Easter is a beautiful time for connecting with family and celebrating the joy of being together for a special meal or gathering.
This time also often means an intense influx of chocolate and other sweets that leave you and your children overwhelmed and overindulged. Aside from the emotions involved in coming down from a huge sugar high after eating chocolate for breakfast, lunch and dinner; sometimes there are so many sweets that you are left with 846 bunnies and eggs uneaten and going to waste or being eaten by parents once the kids have gone to bed (guilty!)
Easter doesn’t have to mean chocolate hangovers though. There are so many other options available to include alongside a small bunny or egg that your child will get so much more use from! Below is a curated collection of chocolate free ideas for your family this Easter!
0-2 years
Play Silkies - Play Silkies are a beautiful idea for a toy that grows with your child. From newborn, babies can feel the soft texture of the silk while doing tummy time or laying on their back with the silk tied to their play gym. As they grow, the Play Silkies are great to integrate into fine motor, manipulation and cause and effect games before they become capes, baby swaddles and more for preschool age and beyond!
And The Little Dog Laughed Range - Our And The Little Dog Laughed range is a beautiful keepsake, bedroom decor addition and toy that can be treasured over the years. Australian made from the finest materials, these beautiful range of small plush toys win over the heart of everyone who sees them. Each comes with a well suited name and a description of their personality, likes and dislikes to create a connection from the moment you meet! Perfect as a keepsake for First Easter celebrations too!
Jellystone Range - Jellystone have truly thought of everything when they design their beautiful products. An Australian brand who pride themselves on fun, engaging and educational products that can be used for a variety of activities that grow with your child. All products are made from food grade silicone and are safe for mouthing and teething.
Penguin Wobble - The cutest little penguin you’ve ever seen weighted in the bottom so that he wobbles as he moves. Perfect for tummy time and early crawlers!
Ocean Stacker - Beautiful hues of blue in an assortment of cup sizes for stacking and sorting. These also come with coins that can be slotted into the groove at the top of each cup and are perfect for water play or the bath! The prints on the outside of the cups make beautiful playdough stamps as the child grows.
Balloon Colour Sorter - This gorgeous, simple sorter with easy to grip handles is the perfect introduction to puzzles. Pieces are large and grippy in beautiful pastel or rainbow colours and each has little imprints on the base to create paint/playdough stampers for craft adventures.
2-6 years
Sensory Bases - You truly can’t ever have too many sensory bases on hand, right?! They are so easy to grab and go to create a simple, engaging activity that fosters independent play (and time for you to enjoy your coffee while it is still hot!) Our Sensory Rice, Cotton Sand and Wild Dough Co Playdough are the perfect bases for every sensory occasion!
Rainbow Fine Motor Board - Fine motor is such an important skill for children to have as they develop and prepare themselves for writing skills and a range of other essential life skills. Finding a fun, engaging way to do this can be tricky without spending time setting up the play and having a huge mess to clean up afterwards! Our Rainbow Fine Motor Boards use tweezers to really focus on grip, muscle movement and hand eye coordination while providing a simple and fun activity!
Memory Games - Who doesn’t love a game of memory! Memory games are an easy first game to teach children turn taking, memory skills and patience without the stress of too many rules like other games may have. Our Easter Memory is one of many memory game themes that are one of our most popular products!
Stacker Puzzle - Puzzles are one of those things that you either love or hate, right?! But what if it was a vertical stacker puzzle? Pretty cool, right! The Wild Oath Egg-tastic stacker is a beautiful handmade solid timber puzzle that is easy for all ages and can be done over and over again! Each piece is hand painted which means no two are the same!
So while you are shopping for your Easter gifts from mum, dad, grandma or even the Easter Bunny himself, remember that there are so many options outside of the usual chocolate bunny or eggs! Do yourself and the kids a favour by giving them something they can enjoy for more than the two seconds it takes them to devour a Cadbury Bunny!