Easter may have started as a religious celebration but it also has many other cultural associations – bunnies, bonnets, baskets, eggs, hot cross buns and, of course, chocolate. As much as we like chocolate, there is only so much little people can (and should!) have so we’ve put together a few cocoa-free treats and activities to mark the occasion.

Wear your Easter cheer on your lapel with  adorable handmade felt rabbit brooches from Etsy designer Titchables. At only US$6 each and available in a range of pastel colours, they make a very sweet Easter addition to any outfit and will look just as lovely pinned to a coat at any time of the year.

It’s the little details that make things special and KC Soapsnmore Buttercream Easter Bunny Soap Sets are not only as cute as a dot but are presented in a bag finished with a carrot tag. Made of gentle-on-the-skin goat’s milk and scented with vanilla, these soaps are just the right size for little hands and perfect for cleaning up after a chocolate eating session! Each soap set is US$4.50.

If it’s the thrill of the hunt that your kids are after then they will need something to collect their haul in. Sweet fabric Easter baskets by LA Designs should do the job and they are available in an enormous range of fabrics suitable for boys and girls. I like the simple polka dots lined with contrasting striped fabric but the retro look bunnies in spaceships pattern is irresistible. They are available from Etsy for US$20.

For kids that want a little more edge to their Easter egg hunt, you can’t go past the Itch Design Easter Egg sack, designed in collaboration with Cradle Rock. There are two funky designs available and each comes with a bag of ‘Official Food for the Easter Bunny’ (to be left out the night before) and a checklist for kids to make sure everything is in place for the Easter Bunny’s visit. The designers make note of the fact that these sacks hold loads of eggs! Available exclusively from Cradle Rock for $24.95 each.

Kids are sure to have sweet chocolate dreams with a superb bunny print pillowcase from Indigo Owl. Made of luxuriously soft cotton with crisp, bright prints.  Pillow cases are $25 each, although this particular design is only $20 right now as an Easter special.

We Heart Books have put together a lovely Easter reading collection that includes classics such as Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit and Dubose Heyward’s The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes as well as board books for babies and a funny story about a grumpy rabbit that will delight preschoolers. Prices range from $11.95 to $32.95.

I remember playing with a carton of pretend eggs as a child. I also remember trying to save scraps of Easter egg foil to wrap around my pretend eggs so that I could have Easter all over again. Etsy designer Fairtradefamily has created delightful crochet Easter eggs in a carton, just ready for some imaginative shop and Easter play. Each half dozen eggs is US$12 and they are available in a variety of colours.

Unquestionably one of the most unique Easter treats we have come across is the Tie-Dye Eggs Kit from Mahar Drygoods. With a little Easter magic this kit allows you to transfer the patterns from vintage recycled neckties to eggs! The detailed patterns make for seriously impressive results. Each kit contains the materials to make at least twenty-four eggs, including the neckties and is US$12.95 each.

If you want to dye eggs the traditional way, turn to Martha Stewart for all the basics in her Egg Dyeing 101 online class. Once you have simple colours mastered you can try the elaborate Leaf and Flower Easter Eggs – they look stunning and it is a project that kids who are really into craft could tackle – or one of her sixty-two other egg designs.

Martha Stewart has lots of suggestions for other Easter craft activities including a simple rabbit box, dress-up rabbit ears and spring chick cakes. Certainly enough to keep the kids busy! As my dad says every year, “Have a happy Easter…egg!”