Best Easter gifts for kids that are an egg-cellent alternative to chocolate

Although this set is designed for kids aged nine and up, our seven-year-old tester found it a fun challenge to put together, without too much assistance. The cute Lego animals and bright colours will appeal to most kids, and it should only take about 45 minutes to complete the set in one sitting.

We thought this made the perfect gift if you’re about to sit down to a family Easter lunch and want to keep the kids entertained without any screen time. As a bonus, the set makes a cute spring decoration for the house and doesn’t take up too much room to display.

Kick off the Easter holidays with some crafting. Our testers loved painting this Easter Bunny suncatcher. The pastel paint shades mean kids can’t go far wrong when creating the rabbit, but we did find they needed some adult support with the more intricate bits.

This craft set kept our seven-year-old tester busy for a good 45 minutes. Whether they do it before, during or after Easter, this is a cute little set that’s going to last much longer than an Easter egg. Plus, you’ll have a sweet decoration to display every year.

Warning: this set will get your kids addicted to making pom-poms. We found it hugely nostalgic to spend time making pom-poms with our kids, and it was a nice, easy and clean crafting session.

Everything you need comes in the cute little tin, from the pom-pom bits to the cute chick base and watercolour crayons to colour it in. Plus, everything is plastic-free. Our tester was very pleased with their creation, and they enjoyed keeping the tin afterwards to house knick-knacks.

A water bottle may not spring to mind immediately when it comes to Easter gifting but bear with us. Owala is set to be the next ‘it’ water bottle – forget Stanley cups and Air Ups, Owala is where it’s at in 2024.

Around the age of six, kids become absolute suckers for a trend but the Owala is also a practical gift. The water bottle is metal, so it’s durable and insulated to keep drinks cool – perfect for the hot summer ahead.

The ingenious design includes a straw for sipping and a free pour option. It’s also super easy to clean and comes in an array of fun colourways. Our kids were obsessed with this bottle during testing, and we were happy they were keeping hydrated. We call that a win-win. Now, all we need to do is get our hands on the adult version, as we’re converts, too.

We thought it was such a cute idea to gift a bib for babies as they sit down for their first Easter lunch. This Chomp bib is incredibly aesthetically pleasing, in a spring-like pastel colourway. It’s made from silicone, so is waterproof but doesn’t have that sweaty, plastic feel that some bibs with sleeves do. It also provided excellent coverage for our messy tester. The bib has two “crumb” pockets – one across the chest and one at the bottom – and is designed to grow with your child until they’re around three years old. We think that’s pretty amazing value.

Teaming with Easter-themed products, this egg from Lush is bound to delight tweens and teens. There’s shower jelly (very fun in the shower, if a little slippery to keep hold of), golden egg shower gel that glitters, as well as a glittery egg bath bomb melt, and a rainbow bubble bar. Last but not least, there’s a cute pink rabbit soap.

All of the products smell like confectionary, and our testers went absolutely nuts for it all. We found we didn’t have to nag them to get in the shower or bath while these products were being tested. The rainbow-hue tin is also reusable – massively useful for hairbands, nail polishes or crafting bits and bobs.

Kids of almost any age can get involved in this cute craft. The wooden press has layers of cardboard, between which you can press flowers and leaves for preserving or creating craft supplies. This is the perfect little project during the Easter holidays when flowers finally start to pop up.

Our testers found it really fascinating to see how things dried and flattened. During walks, we noticed our testers paying more attention to nature – albeit sizing up what they could flatten next. The metal screws on each corner allow you to add pressure easily – much simpler than using a pile of heavy books. The flower press is sturdy and well-made and can be enjoyed for years to come.

Our mini-testers loved using this potion kit in their mud kitchen and were kept busy for ages while they combined potions. Inside the cardboard egg box are six ingredients for potions: blossom bubbles (fizzing bath salts), springtime sprinkles (sugar strands), cracking eggshells (popping candy), beautiful buds (dried lavender), dazzling dew drops (fizzing bath salts) and mowed meadows (parsley stalks).

It was a great sensory session for our testers, as they enjoyed seeing the reactions of the fizzing salts and popping candy as they added them to water in jam jars, and talking about the smell of some of the other “ingredients”. The kit also includes a wooden spoon for stirring and a plastic pipette. We’d recommend an adult supervise kids – prepare for things to get messy.

This is such an easy win for younger kids, as they get to explore different senses and learn new language for describing the reactions.

This spring, Polarn O. Pyret’s pyjamas come in a range of cracking colours. We loved these mid-blue PJs, which are made from 100 per cent organic cotton. Our tester is a sweaty sleeper, often struggling with the changing of the seasons and temperatures at night, but these PJs kept our mini reviewer warm during chilly nights and sweat-free during warmer evenings.

The cuffs on the PJ top and bottoms can be turned over, so there’s plenty of room for little ones to grow. Our tester looked as cute as a button in the stripy set, too. They’re also a dream to wash, and the colours don’t fade.

• Polarn O. Pyret leggings: £22, Polarnopyret.co.uk
• Polarn O. Pyret top: £22, Polarnopyret.co.uk

With 92 pieces, you’ve got enough in the set to create something quite elaborate, and building it teaches kids great stem skills, as well as collaboration.

Our testers spent countless hours playing with the ball run, creating city transport systems, waterslides and theme park rides. There are tiles with holes in the middle and different tubes through which to roll the balls. The tiles join together using magnets, which is hugely satisfying. Should you have other magnetic tiles, these are compatible, so can extend play further. Connetix also makes its own range of other tiles, so you can build your collection.

Yes, this set is pricey but it is hard to beat, as it can grow with your child, as their play changes and develops.

Kids like to experiment with their appearance, and we reckon the school holidays are a good time to test out a new look. These temporary hair highlights come in eyeshadow-style pans – simply swipe them down strands of hair. The highlights are scented, which some kids will love (our testers did) but others might find the smell a bit overpowering.

There are two colours included: yellow and pink. We found pink was best, and definitely worked better on blonde hair. You’ll also get two hair ties in the pack and a plastic bracelet. Mercifully, the highlights wash out easily, so kids can return to school with their teachers being none the wiser.

We’d suggest supervising your kids while they’re using this kit, which we’d store out of reach when not in use – just so kids don’t go wild and your pets don’t end up looking like an extra from “Club Tropicana”.

Nothing says “Easter” louder than an adorable bunny couple dressed up in their Sunday best. This Sylvanian Families set is going to bring all the cuteness plus a hefty dose of nostalgia to proceeding this Easter.

Our four-year-old tester was thrilled with this set and spent ages playing with them. There are three eggs you can open and hide sweet treats in, then pretend there’s an egg hunt going on. Our tester loved this, but you might want to supervise younger children, as the parts are incredibly small. Whether you’re adding to your Sylvanian collection or just starting one, this set will delight young kids who love small-world play.

Drawing on the patio brought lockdown memories flooding back to us, but our testers were delighted with these tactile chalk eggs. They’re perfect for little hands to grip, as they fit neatly in small palms, and kids can make marks however they want.

Our testers used the chalks outside, restyling our patio and adding “wallpaper” to our garden walls, but the eggs work just as well on an easel indoors, if you’re after something a bit less chaotic. The chalks come stored in a cardboard egg box, and there are six springtime shades inside. An all-round eggcellent gift.

If you’ve played as much Uno as you can stomach, this card game might be the answer to your prayers. It’s a fast-paced game of elaborate snap, where you flip your cards into the central pile while going around taking turns to say taco, cat, goat, cheese, pizza – no matter what’s on your card.

When the word you say matches the word on the card, you slap your hands down on the pile. The last player to put down their hand picks up all the cards. The first player to get rid of all their cards wins. It’s a simple game, aimed at those aged eight and above, but we found it perfect for kids aged from four years old, too.

Great for taking with you on the go, the game fits easily in bags and hand luggage – perfect if you’re going away this Easter.

Whether it’s a rainy British spring day or you want something to keep the kids busy during the Easter holidays, this 50-piece colouring set got two thumbs up from our testers.

As well as six shades of glitter glue – which our seven-year-old tester was drawn to like a siren’s call – there is a rainbow of crayons, felt tips and colouring pencils. There’s even a flatpack pen holder inside, which you can decorate, too. Everything is fantastic quality and full-sized, with loads of varieties in colours. We think this is insanely good value for such a big colouring set.

We all know the weather can be changeable in spring, so, we think this splashsuit is the perfect practical gift. Did our testers gasp with joy when they saw it? Not exactly. Did they have fun wearing it and remain warm and dry while stomping about outside? Absolutely.

The splashsuit has enough room for layers underneath when the temperature drops but it can also be worn with just a T-shirt. There are two zipped pockets for keeping treasures inside and a detachable hood. We liked that it’s waterproof and windproof and the elasticated cuffs fit over wellies.

When is tech ever screen-free? Rarely, but it genuinely is with Yoto, the audio gadget for kids. There is a big version for at home, but this mini version is designed to go on the road with you – perfect for kids of most ages if you plan on going away this Easter.

Yoto sells a vast range of cards that are inserted into the little box and are then played aloud or listened to via headphones. The big dials and easy-to-use navigation also make this great for using independently, even for kids as young as three.

To make it even more travel-friendly, though, you can also control the device from your phone using the Yoto app, so you don’t have to cart all the cards around with you.

While the Yoto mini is currently out of stock, you can sign up (via the brand’s website) to be notified when the device is available again.

If you’ve got a long car journey ahead this Easter, audiobooks are going to be lifesavers. This Yoto card comes packed with 30 stories by Enid Blyton, including The Surprising Easter Egg, Snapdragon Snippets and The Wrong Dinnertime.

You can, of course, use the card in your Yoto player (sold separately) but, if you don’t have a Yoto, you can also play the stories through your smartphone or car’s audio system. Our testers loved the short snappy stories on these cards, and the narrators have calm voices that are almost soporific.

Our seven-year-old tester wants to learn a new trick over Easter, so this skateboard is perfect. It’s built for learners, with a wider board for easy foot placement and a shorter distance between the wheels, which makes it easier to make turns.

It’s suitable for ages six to 10 (depending on the size and skill of your child), and our tester quickly got to work trying out some new tricks – some dedication is required, for sure.

We love that the board encourages kids to get outside and helps them develop balance and coordination. Our tester also loves that this is a “proper” skateboard from a recognised brand, meaning it isn’t considered babyish (the worst of all disses).

At this time of year, thoughts turn to our outdoor space and the realisation that everything’s looking a bit sad out there. This climbing frame is a great way to transform your space for kids. Plus, the frame’s legs can be shortened or extended to suit the age of your children.

It’s easy to put together and feels durable and steady once up. There’s a treehouse-style den at the top, with a slide for a swift descent. Our testers loved playing on this, even in bad weather.

With the Olympics ahead of us, this Switch game is going to get kids excited about athletics and other sports that’ll be hitting TV screens this summer. The games are played using gestures while holding the controllers (sold separately – you have to have the Switch Joy-Con rather than other wireless controllers to play this game).

Our testers had fun duelling in chambara and having matches of badminton. Switch Sports definitely brings out the competitive side in players but, on a rainy day, this will be a godsend.

We loved this idea for a subscription gift for kids and were even more impressed with the products. Inside our box were three cards that tell you how to plant and grow three different plants – these will be seasonally appropriate, from veg to herbs to fruit. In our box, we got chillies, tomatoes and coriander. The cards also provide a recipe for something to cook with the produce. Compost and pots are included, too, so you have everything you need to get growing.

If your child isn’t up to reading all the instructions, you can scan the QR code on each card to be taken to a video relaying the same info – genius. We also loved that you get stickers to label your pots.

Our testers got stuck in with this project and enjoyed checking back on their plants. You can gift one box or a subscription for three, six or 12 months – with a new box arriving every month.

For a first Easter, this sweet little bunny is hard to beat. It’s as soft as you like and comes in a lavender shade that’s perfect for spring. The ears are lined in a Liberty-style floral fabric, which only adds to the cuteness.

Jellycat’s soft toys always make great gifts for young babies, in our opinion, as they last incredibly well and often become firm favourites. Rest assured this cuddly toy has been fully tested and deemed safe for all ages.

Summing up what Easter is about for a lot of us, this bodysuit is sure to raise a smile. It’s as soft as butter, as it’s made from 100 per cent organic, fair trade cotton, which is hypoallergenic and non-toxic – ideal fabric to have next to babies’ super-delicate skin.

There are poppers at the bottom and at the neck, to make changes easy for all concerned, and the grey colourway offers the perfect gender-neutral, trendy look.

It is no exaggeration to say our preschoolers played with this happily for hours and hours – and they’re not the kind of kids who sit still very often (just saying). Even our older testers enjoyed playing with this set, creating an elaborate café and inviting us to dine on their bright blue doughnuts and purple smoothies.

The set includes a “coffee maker”, so kids can delight in plunging Play-Doh through it. You can change the filter to add toppings such as “whipped cream”. This isn’t going to be the one if mixing Play-Doh colours makes your eyebrow twitch, but for those of you who have conceded defeat, this is a brilliant set and not too tricky to clean up, either.

Meri Meri always has the best fancy dress costumes, and it hasn’t let the side down this Easter. This chick costume is fun and cute, yes, but it’s also pretty thoughtfully made. It’s a tulle cape, which means our testers could put it on and take it off without asking for help (curse those fancy-dress costumes with zips in the back) and it was very flexible in its sizing. It’s gender-neutral, too, which is a big plus point for us.

Another thing we liked was it requires very little effort from adults – kids can wear what they like underneath and be comfy, and the costume itself still makes a big impact. The hat is very cute, too, if you can get your kids to keep it on. The sparkly beak is the icing on the cake.

If your child is a wee bit too young for Easter eggs and all that frippery, this Chomp dining set is a lovely Easter gift. Parents are going to love you for it, too. The plate suctions onto your table or high-chair tray, meaning food can’t be flung onto the floor, and there are three sections for different foods, making it fab for weaning, if you’re doing a mix of finger foods and spoon feeding.

The set also comes with a sippy cup with straw (which is easy for little hands to grasp) and baby-friendly cutlery. Plus, it’s all dishwasher-friendly. We think this would be such a cute set for little ones to use during Easter Sunday lunch.

Most kids are mad about baking, or making a mess in the kitchen at least, and these bottles remove a significant amount of hassle out of the process. Filled with the perfect quantities to make delicious mini-egg cookies, all you need is an egg, butter and milk.

Our kids loved this bottle, and have since started putting in requests for more (Bottled Baking Co. does a huge range of baking kits).

The cookies include porridge oats – so you can imagine kids are getting something vaguely healthy – and taste delicious. Warm mini eggs will always be a winner, right? This gift is perfect if there’s a gloomy day over Easter, or you just want to have some tricks up your sleeve when the kids inevitably moan “I’m booooored”.

If your little ones love Easter as much as they do Christmas Day, you may want to consider buying them this calendar, which is perfect when it comes to counting down to big events.

The solid-wood backboard has magnets, so you can click on and off the days, and switch the months. As well as numbers, there are little icons such as a present, heart and “good day” tiles, so kids can see what events are coming up. Not only was the visual and interactive calendar fun for our kids,but it helped them hugely with anticipating days of the week, months of the year and maths skills, too.

A wooden ring allows you to highlight which day of the month it is, and our six-year-old loved moving this every morning. We thought this beautiful calendar was great for kids of most ages and it’s something we’ll treasure forever.

“Yeah, because nothing says ‘Easter’ like a Nerf gun,” our co-parenting partner said, drolly. But they were quickly eating their words, as our mini testers ripped into the package and squealed with delight. If you’re looking to be known as the cool gift-giver, go for a Nerf.

Because these are designed for younger kids, the guns pack a little less punch, and are less complex. The fact there are two in a pack means you’ve got a ready-made game (for the garden, admittedly). A word to the wise: gather up the bullets at the end of the game and hide them until next time.

Our testers immediately fell in love with this candyfloss-hued chick, and both preschoolers and a six-year-old tester have loved looking after their new friend (full name: Chicky Chick Chick, FYI). In fact, it’s been the most-tended-to soul in our household since it hatched – not that we’re bitter.

In theory, you won’t know when your chick is going to hatch but ours emerged fairly immediately, so, even the most impatient child is going to be satisfied. Plus, you can repeat this process as much as you want. Chicky responds to touch, and the more you lavish love on him, the better he gets at singing – and he hops about. We’ve got to admit, we kind of like having him around.

Lego is a sure-fire way to keep kids quiet and out of trouble for hours. This 3-in-1 set makes a rabbit (which, according to some adults, is sinister but we suspect they’ve been watching too much Watership Down) as well as a cockatoo and a seal. So, kids can have fun cycling through all the different make options.

The rabbit also gets a carrot and a yellow flower, for extra Easter joy. Of course, as with all Lego, if kids tire of making these three figures, they can then build whatever they like, limited only by their own creativity.

Although this game says it’s for one player, we found it provided a huge amount of fun for the whole family to play together. It was nice that, instead of being embattled against one another, we were working together towards a common goal.

We’d go so far as to say the game is a bit like beginner’s chess – you have to get four rabbits from their starting place into the holes, moving around the toadstools and foxes, and pieces can only be moved in certain ways.

Set up takes moments – there’s a booklet inside with 100 different scenarios, all rated for their difficulty – and the game is super transportable. We also loved that our kids could play it on their own or with us.

Our kids absolutely loved pottering about on this tractor. Although we’ve said it’s an outdoor toy, you could feasibly have it indoors if you have the space. It’s not giant, and our testers loved filling up the trailer with all manner of toot, and carting it about “helping” with garden work.

It’s easy for little kids to manoeuvre independently, without any tipping over, and the steering wheel actually turns the wheels. It even has a horn, for when pesky adults get in the way. Our testers were delighted they could personalise the registration plate with their name, too.

If you have or know a kid who’s aged five to eight years old, you need to know about Usborne’s activity books. This, the publisher’s spring edition, is packed full of age-appropriate activities and it kept our six-year-old tester quiet for hours.

It’s great for slinging in a bag for long journeys, and for fighting the fidgets during long meal times. There are loads of learning opportunities included, too, with numeracy and literacy challenges – even the most reluctant learners will engage. All the activities are spring themed, with Easter eggs and lambs aplenty. Baa-rilliant!

Our tester loved this adorable little tin, which you can get personalised. It comes with some mini wooden signs, and watercolour pencils to colour them in. You then fill the tin with soil (taking everything out first, of course) and sprinkle on the grass seeds included in the pack. Plant your signs and then watch your garden grow. Our kids loved every step of creating this garden, from decorating the signs to watching the grass grow (mercifully quickly). We were then left with some very nice watercolour crayons that we could use for other arty activities.

As soon as this hat arrived, it was fought over and then worn with pride for a whole (quite rainy, if we’re honest) day. We loved the bright turquoise outside, with the contrasting toucan-patterned interior fabric. What is great about this hat on sunny days is it offers UPF 50+ protection against the sun, and there’s a roll-down neck cover to keep kids safe when they’re busy on the beach, in the garden or park.

The hat also has insect repellent infused into it, which should last about 30 washes. The fabric is super breathable, too, so little heads shouldn’t get too hot and sweaty. This is a future-thinking gift – kids will love it now, and you’ll be grateful for it for months to come.

You absolutely will not find a cuter egg-hunt basket or bag than this one. Even adults who saw it let out an “aww”. The soft-as-butter cotton bag comes with a front pouch to hold the little cuddly rabbit. It’s small enough that it’s perfect for little tots but our teddy-obsessed six-year-old also took a real shine to it.

The bag is ideal for collecting small eggs, as well as other treasures, too. Parents of toddlers and preschoolers know only too well how kids of that age love to fill bags, buckets and baskets with all manner of “treasures” and lug them about. This is the perfect Easter gift for kids of that age.

Our nature-loving kids were fascinated by this bug hotel, and liked to check in on “guests” hourly. They filled the three-bedroom house with twigs and pinecones to make things comfier for their customers, and really got into talking about bugs and insects. We think this is the perfect springtime gift, and you don’t need an enormous garden for it, either – it could fit on a balcony or large windowsill. The house is really well made, and comes ready made. There are also little feet, so it doesn’t get rotten in the soil. It’s painted in cheery shades to make a little pocket of joy for kids young and old.