Egg shakers: a non-candy Easter basket alternative

We discovered egg shakers in a Music Together class. Smooth, round plastic or wooden egg-shaped maracas -- these simple musical instruments are a sensory treat. So pleasant to hold and roll, fun to shake (the sound is loud enough to entertain, but not so sharp as to grate), and a good ingredient in a make-believe kitchen.

If you're looking for a non-candy alternative for an Easter basket, these would be ideal.

More: Easter hacks

Comments

[Elana]

We have one, and they're addictive to hold :-). I need to find some other things for toddler baskets...normally I wouldn't care, but the 6 year old has eagle eyes.

[Matt Haughey]

We also discovered these in a music class with our daughter.

A related travel hack everyone here might appreciate is when you're traveling and you've ordered breakfast/lunch/dinner and are killing time waiting for it to arrive, you can grab a couple sugar packets off the table and sing the same "shaky egg" songs.

My daughter loves the raw sugar packets available at nicer diners for the big crystals that make a sound close to an egg shaker.

[mh]

if your baby hasn't figured out how to open the typical plastic eggs - those are a good option! I needed a distraction for my daughter in the grocery store the other day, and I spied the plastic eggs with candy inside. I picked one up and was delighted to hear it rattle! Once we got home and I took off the outer packaging, I found that the candy inside was packaged in plastic. So, I just closed the egg back up and let her shake, shake, shake!
For now at least, my daughter thinks it's a just great toy - not a candy holder!

[Julie]

I love the egg shaker idea! I came across another non-candy item for my 14 month old...Tomy makes a toy called "Hide & Squeak Eggs". They are egg shapes that come in a box that split apart to show a chick inside and when you press on the chick, it squeaks. No batteries. Kind of loosely reminiscent of the Russian nesting dolls, which I did want originally until I discovered how teeny-weeny the inside doll really is!

[Annette]

Crayola makes egg-shaped sidewalk chalk that comes in a little plastic egg carton.

I'd opt for a wooden variety.... I just don't trust plastic.

[Lydia]

My daughter (13 months) doesn't eat candy yet, so I filled her eggs with puffs, goldfish, teddy grahams, and little people. I'm betting they will be a hit!

[Annette]

I know this is after the fact, but my husband and I found little stuffed plush peeps for our 8 m/o son's Easter basket. We couldn't resist!

[Leigh]

Great tip! I love those egg shakers, but seem to have lost mine. . .

I found a good alternative: small plastic spice jars half-full of large candy sprinkles, rice or beans with the lid glued on.

Easy for even small kids to hold and makes a great music shaker.

The different fillers make different noises and my kids (15 and 33 months) love them.

[Lisa]

Stickers won't make a plastic egg shake, but they're equally great for prizes when egg-hunting. I think everyone knows how much the lil' ones love stickers :-)

[Lori O'Day]

We absolutely do this type of alternative - we are not big candy fans PLUS we don't do any more artificial ingredients than we "have to" (my son has ADHD). We like to fill our plastic eggs up with pennies! Kids rattle them and LOVE the money!

[tara]

Be careful of the wood egg shakers. My 12 month old was able to "crack" one open banging it on the coffee table and tiny metal balls flew all over the living room...