Yahoo Finance 12 best Easter gifts for kids that will last longer than a chocolate egg
Easter wouldn’t be Easter without chocolate, and while we love watching our children racing around trying to collect as many eggs as they can, the sugar-high? Not so much. If you find your kids are still working their way through the Easter chocolate well into the summer months, perhaps it’s worth considering a non-chocolate gift this year instead.
Whether you choose to throw a couple of non-chocolate presents into the mix, or decide to forgo traditional chocolate eggs all together, there are plenty of season-appropriate gifts to celebrate Easter (which falls on 17 April this year) in style.
Our round-up covers everything from books and games to cuddly toys and fancy dress, which all deliver plenty of fun – and will last longer than even the most mega sugar-high.
How we tested
Rather than general gifts, we looked for seasonal treats that felt more Easter-specific. Plenty of bunnies, eggs, chicks make an appearance, alongside more practical presents to help make the most of the spring holiday.
Our little helpers, aged two-and-a-half and five, stepped away from the chocolate (momentarily) to put these gifts to the test. We looked for quality, “Easter-appeal”, something that really captured our testers’ imaginations, and also whether they could hold the children’s interest through April and beyond. Coming in at a range of budgets and styles, we think there’s something for everyone.
Read more:
Our definitive guide to the best Easter eggs you can buy online
9 best Easter decorations ideas: From tableware to egg hunting
The best non-chocolate Easter gifts for children for 2022 are:
Best overall – Le Toy Van egg cup toy set: £9.95, Letoyvan.co.uk
Best Easter book – ‘The Spring Rabbit: An Easter Tale’ by Angela McAllister, published by Frances Lincoln Children's Books: £6.99, Blackwells.co.uk
Best cuddly toy – Miffy corduroy plush: £19.99, Miffyshop.co.uk
Best Easter fancy dress – Meri Meri chick costume: £58, Merimeri.co.uk
Best for Easter adventures – Pachee beltbackpack: £35, Notonthehighstreet.com
Best board game – Orchard Toys egg surprise: £5.50, Orchardtoys.com
Best Easter cardigan – Frugi cuddly knitted cardigan: £34, Welovefrugi.com
Best baby doll dress-up – Baby Annabell deluxe sheep onesie: £14.40, Boots.com
Best nursery print – The Charming Press Liberty bunny nursery art: £25, Thecharmingpress.com
Best for outdoor fun – The Den Kit Company cottage garden den kit: £45, Thedenkitco.com
Best for imaginative play – JoJo Maman Bébe farm animal eggs: £12, Jojomamanbebe.co.uk
Best family game – Hoppy Floppy’s Happy Hunt: £17.50, Learningresources.co.uk
Le Toy Van egg cup toy set
Best: Overall
Rating: 10/10
We love the cute and quirky design of this wooden egg cup, dippy egg and soldiers toy. Ethically made from solid rubberwood, the 6-piece set instantly captured our tester’s imaginations and they had great fun tapping the top of the egg and dipping the soldiers into the middle (again and again).
As well as being great for developing those fine motor skills – fitting the toast soldiers into the centre of the egg was no mean feat for our determined two-and-a-half-year-old – it’s the little details that really make this toy feel special. The sweet chick egg cup, complete with felt wings, and the smiley faces on the dippy soldiers (a favourite with our testers), added bags of character and we think it makes the perfect Easter addition to any play kitchen.
Buy now £9.95, Letoyvan.co.uk
‘The Spring Rabbit: An Easter Tale’ by Angela McAllister, published by Frances Lincoln Children's Books
Best: Easter book
Rating: 9/10
This beautifully illustrated picture book, written by Angela McAllister, tells the story about how the Easter Bunny came to be. Following the tale of Spring – in female form – the book covers the origins of the giving of eggs, while touching on themes of kindness, nature and the beauty of the season, in a child-friendly way.
Our five-year-old was absolutely mesmerised by the story, while our youngest tester was drawn to the colourful illustrations by folk artist Christopher Corr, as were we. We found it completely and utterly charming, and it’s a book we’re more than happy to be reading on repeat for the kids. It’s so calming and relaxing that it’s a great book to have on standby after the inevitable chocolate Easter egg crash, too!
Buy now £6.99, Blackwells.co.uk
Miffy corduroy plush
Best: Cuddly toy
Rating: 9.5/10
Sorry Easter bunny, Miffy will always be the OG rabbit in our eyes. Dick Bruna’s iconic little rabbit has been going strong since 1955 and can be found on everything from tote bags to lunchboxes, but it’s this adorable corduroy plush toy that has earned its place in our round-up.
Super-soft and available in an impressive choice of colours ,it’s a great gift for babies and older kids alike. We really rate Miffy’s dedication to ethical toy production and love how the stuffing of this plush toy is made from 100 per cent recycled PET bottles. Above all, our little testers are obsessed and Miffy has become the chosen one when it comes to bedtime cuddles.
Buy now £19.99, Miffyshop.co.uk
Meri Meri chick costume
Best: Easter fancy dress
Rating: 9/10
When you’re five and two-and-a-half, you don’t need an excuse for fancy dress, but Easter is as good a reason as any to add to the dressing up box – and without doubt, they don’t come any cuter than this adorable chick costume from Meri Meri. We’re big fans of the brand’s approach to fancy dress, designing capes and headpieces that are easy-to-wear, work for a large age range, offer a full fancy dress look without the effort and are endlessly creative, and this is no exception.
It was love at first sight for our testers when we unboxed this beauty, and it took our very best negotiation skills to get them to take turns being “the chick”. We love how the tulle layers create the perfect fluffy chick effect, while the glitter beak adds a bit of sparkle, and we really appreciated the kid-friendly touches like the easy to open popper on the cape and Velcro fastening on the headpiece.
Buy now £58.00, Merimeri.co.uk
Pachee beltbackpack
Best: For Easter adventures
Rating: 9.5/10
If you’re heading out on an Easter egg hunt, you’re going to need somewhere to store your bounty, and this two-in-one backpack and belt bag combo from Pachee is just the ticket. The first thing that impressed us was the quality – these are bags made to last and will see your child through school, summer holidays and sleepovers for years to come.
Available in a bright selection of colourways, we loved the ingenious backpack with detachable belt bag design, but what our five-year-old thought was most exciting was the opportunity to personalise your bag with the brand’s own patches. The idea is your child gets to pick and choose their patches to show off their passions and individuality. Everything from space to positive vibes are celebrated here, in the coolest of designs. You can iron or sew the patches on and, although we used the iron for speed – our tester was very eager to show off his bag to his cousins – we plan to sew them on for extra security, as this bag will be heading out on plenty of adventures.
Comfy to wear (the padded back panel and straps get the thumbs up from our tester), bags of room and a design that will appeal right up through secondary school, we just can’t fault these.
Buy now £35.00, Notonthehighstreet.com
Orchard Toys egg surprise
Best: Board game
Rating: 8.5/10
An egg hut with all the fun and no chocolate in sight? Yes, it is possible! This counting game is a great choice for keeping the younger kids entertained while you cook Easter lunch, and at just £5.50 it won’t break the bank, either. Aimed at ages three to six, the premise is simple – spin the spinner, choose a bunny card with the same number of spots, then turn it over to see how many eggs are on the card; when you’ve finished, the person with the most eggs on their cards wins.
We found the game so straightforward that even our five-year-old tester could explain it to our youngest (although, as toddlers do, she preferred to make up her own rules…). It was a fun, engaging game that held our older tester’s attention well and is a clever way to encourage numeracy skills. It’s nicely compact too, so handy for throwing in your bag when heading out for an Easter picnic or a visit to the grandparents’.
Buy now £5.50, Orchardtoys.com
Frugi cuddly knitted cardigan
Best: Easter cardigan
Rating: 9/10
Pretty much spring on a cardigan, this absolute beauty from Frugi can’t fail to raise a smile. It’s super-soft, made from the snuggliest organic cotton, and is thick enough to keep warm on those chillier spring days.
Our farm-mad two-and-a-half-year-old was so excited to spot all of her favourite farmyard animals and couldn’t wait to try the cardigan on – now we struggle to get her to take it off! Capturing all the joys of spring and Easter in knitted form, we think this makes such a great non-chocolate Easter gift. Available in sizes from three months to four years, it’s a sweet way to treat the youngest members of the family and, as it’s made to last, it’s a cardigan that can easily be passed down from sibling to sibling. Whenever our youngest tester is wearing this cardigan, people always ask where it’s from – quite honestly, what’s not to love?
Buy now £34.00, Welovefrugi.com
Baby Annabell deluxe sheep onesie
Best: Baby doll dress-up
Rating: 8.5/10
Calling all Baby Annabell fans; this is how to give your doll a fancy Easter makeover. This fluffy, pink sheep onesie is a simple way of giving a new lease of life to a much-loved baby doll and, with its cute floppy ears and embroidered smiley face, we totally get why our youngest tester loves it so much.
Designed to fit your Baby Annabell, or other dolls measuring up to 43cm, it’s so easy to get on and off. With simple Velcro strips down the front, and plenty of space for manoeuvring, even our two-and-a-half-year-old could dress her doll up in the hooded onesie without any problems. The material is so soft to touch – perfect for toddler cuddles – and “Sheep baby” is now a firm favourite in our house.
Buy now £14.40, Boots.com
The Charming Press Liberty bunny nursery art
Best: Nursery print
Rating: 9/10
If you’ve got a new Easter chick of your own, this beautiful print is a great way of adding a stylish touch to their nursery. Part of The Charming Press’ forest tea party collection, this gorgeous rabbit illustration is given an extra-special touch with a Liberty of London fabric party hat and gold glittery trim. It manages to feel both timeless and fashionable, and it certainly won both of our testers over.
Available in either A4 or A3, this print comes unframed, so you can choose a colour or finish that works in your home. We felt a natural wooden frame tied in nicely with the cute, countryside feel and it has instantly brightened up our youngest tester’s bedroom.
Buy now £25.00, Thecharmingpress.com
The Den Kit Company cottage garden den kit
Best: For outdoor fun
Rating: 9.5/10
Whatever the weather, prepare to lose your kids to the garden for the foreseeable future this Easter with this amazing den kit. Forget chucking an old sheet over a couple of chairs in the living room; this is how to build a den that is guaranteed to impress even the trickiest customer. The Den Kit Company is known for creating epic, all-in-one kits for outdoor den building, and we think this Cottage Garden version is the perfect gift for Easter.
Inside the blue haversack you’ll find everything you need to make a dreamy, outside getaway, including purple tarpaulin, sage green groundsheet, wooden mallet, natural rope and steel tent pegs. Essentially, the kit has all the tools to make an effective den to enjoy the great outdoors and start real adventures.
Our five-year-old tester loved getting hands-on, helping us set up a pretty impressive hideaway (even if we say so ourselves), while our youngest preferred relaxing in it after all our hard work. Cute extras like cotton bunting in pretty pastel shades, a natural wooden kaleidoscope and a Patterns in Nature guide, make this kit something we know the whole family will enjoy for years to come.
Buy now £45.00, Thedenkitco.com
JoJo Maman Bébe farm animal eggs
Best: For imaginative play
Rating: 9/10
The cute factor is strong here. Tucked up inside a cardboard egg box you’ll find six eggs with a difference. Each solid wooden egg features a fun farm animal character, including a pig, chicken, lamb, rabbit, cow and chick. Soft felt ears and wings bring the characters to life and both of our testers instantly got stuck in creating make-believe stories with their new toys.
Each egg can stand upright independently, so our testers found them easy to play with – nothing worse than trying to placate a toddler whose toys keep falling over. We loved how convenient they were to pack away in their cardboard egg box, as well as their gifting appeal – why not split up the pack and add these wooden eggs into the mix in your usual chocolate egg hunt this year?
Buy now £12.00, Jojomamanbebe.co.uk
Hoppy Floppy’s Happy Hunt
Best: Family game
Rating: 8.5/10
Easter is a great time to get the whole family together, so if you’re searching for a fun game that all the kids – and grown-ups – will want to get involved in, we think this is just the thing. The aim of this four-player game is to try and fill your Easter basket with the matching coloured carrots using the giant bunny (which has pincer-style front paws), using the spinner to guide you (or throw curveballs) as you go. The winner is the first to fill their basket with the right carrots.
Helping to develop fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination and matching skills, the game offers a whole lot of educational benefits, however the overriding feeling is one of fun. We all got very involved (and, dare we say, a little competitive) trying to fill up our baskets without another player using the spinner to steal a carrot or – disaster – knock over our basket. Suitable for ages three and up, it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Buy now £17.50, Learningresources.co.uk
The verdict: Non-chocolate Easter gifts for children
We were won over by the fun and quirky egg and soldiers set from Le Toy Van. It has so much play potential, ties into the Easter theme perfectly and comes in at under £10 – what more could you ask for? If you have a little more to spend and want a gift that will become a staple for years to come, we think the Pachee beltbackpack is a fantastic buy and a real Easter holiday essential.
Voucher codes
For the latest discounts on toys, clothes and other kids’ essentials, try the links below:
We got cracking to test the best luxury Easter eggs too, from dark choc to honeycomb
