Just walk into any supermarket and you are bombarded with shelf upon shelf of chocolate treats all ready and waiting for Easter.
In our family we avoid Easter Eggs, although the kids receive them from friends and family so they do get a couple to enjoy. Instead we buy them a little gift, usually toys or clothing, depending what they want or need.
Easter is the perfect time to teach children all about new life, why things grow and getting them to find out more about the world around them.
Here are my Top 5 alternative gifts for Easter:
Create a magical home for your fairy in a beautiful flowerpot which allows you to get closer to nature and see how your Flowerpot flourishes into a wonderful creation, which transforms into fantastic decoration for your home.
Fairy Flowerpot is an enchanting fairy home that combines imaginative and creative play with the fun of growing flowers and with lots of different sets to collect, you can also make your own fairy village.
Do you have a child who spends hours in the garden looking for mini beasts?
One of our favourite kits is Butterfly World which introduces you to the butterfly’s life cycle is one of nature’s most amazing transformations.
Butterfly World is a hands-on nature study kit that contains all the equipment required to observe and study the fascinating life cycle of butterflies. From a tiny bead of an egg that hatches into a leaf munching caterpillar, to the flying work of natural art that is the adult butterfly. You can use the set again and again by catching your own caterpillars from the garden – we re-homed some cabbage white caterpillars for ours.
3. Smiggle
Smiggle (the cross between a smile and a giggle) are the ultimate creators of colourful, fun, fashion forward stationery and I was really excited when they opened a store in Bournemouth recently.
Now the kids can get arty with fun and funky equipment and draw the animals they have seen or flowers they have grown or grab them a new bag to use on all their adventures.
4. Lego
With Lego sets to appeal to all ages from Duplo for little ones to huge Star Wars sets for Dad’s that haven’t grown up and Lego friends for the girls, there is something that appeals to everyone.
Not only are the sets fun and interactive, but they’re great for developing reasoning and fine motor skills so the kids are learning whilst they play too.
There are over 250 hunts with the National Trust to choose from across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, guaranteeing a fun-filled Easter for everyone.
From fighting fiery dragons and solving mysteries to helping friendly animals throw a carnival, there’s so much to get involved in. What’s more, everyone will be rewarded with a delicious Cadbury treat at the end of each completed hunt.
Your Easter Egg Hunt doesn’t have to be with the National Trust, hundreds of other attractions all over the country organise fun challenges too.
There is an alternative to a chocolate egg, if you still want the significance of giving the gift of an Easter egg………a craft egg.
These craft eggs contains markers, crayons, ink pads and stampers, finger paint pots and ten colouring sheets all boasting fun Paw Patrol or My Little Pony characters, the ideal gift for little ones with crafty paws.
Do you get alternative gifts at Easter or do you prefer to buy chocolate eggs?
I’m with you on the treats. They get so much chocolate around easter time from other people, that it’s lovely to give them something that lasts a bit longer. At one stage we got to the point where my kids were writing letters to the Easter Bunny to ask for something they had their eye on instead of chocolate! Love the idea of teaching them about growing flowers.
these are really original gifts for the kids, I’m sure they would love any of them (specially the day out, I bet!) xx
Brilliant ideas – we don’t do chocolate anymore but we do always find an Easter Egg hunt to go to x
Great ideas! We have a Smiggle crazy family here so that would definitely go down well. WE’re trying to cut down on the sugar so I love this post!
We did the butterfly garden last year and will definitely be doing it again this year. I watched them more than the kids did 😉
I love all these ideas – there is definitely too much chocolate around at Easter and I love the idea of welcoming Spring instead. You can’t beat a good Easter egg hunt though and the NT ones are always brilliant. x
What lovely ideas. We always do a National Trust Egg Hunt and my girls are completely in love with Smiggle.
We always buy too many easter eggs! It’s like Christmas… I love seeing the kids faces when we have lots of lovely treats for them! But not healthy and an alternative gift would be lovely x