As I ran through Target last week, frantically grabbing LEGO kits, tiny collectibles, summer games and way too much candy, my husband chided me that Easter is “not Christmas.”
When my daughter was about three, she asked for a bicycle for Easter. I told her she needed to lower her expectations. “He’s a bunny. He doesn’t have a sleigh, reindeer, and an entire support staff like Santa Claus. He can only bring what he can carry in your basket!”
Every time we passed a toy she liked, she’d say, “You think Easter Bunny can hold this? Is this too big for Easter Bunny to carry?”
I know other parents, too, have a rule that if it doesn’t fit in the basket, it’s not an Easter gift.
But I still tend to go overboard.
As the kids get older, I’d rather give them things they can really use and enjoy than filling a basket with Dollar Tree chocolate that will get tossed by June.
Many parents I’ve spoken with like to give traditional “summer” items for Easter. Beach towels. Bathing suits. Crocs. Bubbles. Maybe some pool toys or a sand bucket for the beach.
These are all great ideas. But I know we don’t need any more beach towels — and I’m sure other families are like ours!
So I went outside the box with gifts kids of all ages might not normally receive but will love.
If you don’t like to give toys for Easter, the ones I’ve spotlighted here also make great end-of-year gifts for those moving up from kindergarten, elementary, or middle school. Or maybe you have a summer birthday. Best of all, these are perfect to keep kids busy on spring and summer road trips.
There’s always a good reason to buy toys, right?
Fugglers (Funny Ugly Monsters, if you didn’t know) promise to be the season’s hottest toy for all ages. I’ve seen these little Baby Fuggs — diapers and all — at Five Below, but you can also grab a three-pack on Amazon.
If you’re planning an Easter getaway, the Vacay Vibes Fuggler plush could be your child’s favorite traveling companion.
Easy to play, yet hours of fun, Food Fight Frenzy is ideal to toss in your carry-on bag and keep kids occupied during an airport delay, a long flight, or in the hotel room when the parents need a break. Best of all, it fits nicely in an Easter basket.
Roll the dice and then match up the tiles. The first one to empty their hand wins. It’s great for two to four players. Ultra Pro recommends it for ages 6 and up, but it seems simple enough for a sharp 4-year-old to grasp!
Remember the Simon electronic game from the ‘80s, where you had to hit the colors in the correct sequence? Flipslide takes Simon to a new level. Flip the blocks to match the colors. Choose from four modes: speed, level, memory or multiplayer.
The game gets a bit noisy, so you’ll want to blast that ‘80s metal to drown out the sound as your kids play for hours in the backseat during your next road trip.
I remember when my kids, now teens, went crazy over Hatchimals. Any toy that breaks out of a colorful egg is perfect for an Easter basket. The Unicorn Hatching Surprising Easter Egg six-pack for under $20 will delight your little ones. Each unicorn grows to 600% of its original size. These are designed for ages 3 to 8 years old, but I think my teen would love to find one in her Easter basket.
If unicorns aren’t your child’s thing, you can also find Dinosaur Hatching Easter Eggs for the same price.
This Amazon bestseller doesn’t hatch on its own or grow in water. But the 3D Printed Dragon Easter Egg from TBOLine is a colorful fidget toy for dragon lovers. Available in a variety of iridescent colors, this egg will be a great addition to an Easter basket for kids of any age.
I’m seeing realistic hopping bunny toys all over the place this Easter season. But many of them received less than favorable reviews. The Realistic Bunny from Hinshark earned 4.3 stars from Amazon and ships in two days with Amazon Prime, so it will hop onto your doorstep before Easter.
The bunny jumps, twitches, chews, and wiggles its ears, complete with adorable bunny sounds. It’s powered by 2 AA batteries and it’s easy to switch off for nap time.
I would break my “If it doesn’t fit in the basket, it’s out” rule for this bestselling Segway Ninebot eKick Scooter for Kids. (One year I did give my kids scooters for Easter, but they weren’t electric.) I know it’s pricey, but it’s a fab “moving up” gift, an Easter splurge, or the perfect spring birthday present.
Kids aged 6 to 14 and less than 132 pounds will love zooming around the block on the kid’s version of this highly rated, reliable scooter.
The handlebar adjusts, so this scooter grows with your child. It’s packed with features like LED lights, Bluetooth speaker, and voice assistant. The lights even synch with the music.
We’ve been testing the Segway Ninebot E2 Pro and it’s a sturdy, powerful, and zippy machine my teen son loves. The Ninebot eKick for kids is the perfect predecessor to a bigger, faster e-scooter and it’s hard to beat the reliability and quality of the Segway brand.
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