✿Petal & Paper
Home · Buying guides · Easter with kids ideas guide
Buying guide

Easter with children: ideas for a fun, affordable, less sugary celebration

Easter with children is a joy — and it doesn't have to mean a mountain of chocolate or a big spend. Here are ideas for a fun, memorable and balanced celebration.

The egg hunt — make it an event

The egg hunt is the heart of children's Easter, and a little effort makes it magical. Beyond simply scattering eggs, a clue trail (our free egg hunt clue cards) sends children from spot to spot and makes the fun last much longer. For mixed ages, give younger children a head start or designate easier hiding spots. Non-chocolate alternatives work brilliantly too — small toys, stickers, or tokens to swap for a bigger prize keep the sugar down. Keep a master list of hiding spots so no stray egg is discovered (melted) in August.

Crafts and traditions beyond chocolate

Easter offers lovely low-cost activities that aren't about sweets: decorating eggs (blown or hard-boiled, or wooden ones to keep), making an Easter bonnet for the school parade (our free bonnet planner), spring nature walks, planting seeds to mark new growth, and baking together (simple nest cakes or decorating biscuits). These create the memories children actually treasure. Our free activity pack and colouring sheets keep little ones happily busy over the holidays.

Keeping the sugar and spend in check

The chocolate can quickly become overwhelming (and expensive) — relatives often each give an egg, and it mounts up. Sensible approaches: agree with family on a limit, mix in non-chocolate gifts and experiences, and 'rationing' the chocolate over the following weeks rather than letting it all be eaten at once. A modest, thoughtful Easter focused on time together, traditions and a bit of treat is more memorable and far healthier than a chocolate avalanche — and gentler on the budget. The fun is in the hunt and the doing, not the quantity of sweets.

Our picks compared

PickProductBest for
Top pick A4 heavyweight matte cardEaster printables Check price →
Craft kit Easter craft kit children egg decorating bonnet spring activitiesEaster crafts Check price →
Non-choc Easter non chocolate gift children small toys fillers egg huntNon-choc treats Check price →
Baskets Easter basket children egg hunt woven collect reusableEaster baskets Check price →

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Prices shown on Amazon at time of click.

Frequently asked questions

How do you do an Easter egg hunt for different aged children?
Level the playing field so younger children aren't trampled by older ones. Options: give younger children a head start, designate colour-coded eggs (each child hunts only their colour), set easier hiding spots at child height for little ones and trickier ones for older children, or set the youngest off first. A clue trail naturally paces older children. The aim is for every child to come away with a fair share and feeling successful — keep a master list of all hiding spots so none are missed (or found melted weeks later).
How can you celebrate Easter with children without too much chocolate?
Mix chocolate with non-sweet alternatives — small toys, stickers, craft kits, or tokens to swap for a bigger gift make great egg-hunt finds. Focus the celebration on activities rather than sweets: decorating eggs, making bonnets, spring nature walks, planting seeds, and baking together create the lasting memories. If relatives tend to each give an egg, agree a limit in advance. And rather than letting all the chocolate be eaten at once, spreading it over the following weeks keeps things balanced. The joy is in the doing, not the sugar.