With Easter approaching, I know that lots of you are looking around for alternatives to the usual plastic packaged chocolate eggs for the children in your lives, so I've put together a list of ideas for something different!
Although I've geared this up for Easter, most of these gifts would also be perfect for birthdays, Christmas, or other occasions too.
This article contains links to products available from Simply Bee Eco, as well as external sites. I have not been asked to include these, and am not receiving any incentive for doing so. They are all companies I have previously used to purchase gifts for my own children.
Novelty Crayons and Activity Booklets
Children will love these novelty crayons made from natural waxes and food grade pigments. These are Easter themed, but you can also get them in a wide range of shapes, such as dinosaurs or unicorns. Pair them with some colouring in sheets, or an activity booklet for a lovely gift that will keep your child entertained for hours!
Things that grow
Kids love planting things and watching them grow, so a pack of seeds or some wildflower seed bombs will be fun to plant together. Or you could go a step further and make your own seed bombs with these awesome kits from Sprinkles of Nature. If you want a longer lasting gift, you could sign up for a Mud & Bloom subscription - a monthly box containing seeds and nature-inspired crafts and activities.
Books and Magazines
Books to identify plants and flowers would be a great gift on their own good, or would go really well with a gift of seeds or seedbombs. There are also lots of child-friendly books to identify insects and birds. Or you could teach your children about climate change and inspire them to look after the world with a copy of Eco Joe, by Helen Deehan, or a subscription to a science and nature magazine like Eco Kids Planet.
Cooking/baking kits
Put together a set of ingredients and create a recipe card, and you and your little one can have a fun afternoon of baking together. Another option is to subscribe to something like Little Cooks Co, which is a monthly subscription box containing organic ingredients in compostable packaging to create tasty and healthy treats. It usually comes with an extra activity as well - we've recently grown basil from seeds we received in one box, and willow from wands that were included in another.
Tickets for a day out
Tickets for a family day out to an animal rescue centre are a lovely treat for the whole family, which also supports the important work being done by the rescue centre. We adopted an orangutan from Monkey World last Christmas, and this came with a free family pass, as well as a photo of the Monkey we'd adopted; the kids loved going to visit "our" monkey! Cinema tickets are another popular option, or you could make a voucher for a family film afternoon at home with popcorn and other treats!
Preloved Dressing Up
If your child enjoys dressing up, there are always plenty of preloved outfits available. You can hunt for bargains in charity shops, or check out Mojo & Co, who have a lovely range of preloved clothes in amazing condition. We went to them for an as-new Elsa (from Frozen) dress for Christmas, as well as the costume for our little Angel in the school nativity.
No cost gifts
Children love spending time with their families, so a voucher for family time or an activity chosen by the children would make a lovely gift. Another, longer-lasting option is to fill a jar with activities and days out written on small pieces of paper. The children can pick out a piece of paper every week and the family has to do the activity. This can include anything your child enjoys, such as walks in the woods, pond dipping, baking, building a den, colouring in together, board game afternoon, a bike ride - literally anything!
I hope this has helped inspire you to come up with some alternative gifts this Easter (or whichever occasion you're using it for!). It's great to gift something that can be enjoyed whilst supporting a small business, educating your child, helping the planet, and encouraging healthy habits.
Have you got any ideas to add? Pop them in the comments - I'd love some extra inspiration 💚