and shopping ahead, it is actually quite easy to create a frugal Easter basket that your child will love.

That’s why I am sharing these ideas now…so you can plan ahead to build a frugal Easter basket you and your kids will enjoy.

The list below contains 25 frugal Easter basket ideas – all under $5! Of course, the ideas can be adapted by age and interest of your children but I tried to include a wide variety of frugal ideas that all children would enjoy. I also wanted to focus on things that were not all candy!

To save the most on Easter baskets, shop early and watch for sales.

Target’s dollar bin is where we often pick up sidewalk chalk in the spring. The Dollar Tree is a great option for fun little surprises like magic growing capsules. Michael’s is a great place to find pads of stickers for only $1 or flip-flops, too. (They are even cheaper if you use the weekly 40% off coupons!)

Watch for sales on candy and favorite snacks at the grocery store. By shopping around, you’ll find some great deals for your child’s Easter basket!

Sometimes, you can get a bulk set on Amazon and divide the items up to stay under the $5 limit. Since I have 4 kids now, this is a good option for our family.

This post contains affiliate links. You can read more in my disclosure policy. These links may not always be the most frugal option, so be sure to compare prices for the best deal as you fill your Easter basket!

Easter Basket Ideas for Kids Under $5

1. Chocolate (of course!)
2. Bubble wand (outside bubbles)
3. Bubble bath
4. A favorite snack (Goldfish, fruit snacks, etc)
5. Coins inside Easter eggs (or dollar bills if your kids are older)
6. Hair bows or headband
7. Matchbox cars
8. Fun toothbrush
9. Bath tub paints or crayons
10. Crayons and coloring book
11. Water Wow
12. Puzzles
13. Stickers (Michaels $1 sticker pads are amazing!)
14. Flip-flops
15. Magic growing capsules 
16. Classic metal slinky
17. Fun chapstick
18. Magnets
19. A kite
20. Sunglasses
21. A pad of tracing paper & new pencils (Fun for artists)
22. Hidden Picture activity book
23. Fun bandaids (Target Dollar Spot or Dollar Tree is a great place to find these)
24. Imagine Magic Ink coloring pad
25. A book

I think books are always a great idea! Here are some of my favorite board books for babies and toddlers. If you’re looking for a unique, Christian book about Easter for young children, check out Wiggles’s Easter Journey.

Bonus Frugal & Unique Easter Basket Idea:

Create homemade gift certificates to hide in your child’s Easter eggs. For example, allow them to plan dinner one night or pick a Redbox rental for a family movie night. There are so many options for this one and you can customize it to your child and your family. You don’t have to stop at one gift certificate either!

More Ways to Save Money on Easter Baskets:

The dollar store is a great place for buying boxed puzzles. Whether 24 pieces or 1,000 pieces, if you lose a piece (at $1 a box), you don’t have to feel bad when you throw the puzzle away!

You don’t always have to buy lots of chocolate for an Easter basket! Consider buying a large bag of M&Ms and dividing them up into plastic Easter eggs. If you have several children, this is a much more frugal option than buying different chocolate bars or bunnies. You could also do the same with other varieties of candy (ie Skittles, gummy bears, etc). It’s what my Mom used to do. I loved opening the eggs then to see what was hiding in them, and now, I appreciate it even more for the fun, frugal option it was!

Don’t be afraid to include a practical item your kids already need. I know some families put swim suits in Easter baskets for this season!

Shop the clearance after Easter to put items aside for next year’s Easter baskets. I do this with all the holidays – shopping clearance and putting the items aside for next year. You will save money and be prepared early. A definite win for busy, frugal moms everywhere!

What are some other frugal things to include in Easter baskets?