No Chocolate? No Problem! Creative Easter Egg Hunt Ideas for Kids

With Easter just around the corner, I’ve been starting to plan out our Easter egg hunts – yes, that’s right, plural! We’ve got a few happening this year: one just for us and the children on Easter Sunday, and then another with family coming over. That means I need a lot of eggs.

But I’ve got to be honest – when I popped into the supermarkets recently, I was genuinely shocked at how expensive Easter eggs have become. I looked at a few little kits with maybe 10 hollow chocolate eggs, and they were all over £5! Multiply that by the number of children in our family, and suddenly we’re looking at spending quite a lot on just chocolate. And I say this as someone who loves chocolate – so if I’m hesitating, you know it’s serious!

It really got me thinking… what else could I use for our Easter egg hunts? Last year, I bought some reusable plastic Easter eggs from Hobbycraft, and they were an absolute game-changer. Not only are they perfect for popping little treats inside, but they’re also brilliant for hiding outdoors – especially if you have a greedy Labrador like we do, who tends to find chocolate long before the kids do!

This year, with my two children getting a bit older – one a total chocoholic, and the other not fussed at all – I wanted to come up with some non-chocolate Easter egg fillers that are fun, affordable, and actually last longer than a sugar rush.

Here are a few of the alternative Easter egg hunt ideas I’ve come up with:

1. Lego or Building Bricks

If your child is Lego-mad like mine, this is a winner. You can buy a small Lego set (or a cheaper alternative from the supermarket), and hide the bricks inside the plastic eggs. At the end, they can open their box and build whatever they’ve collected – it turns the hunt into a proper mini treasure quest!

2. Mini Figures & Small World Toys

For little ones who love imaginative play, you can hide small animal figures or character toys. Think farm animals, dinosaurs, or even Paw Patrol figures if that’s their current obsession. You can often grab a mixed pack of these from the party aisle in most supermarkets.

3. Toy Cars

A big favourite in our house! You can usually find multi-packs of small toy cars that work out at great value. Pop one in each egg and watch your little one light up as they collect their very own fleet.

4. Board Game Pieces

Okay, bear with me on this one – it’s a bit different, but hear me out! If you’re buying your child a new board game, why not hide the pieces in the eggs? It makes the reveal extra exciting. We’ve done this with chess pieces (great for older kids!), but it would also work with games like:

            •          Monopoly (those tiny silver icons!)

            •          Sequence (checkers)

            •          Pass the Pigs

            •          Dominoes

You could even do a ‘guess the game’ twist where they figure it out as they collect the bits.

5. Fidget Toys

Fidget toys are hugely popular right now – especially among older kids. Multi-packs are usually easy to find and quite affordable, with little pop-its, spinners, and squishy toys that easily fit into your plastic eggs.

6. Easter Jokes & Riddles

Here’s a completely free idea: print out some Easter-themed jokes, puns, or riddles and hide those in the eggs! Kids love a giggle, and it’s a lovely way to stretch out the fun (especially if you’re doing a longer treasure hunt). You could even mix these in with small toys to keep costs down.

Bonus Tips for Your Easter Hunt:

            •          Mix and Match: Combine toys and jokes to keep it fun and affordable.

            •          Keep it Age-Appropriate: Tailor what you hide based on your kids’ ages and interests.

            •          Label Your Eggs: If you’ve got different children hunting together, try using colour-coded eggs so everyone gets a fair share.