Easter Egg Fillers for Picky Eaters with Autism

Egg Fillers for Picky Eaters with Autism & Sensory Seeking

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One of the first recommendations my team typically gives to families of children with autism and picky eating is to get on a mealtime schedule. There’s a lot to be said about the benefits of a mealtime schedule for picky eaters. In short, I’ll say that a schedule:

1) Helps kids come to the table hungry and ready to eat

2) Allows your child to be more focused on eating

3) Encourages them to be more flexible with choices offered

4) Results in them eating more appropriate portions than if they are not hungry or too hungry

As the parent of a toddler who insists she would like to “taste cracker” ALL DAY LONG and as a therapist that’s supported dozens of families with transitioning to a mealtime schedule, I know that there are so_many_opportunities in a day when we have to say, “OOOooo, yes, that looks yummy! Let’s have that at our next mealtime.” Which is code for, “Yes, I can see you want that, and no, not right now.”

With Easter right around the corner, I want to recognize this as a day full of such opportunities. In an effort to curb some of the enthusiasm for eating candy - and eating it outside of mealtimes – I put together some fun items for stuffing in the eggs in addition to jelly beans.

And, because I know that not every young child on the autism spectrum with picky eating enjoys some of the typical candy-fillers, I’ve got ideas to help you fill those eggs with alternative goodies. I haveincluded two guides: one for picky eaters and another for picky eaters who are also sensory seekers.

The Picky Eaters guide is for kids on the spectrum with a broader range of interests – this might be a good list for neurotypical sibs too!

The Sensory Seekers guide is for kids who may have fewer preferred items or engage in repetitive behaviors. These are often also kids who are described as sensory-seeking, so, this list is labeled Sensory Seekers.

There is definitely overlap in these lists and items from both guides could be great for all young kids. You will see that the items I picked up are sometimes geared more towards girls (because I’ll be using these items for Petal’s eggs), but I’ve included lots of links with alternatives boys will love too.

If you have specific items meant for different kids in your family, you can designate a particular color egg for each child. That way, each child can hunt just for eggs of the color they’re assigned. (The bigger kids or sibs can lead the way on this one by simply not collecting the easier-to-find eggs of others if the egg is not their assigned color.)

Egg Fillers for Picky Eaters with Autism

1. Care Bear Figurines

You can find MILLIONS of figurine options to suite your child’s interests, but I thought these Care Bears were pretty adorbs. I also saw options including safari animals, Paw Patrol, dinos, and these girls in sweaters (how cute are they?!).

2. Bows

At my house, hair accessories are pretty popular. I adore these ones because the muted colors are so gorgeous. Plus, each variety comes in a set of 2 for pigtails. Can you believe all the cuteness that is about to ensue?! I also plan to use these as a matching activity.

Don’t have girls? Cute socks could be a perfect alternative for boys.

3. Raisins

A snack with some nutritional value if your picky eater likes dried fruit. The boxed mini raisins fit perfectly in the eggs.

4. Stickers

You can cut strips of stickers from sheets like me (mine are from the Dollar Store but these are similar), or you can get puffy stickers, roles of stickers or stickers you can decorate with other stickers! Kids who pick or scratch a lot can later enjoy picking stickers off of a sheet of cardboard.

5. Hair clips

In addition to being essential for keeping hair out of the little’s eyes, around here, clips are an endless source of enjoyment for sorting, counting, piling and labeling colors. My mother-in-law found the ones pictured above, but if you’re looking for some, you might want to snag these cuties.

6. Stamps

These Easter stamps come in a variety of colors and prints. You could also get rubber stamps if you have ink pads or pop some colorful pads in the Easter basket.

Egg Fillers for Picky Eaters with Autism and Restricted Interests Sensory Seeking

Egg Fillers for Picky Eaters with Autism and Sensory Seeking Behaviors

1. Blowouts!

I trimmed the cardboard ends of these blowouts to make the usual-sized ones fit into my eggs. These will be a fun way to ring in Easter morn! (And don’t worry, these aren’t horns so they make very little noise - just the sound of the paper unrolling.) Shiny and brightly colored with streamers, these are fun for everyone, but might really bring a smile to a kiddo who likes to flick items or see items shine in the light.

2. Pipe Cleaners Curled into Spirals

…or any fun shape for that matter! This is a goodie for kids who like texture, who like to flick their fingers and objects or who hand flap with light-weight objects.

3. Playdoh Minis

Another great option for any littles. The mini size fits in large eggs, and for kids who like to fidget or need to keep their hands busy, playdoh is fantastic.

4. Spiral Cord

I got these cords for carrying my keys on walks but realized that the extras make great toys for stretching, rubbing, wearing, shaking….all the things. A mini slinky has a lot of the same qualities and might also become a fast favorite for every kiddo in your home.

5. Granola

Like raisins, this is another snack option you can feel good about if your little one likes dry crunchy foods. Granola works well for kids with food allergies or restrictions because there are tons of varieties available at grocery stores, and you can make your own with ingredients that work for your family-even sans oats.

6. Washi Tape

Washi tape is fun for kids who love arts and crafts. It also comes in shiny varieties that are good for kiddos who like to look at things that reflect in light, and glittery varieties are a good texture for kids that like to feel that scratchy sensation.

7. A Puff of Tulle

Tulle can be found in beautiful spring colors that look cheerful coming out of the eggs. It can be waived or twirled like a handkerchief or playsilks. It’s great for kiddos who like to look at objects held up to the light, who like textures or again, who like to hand flap with objects.

Free Strategies for Picky Eaters & Autism

8. Beaded Necklaces

Whether you choose bright mardi gras beads with a smooth feel or shell necklaces with rough textures, beads are fun for all kids, and often a BIG hit with sensory-seekers.

9. Felt Shapes

Felt might be something you already have on hand (win!), and when cut into fun spring shapes like bright suns, flowers or eggs, they are especially festive. I used spring cookie cutters as stencils for my shapes. This is another item that could be perfect for a kiddo who likes textures, flicking or light play.

10. Foil Origami

I think by now you are seeing a theme here around items that shine or reflect, that are light-weight for flicking and that have interesting texture! Foil also makes an interesting tin-y sound when you touch it. I made my foil pup from plain old aluminum foil and followed the instructions here. These could be a lot of fun for any kid and could also be made in bright colors or with foil origami paper.

Well, that’s a wrap: Egg fillers for a wide variety of young kids on the spectrum. Whether you have a picky eater with autism who has a broad range of interests or one who has fewer preferred interests and enjoys sensory input, this is for you. I hope this guide helps you identify some fun, new ideas that make cutting down on candy or sticking with a mealtime schedule just a little bit easier this Easter.

Have other ideas for great egg fillers? Post them in the comments below for others to share!