Can you believe how quickly Easter is sneaking up on us this year? It feels like we were just putting away the holiday lights, and suddenly, the scent of spring is in the air and the store aisles are a sea of pastel.
Easter has always held a special place in my heart. It’s that beautiful window of time where we hit pause on our hectic schedules to gather with family and friends, share a meal, and appreciate the start of a new season. But let’s be honest—if you ask the kids, the real “VIP” of the holiday isn’t the ham or the spring flowers. It’s the Easter Bunny.
The excitement of waking up to find a colorful basket waiting on the kitchen table is a core childhood memory. However, as a parent, I quickly realized that the “sugar high” is very real—and the subsequent crash is even realer!
When my children were little, we had a bit of a logistics challenge. The Easter Bunny was incredibly generous, but he didn’t just stop at our house. He also left trails of jelly beans and chocolate eggs at their grandparents’ and great-grandparents’ homes. By the time we finished our family rounds, the kids had enough sugar to power a small city.
To avoid total sugar overload while keeping the magic alive, the Easter Bunny started following a specific “recipe” for our home baskets. Instead of a mountain of marshmallow chicks, each child received:
- A New Book: Something to read together before bed.
- A Soft Plush: A new “friend” to cuddle with.
- A Small Toy: Something to spark imagination and play.
- A Few Select Candies: Just enough to be a treat, without the tummy ache.
If you are interested in a few non-candy Easter ideas, I have a few suggestions.
EggMazing EggMini Egg Decorator (Hey Buddy Hey Pal | MSRP: $14.97 | Ages 3+ | Available at Walmart )
This first product is not necessarily a Easter morning gift but rather a fun activity the family can do together.
Coloring Easter eggs is a tradition in many households, mine included. You can’t deny that it’s a lot of fun to color eggs, but the reality is that it can be messy. If you ever accidently knocked over a cup of food coloring, you know exactly what I mean.
The EggMazing Egg Mini Decorator is an egg decorating must-have. The viral decorator holds and spins hard-boiled or wooden eggs, while you use the included markers to decorate your eggs. It’s all the fun without the mess. I personally prefer to use wooden eggs (you can buy them on Amazon) because your child can keep them and enjoy them for many Easters to come. I also enjoy using the EggMazing Egg Decorator with my “work kids.” Sending the kids home with decorated wooden eggs is a lot easier than real hardboiled eggs.
PLAYMOBIL Icon Cars (PLAYMOBIL | MSRP: $19.99 | Ages 5-99 | Available at Playmobil.com & Amazon)
PLAYMOBIL toys make great gifts year round, for any holiday or occasion. They have something for everyone. Their latest product line is sure to be a hit with some “big kids” too (guys who love cars).
Their latest collection includes legendary models like the Volkswagen T1 Camper, Ferrari 250 GTO, Ford F-150 Raptor, and Porsche Carrera GT. Each vehicle is packed with classic PLAYMOBIL attention to detail and is a perfect gift for both kids and adults.
I was sent to review the Porsche Carrera GT. It was super easy to put together, although sadly I received a duplicate piece for the back part of the vehicle (not sure if it’s a speaker or a headrest), so one of the gray pieces in the back is missing. Aside from that it’s a cool car.
The car came with a figure who can sit inside and drive it (the top comes off). You can place the top over the person too so he’s sitting inside of it.
As with all PLAYMOBIL sets, you can use other figures inside the car.
Sticki Rolls BFFs (Sky Castle | MSRP: $4.99 | Ages 5+ | Available March 2026 at Target)
The kids I work with LOVE Sticki Rolls. I’ve received other sets in the past to review and I bring them to work to share with my “work kids” and they go crazy for them.
If you are not familiar with Sticki Rolls, they are bracelets that come with special beads that contain actual stickers that children can use to decorate things with or share with friends.
The brand’s all-new Sticki Rolls line brings signature characters to life through adorable pairings, friendship-driven storytelling, and a fresh wave of collectible surprises. Each roll highlights a unique friendship between iconic Sticki characters, plus all-new BFF duos for fans to discover. With 300 new stickers to collect, trade, and share, this limited edition drop is a can’t-miss moment for Sticki fans everywhere.
Sticki Roll products, especially the little “barrels” like what is pictured above, also make great prizes for classrooms, stocking stuffers, rewards (for example received a great report card) and to keep on hand for last minute gift ideas.
Pass the Pandas (Ultra PRO | MSRP: $14.99 | Ages: 6+ | Amazon, ultrapro.com)
This exciting, easy-to-learn dice rolling game is pure “Panda”-monium! Be the first to get rid of all of your dice by rolling pandas, bamboo, or water drops. But be careful, if you roll a blank, you must keep that dice to roll again on the next turn.
This is a fun and super simple game to learn. It also takes up very little space, which is great for me since space is limited in our program. You can keep the dice in the game box, or put them in a baggie. Once you know how the game is played you don’t really need to hold to the box and directions.
This game can be played with 2-5 players. What I especially love about it is that children of different ages can play the game together. Since I have children ages 5-10 in my program, I always need games that the children can enjoy together, regardless of their ages. This game is a great example of a game that can be played by people of all ages. Even though it says ages 6+, the 5 year olds in our program enjoy the game just as much.
Games are also great for year round use, so it’s not something that will be packed up and put away after Easter is over.
Fart Yoga (GOLDEN BEAR TOYS | MSRP: $19.99 | Ages 4+ | Available Now at Target)
Oh my goodness! This game has become a huge hit with the kids at work. They have been playing it every day since I brough it in. It’s not only a game that gets kids up and moving, but is also teaches children some easy yoga moves.
To play, secure Sammy the Sloth around your waist and get ready for a burst of laughter. Follow the yoga poses on the Fart Yoga cards and win points along the way. Sammy Sloth will do his flatulent best to catch you out while his fart sound effects are sure to guarantee giggles. Although not just a game of laughs, Fart Yoga encourages kids to move, stretch, and balance, promoting healthy physical activity. Fart Yoga is a surefire way to bring joy and giggles to any gathering.
The poses are not that hard to do. The kids have been able to do them with no issues.
This is a game they don’t mind “loosing” because they are too busy laughing at the silly sounds coming from Sammy the Sloth.
The game did come with batteries already in the sound box. You can literally start laughing… I mean playing this game right out of the box.
Counter Ball (GOLDEN BEAR TOYS | MSRP: $22.99 | Ages 6+ | Available at Target)
Counter Ball is the second product within Golden Bear’s Strikesphere range and the latest innovation in soccer kick-up counting. As the first of its kind on the market, players can challenge themselves and their teammates to see who can achieve more tricks up to 100 kicks! With each key milestone reached, the Counter Ball speaks words of encouragement from its built-in speaker system to keep players motivated and challenged for nonstop competitive gameplay. Plus, train with your whole body and watch the ball light up each time it makes contact with anything but the ground.
I did have to inflate the ball a bit when I received it to review.
I honestly thought it wasn’t working properly when I first received it because nothing was happening. It wasn’t until I brought it to work and had my work kids play around with it in the gym that I was able to hear that ball in action.
I don’t have a video of the ball in action, only because I can’t share images/videos of the kids from my job (for obvious reasons). I can say that it does work as described and the boys at work are having a blast with it.
SmartGames Jump In’ (Smart Toys & Games | MSRP $19.99 | Ages 7+ | Available on Amazon)
Jump In’ is a portable, bunny-themed travel puzzle game made for a single player.
Help the rabbits reach their holes by hopping over mushrooms and navigating sliding foxes. Each move encourages strategy, patience, and forward planning. Features 60 progressive challenges, keeping players motivated and engaged as their skills grow.
The game comes with a booklet that shows you how to set up the pieces depending on your skill level. 
I love how this game has a bunny theme with adorable playing pieces. Of course this game can be enjoyed year round, not just for Easter time.
The pieces all fit together making this a great game to toss into your bag to take when you travel with children. It’s also great to keep kids busy while at a restaurant.
I like having this game at work because I have a few kids that tend to play on their own (for various reasons). It’s also a great “quiet time” activity to give a child to play with who needs to have a bit of a “time out” to calm down (those who tend to get a bit carried away when overly stimulated).
As an adult, I enjoy playing this game too.
I’ve listed all the places where these products are available to make shopping easier for you.
Be sure to check out the brand’s websites and to follow them on social media to keep up-to-date on new product releases and more.
While chocolate bunnies are an Easter staple, I’ve found that its usually the non-candy Easter gifts that are often the most cherished. A fun game and a activity the family can do together will last much longer than a handful of jelly beans. These gifts provide entertainment and joy long after the last piece of candy has been eaten.
Focusing on experiences or activities is the best gift of all.
Image by Stefan Schweihofer from Pixabay
Kimberly
*I received free product samples in order to do these reviews. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.
