The most common thing people use to fill Easter eggs is usually candy. While candy is great, I usually like to only fill about fifty percent of the eggs with candy and fill the rest with little toys and nicknacks. My kids always get so excited about the little toys I put inside their eggs.
You can buy pre-filled eggs with cheap party favors, but they don’t really have the greatest variety of usually cost more. Especially if you already have a stash of reusable easter eggs on hand. If you already have a plastic egg collection at home that you plan on using, then you can definitely save money and get higher-quality toys by buying the egg stuffers on your own.
My preference when filling eggs is to first try to see if I can incorporate their main Easter present inside of them. I think it’s so much fun when my children are slowly able to collect the small parts that go with a larger toy set as they open their eggs. I’ve used legos, small doll accessories, cars, magnetic building toys, and those toddler wooden puzzles in the past.
However, when their gift doesn’t allow for me to break it up into eggs, then I like to choose small filler toys that I think my kids will actually enjoy playing with. Many of these small toys still won’t end up being forever toys, but if I can get a couple weeks or months of use out of the egg stuffers, then it’s a win in my book. Sometimes, I’m surprised when a child likes a silly egg stuffer so much that it’s still sitting around years later. (I’m looking at you weird animal squishies.)
Some of the Best Easter Toys That Will Make Your Kids Hop with Joy
Tips for Selecting Easter Egg Stuffers
- Make sure that what you’re buying will fit in the eggs ahead of time. This may be a no-brainer, but I remember the year I *thought* the mini toys I bought would fit in our eggs based on an eyeball measurement, only to discover the night before the big day that they were just a hair too big and that no amount of stuffing was going to get them into the eggs. Avoid that kind of panic by just testing ahead of time to make sure your plan will work.
- Dollar Tree and other dollar stores can be a great way to pick up a variety of little toys for cheap. They also carry puzzles, which can be fun for stuffing eggs. However, if you’re looking for bulk items instead of a variety, you’ll probably find cheaper prices online.
- Don’t be afraid to split a bigger toy set with small pieces across several eggs. Your child will enjoy being able to see the full toy come together as they collect eggs. If you have multiple kids, you can assign one color of eggs per kid. Any leftover eggs can be wild cards that all the kids can grab.
Here are Some of My Favorite Easter Egg Stuffers for Filling Easter Eggs
Mochi Squishy Toys
These mochi squishy toys were a huge hit last year. Even the older kids were getting into collecting and trading their squishy toys. By older, I mean that everyone from the toddlers to my adult siblings was excited about these. Yes, we do a separate Easter egg hunt for the adults around here. We get very competitive.
Mini Glow Sticks
Have you ever had a glow-in-the-dark Easter Egg hunt? I have, and it was so much fun. These mini glow sticks are the perfect size for stuffing in eggs so that you can let the Easter egg activities last all through the night.
Glow in the Dark Toys
There are also other fun and small glow-in-the-dark toys you can use to spice up your late-night Easter egg hunt like this set of fun glow-in-the-dark items.
Or these are less fun, but super cheap if you want a lot of eggs and ball lights.
Magnetic Blocks
I used these magnetic building blocks for my toddlers last year and they loved them! It made it easier for them to be able to stack blocks since they help stick together and my daughter still plays with them regularly even a year later. She loves these magnetic blocks so much that I bought her more to play with a couple of months later. Anything to encourage free play for a while so that mommy can work more.
Magnetic Building Sets
Here’s another magnetic building toy idea that’s been a huge hit throughout my entire family.
Lego & Similar Building Brick Sets
I believe that there is never a bad time to gift Legos. I’m always happy to receive Legos and have been my entire life. You Could either break up a big Lego set that your kids have been wanting or you can buy mini brick builds for each egg like the ones pictured below. They also have mini animal builds that are adorable too.
Puzzle Toys
This cute toy reminds me of the light bulb I used to have. I loved it as a child and think this could be a great option to give to my toddlers when they’re a little bit older. The little art pieces would fit perfectly into a few eggs, and as they open them they can create a picture.
If you like educational toys, these individual letter puzzles could be a great idea to break up between eggs.
Small wooden toddler puzzles are another one I love. You can leave the base of the puzzle by your child’s Easter basket, then as they open up their eggs you can help your toddler see where each piece goes. For puzzled like the ones below, I’d color coordinate each puzzle by egg. So all the dinosaur puzzle pieces would go in the orange eggs, the bear pieces in blue eggs, etc.
Brain Teasers
These brain teasers are another great Easter egg stuffer for older kids. Just be warned, once they figure out how to solve it their second favorite thing will be seeing if you’re able to solve it, and mocking you if they solved it more quickly.
Stretchy Toys
Pretty much any stretchy type toy is a great option for eggs (and there are tons out there) because they’re fun for all ages, plus I always give stretchy toys a second glance during easter since they’re flexible for squeezing into eggs. Some of our favorite stretchy toys are these rubber sensory strings.
Small Animal Toys
I think these small animal toys are classic toys to have around and are good for a variety of different activities. If you don’t already have some in your house, stuffing Easter eggs with them can be a great way to add some to your home.
Cute Animal Erasers
I am not sure how common this is, but I love collecting cute erasers. Maybe it’s the writer in me. But, I mean, just look at these guys below and try and tell me that they’re not adorable. Plus, they fit nicely into Easter eggs if you catch my drift…
Mini Cars
Small pull-back cars or even some hot-wheel cars can be great for stuffing in eggs. Do a test before easter to make sure the cars you bought fit in your eggs. I had to buy a few slightly bigger eggs for some of the cars the year I went this route.
Popper Fidget Bracelets
These little bracelets are surprisingly addictive, as are all popper toys and the kids will enjoy wearing them around all day. Since they are made of a soft material you’ll have a very easy time stuffing them into Easter eggs.
Zipper Bracelets
These zipper bracelets are also super fun fidget bracelets that I’m throwing into the mix this year.
Mini Popper Toys
These mini popper toys are the perfect size for stuffing into eggs, and kids everywhere are crazy about these things right now. The ones I’ve pictured are cute Easter-themed ones, but there are several other styles you can purchase for a little cheaper too if you look around.
Mini Stuffed Animals
I really shouldn’t be tempted by these mini stuffed animals or finger puppets. I mean, my kids have MORE than enough stuffed animals. And yet . . . I kind of still want them
Money, Money, Money
Kids of literally any age will love finding Easter eggs filled with money. More competitive families can have a free-for-all and less competitive families who want to make sure the money is divided more evenly can use the colored egg trick to make sure each child gets an equal amount. I do recommend varying the amounts of money in the eggs, no matter which method you choose. Getting a bunch of dollar bills or quarters is exciting, but it won’t compare to how excited your child gets when they open the egg with the big bill in it.
Well, these are some of my favorite things to fill our Easter eggs with. What are some of yours? Please share with us in the comments below.
Happy shopping,
The Empowered Shopper
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