As a kid the most exciting part of Easter was the Easter egg hunt. Going around the house or yard looking for eggs was so much fun, and we got an awesome basket full of eggs at the end! We mainly got chocolate or candy eggs, however in the last few years there's been a clear trend towards parents choosing non chocolate gift ideas instead {or a balance of 1/2 chocolate eggs and 1/2 other gifts}.
You don't need to hide only chocolate eggs, there are so many other options if you use fillable eggs instead. I've put together a list of 80 Easter egg filler ideas for kids including toddlers, preschoolers, school kids and teens. The added bonus, along with the sugar reduction, is that the eggs can be kept and reused for the next year. There's also heaps of fun activities you can do with plastic eggs all throughout the year.
WHAT FILLABLE EASTER EGGS ARE AVAILABLE?
Before you decide on what to fill your Easter eggs with, you'll need to take into account their size. If you have the traditional small plastic eggs you'll need to stick to quite small objects or items that can be folded as they don't have much space inside. However, if you do want to put in bigger items you can get larger plastic eggs and even jumbo fillable eggs. There are also novelty rabbit and chicken plastic eggs which fit a good amount inside.
If you want to avoid using plastic eggs then there are also fillable wooden eggs available, however these are slightly more expensive, but also more durable and can be reused for many years. Just be mindful that they shouldn't get wet, so they're best for indoor Easter egg hunts, or to be used undercover outdoors.
WHAT ARE GOOD EASTER EGG FILLER IDEAS FOR KIDS?
We all know kids love chocolate and candy, but there are many other fun Easter egg fillers for kids. To fill an Easter egg you will generally need mini versions of items. There are so many things that come small enough for eggs including various stationary items, art and craft supplies, sensory items, miniature toys and figurines and lots of makeup and personal care items. I've broken down each category into individual items further below.
When you're deciding which items to fill your Easter eggs with have a think about whether you want to follow a certain theme or stick to a certain category e.g. all stationary items. It's also a great opportunity to build on collections your kids love like mini figurines.
If you don't like the idea of a random collection of items then you can also buy a single set, for example a puzzle or Lego set, and separate the pieces out between the eggs - that way the kids can still hunt for lots of eggs, but you're only adding one item, so it's not overwhelming with a bunch of new things.
STATIONARY ITEMS
Stationary items are a great egg filler idea because they're practical and won't go to waste, and they appeal to kids of all ages. Younger children will love items like crayons, chalk and markers to explore mark making and drawing. As children get older {especially girls} they tend to get really into novelty and pretty stationary items for decorating diaries and notebooks.
You can also buy mini stationary items in bulk sets to make filling the eggs easier. Print out some of these free Easter colouring pages the kids can colour in with their new stationary items.
Stationary egg filler ideas:
- Mini colouring in pencils
- Mini washable markers
- Tiny highlighters
- Easter chalk
- Easter crayons
- Novelty erasers
- Pencil sharpeners
- Tiny sticky tape dispenser
- Mini stapler and staples
- Pencil toppers {e.g. Ooshies}
- Novelty post-it notes
- Glitter glue pens
- Rubber bands
- Washi tape
- Paper clips
- Stamps
- Stickers
ART & CRAFT SUPPLIES
Similar to stationary items, art and craft supplies will always be used up and are great to have on hand either at home or for school. They also cater to children of all different ages, but please be mindful of smaller items like beads and pom poms if your children are still mouthing. You can get lots of different art and craft items in bulk from dollar stores or online from stores like Riot Art & Craft {AUS} and Amazon.
Art & Craft egg filler ideas:
- Beads
- Sequins
- Pom poms
- Feathers
- Googly eyes
- Ribbon pieces
- Tissue paper
- Pipe cleaners
- Coloured buttons
- Glitter stickers
- Letter stickers
- Mini craft sticks
- Chunky paint brushes
- Watercolour paints
- Finger paints
- Paint sticks
- Oil pastels
- Modelling clay
- Novelty slime
- Small playdough tubs
TOYS & NOVELTY ITEMS
If your kids are anything like mine then they'll love anything mini, especially mini toys! My girls go crazy for surprise eggs so making the Easter egg hunt full of mini toys would be their idea of heaven. If your kids love collecting certain items e.g. Lego people, Ooshies, 5 surprise toys then this can be a great way to grow their collections and celebrate Easter at the same time.
You can also buy a complete toy set e.g. a puzzle, set of alphabet magnets or Lego set and split a few pieces across each egg so all the eggs combined will make one big item. Keep in mind the items you're gifting need to be age appropriate and small items aren't recommended for children under 3yrs old. However, you can get the larger plastic eggs to fit bigger items like Little People dolls and small plush toys that are ok for toddlers.
Toy & novelty egg filler ideas:
- Mini animal figurines
- Lego people or pieces
- Race cars/ mini vehicles
- Parachute men
- Bouncy balls
- Mini chickens
- Barbie clothes
- Barbie accessories
- 5 Surprise mini toys
- Puzzle pieces
- Mini rubber ducks
- Foam Easter eggs
- Letter magnets
- Mini bubbles
- Little People dolls
- Dollhouse miniatures
- Mini squishies
- Army men
- Mini plush toys
- Mini transformers
- Small fidget toys
- Mini playing cards
- Action figurines
- Small peg dolls
- Keyrings
MAKEUP, JEWELLERY, HAIR & PERSONAL CARE ITEMS
As children get older and move away from toys, they begin to get a lot more interested in personal care items, especially girls. The great thing is lots of these items are small, or come in mini versions, which fit inside Easter eggs very easily. You can also get Easter themed items like earrings and bath bombs.
Personal care egg filler ideas for kids:
- Lip balm
- Lipstick
- Mini nail polish
- Nail stickers
- Eye shadow
- Play makeup
- Earrings
- Clip on earrings
- Sticker earrings
- Charms
- Bracelets
- Necklaces
- Hairbands
- Hairclips
- Scrunchies
- Bath bombs
- Nail clippers
- Hand cream
PRE-FILLED EASTER EGGS FOR KIDS
If you don't already have fillable Easter eggs ready to go and you want to save time you can get many different pre-filled Easter egg sets online for both girls and boys. They'd also make great Easter gifts for classmates, nieces, nephews or grandkids.
Disclosure - This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience, which means I may earn a small commission at no cost to you, should you make a purchase.