By Armin Brott and Samantha Feuss

Tribune News Service

With Easter around the corner, it’s time to start gathering items for your children’s baskets. Since you probably still have plenty of candy left over from Halloween, you may be on the lookout for unsweetened, (vaguely) egg-shaped items to put inside. Here are a few surefire hits.

Super Wings

Are your children Super Wings fans? The new Super Wings Vroom ’n Zoom are great for pre-K and toddlers. Just push to rev up, then release, and they speed away. Jett and friends are available individually for under $6.00. Or, pick up the Super Wings Transform-a-Bots 4 Pack. These unique mini-figures transform from plane to robot in just three steps. Transform-a-bots let your kids recreate favorite scenes from the “Super Wings” TV show or imagine entirely new helpful deliveries. $11.99.

PJ Masks

PJ Masks Mini Vehicles feature your favorite heroes from the hit show. You can get Catboy in his Cat-Car, Gekko in his Gekko-Mobile, and Owlette in her Owl Glider. They’re the perfect size for small hands, and are easy to push and roll around. $6.99 each at Walmart, Toys R Us and other retailers.

Madballs

Aimed at slightly older kids — including tweens — these foam balls are fun, gross and collectible. Madballs were born in 1985, so you may remember their icky faces and how fun they were to throw, hit, bounce, squeeze and everything you’d do with any other ball — but their gruesome features makes them “way more better.” Six Madballs characters are currently available: Dustbrain, Horn Head, Oculus Orbus, Screamin’ Meemie, Skull Face, and Slobulus. The 3-inch balls are $7.99 each; mini blind bags are $2.99.

Bunch O Balloons

When you’re ready to take the fun outside, Bunch O Balloons are just the ticket. They’re like classic water balloons, except that you can fill and tie 100 of them in less than a minute. Really. The balloons are also biodegradable, so if you miss a few pieces when doing your post-fight cleanup, no biggie. Oh, did we mention that they now come in “Minion” form? So much fun for $9.99. To take your battle on the road, the Bunch O Balloons Filler/Soaker lets you fill your balloons in a pool, bucket, or any other body of water. The Filler/Soaker also doubles as a water gun. It’s $14.99 and includes three Bunch O Balloons.

Animal Jams

Animal Jams are adorable, adoptable toy pets that you can activate on the Animal Jams website. The site helps you keep track of your collection and unlocks special online accessories and play games. Kids can also learn about plants and animals, but we recommend that you always monitor all online chat. There are plenty of options, ranging from blind packs, pets that come with their own pet (really), larger playsets, and more. Quite a few are Easter egg size, so they’re perfect for small hands. Prices vary. Available in many brick-and-mortar stores and online, at Amazon and others.

Stikbot Pets

If you know Stikbots, you’ll love this new line. If you don’t know Stikbots, these pets (and not-so-petlike animals like pandas and gorillas) are a great way to meet them. (OK, we admit they aren’t egg-shaped, but they’re still a fun way to add a non-bunny animal theme to your baskets.) We can’t say enough good things about them. They are inexpensive, are nearly impossible to break, encourage imagination and creativity, and teach your child (and yourself, if you’re open to learning) technological and creative skills like photo- and video editing and animation. You and the kids will have hours of fun. About $5 each at Target and other retailers.

Armin Brott and Samantha Feuss write parenting blogs www.mrdad.com and www.havesippywilltravel.com.