Spotted Easter eggs in the shops before Christmas? You’re not alone.
Easter has become a key retail moment, with products on shelf up to 4 months beforehand!
Surprisingly however, chocolate gifting in the UK is in decline – due to rising costs and changing lifestyles.
As a result, when it comes to Easter, lots of people now look for non-chocolate gifts to offer their loved ones.
Toys, for all ages, are becoming popular alternatives; in 2024 UK toys sales at Easter were up 10% YOY.
Whilst the Highlight team is currently busy pitching our clients’ products to Easter gift guides to national and consumer media, we take a look at what kinds of toys are being bought and why.
1. Bunnies are best for babies at Easter!
Babies shouldn’t eat chocolate, so parents of newborns often seek out soft toys as alternatives for Easter eggs. Obviously, bunny-themed characters such as Miffy are popular: this year we are promoting a beautiful range of baby toys from Little Dutch with their latest ‘Lucky Blossom’ design being the perfect spring pattern.
2. Toys for toddlers…to keep sugar levels down!
Chocolate induces sugar highs, leading to sugar lows – with toddlers that often means tantrums and tears! Instead of Easter eggs, our client Melissa & Doug, the UK’s number one wooden pre-school brand, has the Take-Along Tabletop Farm – great for a toddler’s development whilst providing hours of endless, imaginative play.
Love for the character Bluey is currently running so high in many UK households that we reckon this Easter many pre-schoolers would no doubt prefer the latest Bluey toy over a Cadbury’s cream egg!
Hot off the shelves is the new Bluey’s Play Date Plush Surprise playset from our client Moose Toys. Bluey’s house opens up to reveal an adorable plush inside with fun accessories – perfect for fans to recreate their favourite Bluey moments.
3. Toys for the Easter school holidays
Schools are out two weeks prior to Easter this year. Chances are the weather will be better too. Parents often look to buy toys that will keep their kids busy indoors or outside, or to take on an Easter holiday – either staycation or abroad.
Melissa & Doug has a whole range of toys that spark children’s imagination at home from pretend playsets to arts and craft activities. For example, the brand’s World of Wow products include their new Bunny Sticker WOW!, launching just in time for some bun-tastic fun this Easter.
Easter is also a moment where school playground crazes take off with kids pestering their parents to go into toy shops to hunt for the latest drop of a particular collectible. Moose Toys’ latest collectible is the MrBeast Lab Atomic Series Swarms, the ultimate unboxing experiment – with a mere 85 characters to collect!?
4. Kidults love toys, especially at Easter!
As families gather together over the Easter weekend, lots of gifts will be exchanged amongst different generations. And we bet that not all of them will be made of chocolate!
Adults buying toys for other adults or themselves now account for nearly £1 in every £3 spent on toys in the UK last year.
These kidults will no doubt be shopping for Easter soon – buying special gifts to delight maybe their partner, sibling, mum or dad. Nostalgic collectibles are popular within this target group – from licensed products featuring classic characters to merchandise from big film franchises.
Classic character Miffy has a range of designer soft toys (from velvet to crochet, quilting and everything in between!) These toys are definitely not meant for playing with – more for shelf display as a stylish nod to childhood nostalgia.
5. Board games & puzzles for the Easter weekend
If it’s rainy this Easter weekend, then a new family board game or big puzzle can keep everyone occupied. Whether it’s a 1,000-piece brain teaser, strategic head-scratcher, or Trivial Pursuit showdown, games bring people together and promise hours of fun (or arguments in some families!)
Puzzles are also a great way for excitable kids to have some downtime. Melissa & Doug has a whole range of puzzles, including a delightful spring-themed farm puzzle with lights and sounds, chunky puzzles with pieces that stand upright for imaginative play, and the ever-popular Magnetic Ice Cream Puzzle: perfect for ice cream-worthy weather…fingers crossed the sun shines this Easter!
6. Don’t Miss Out on This Egg-stra Opportunity
Easter is more than just a chocolate fest—it’s a prime moment for toy brands to boost sales.
From plush and collectibles to licensed characters and board games, aligning your product portfolio with this trend can unlock new growth.
Alongside PR for toys via product placement in Easter gift guides, we also run influencer activations, brand events and targeted social ads for our clients.
If you’d like a slice of the above for your brand during 2025, check out our WORK page to see our case studies or get in touch with us now here.