As the store aisles begin to fill with Easter-themed candy, trinkets, and toys it's easy to go overboard with pastel-colored plastic toys that will end in the back of a drawer or in the trash in just a few weeks. As a home educator, I love to give gifts that help foster a sense of wonder, fuel their imagination, and inspire creativity. 

In case you were in the same boat, I wanted to compile five lists for you of some of my favorite gifts that kids will keep coming back to, long after the Easter baskets have been packed away for next year. Below you will find gifts for the little one, the reader, the imaginative, the creative, and the adventurer. 

These are intentional Easter gifts that encourage children's creativity or are practical items that they will use. For the readers, a list of classics and fun readers. For the imaginative and creative ones, a list of open-ended toys and art supplies. For the adventurer, plenty of gift ideas to keep them exploring. 

For the Little One (2-4 years old)

1. Wooden Geoboard
2. Do-A-Dot Markers
3. Water Wow
4. Beeswax Crayons
5. Rainsuit
6. The Tale of Peter Rabbit Book
7. Modeling Dough Kit
8. Plush Baby Doll with Pacifier
9. Bunny Hand Puppet
10. Pattern Blocks
11. Kinetic Sand
12. Puffy Sticker Play Sets
    

For the Reader

1. Maps
2. The Complete Chronicles of Narnia
3. The Big Book of Silly Jokes
4. My Father’s Dragon Book Set
5. The Action Bible
6. Tales of the Kingdom 
7. Thornton Burgess Five Minute Bedtime Tales 
8. Aesop’s Fables for Children
9. The Big Book of Beasts
10. What Should Danny Do? Gift Set
11. James Harriot’s Treasury for Children
12. The Complete Brambly Hedge
    

For the Imaginative 

1. Toy Farm Animals
2. Rainbow Peg Dolls
3. Play Eggs
4. Pretend Money
5. Play Jewelry
6. Children’s Apron
7. Creative Monster Lego Set
8. Wooden Doll Family
9. Butterfly Wings
10. Paper Dolls Kit
11. Slide Whistle
12. Foam Sword and Shield
    

For the Creative

1. Comic Book Kit
2. Paper Airplane Kit
3. Rainbow Scratch Paper
4. Watercolor Set
5. Tracing Paper
6. Modeling Beeswax
7. Origami Kit
8. Fine Line Markers
9. Non-drying modeling clay
10. Washi Tape Set
11. Decorative Scissors Set
12. Race Car Craft Kit
    

For the Adventurer 

1. Kids Gardening Set
2. Bug Catcher Kit
3. Find & Seek Game
4. Butterfly Net
5. Binoculars
6. Shell Collecting Bag
7. Backpacking Compass
8. Stainless Water Bottle
9. Sand Sieve
10. Magnifying Glass
11. Field Guide
12. Stainless Steel Bento Box

No matter what is (or isn't) in your child's Easter basket this season, you can rest assured in one thing: the greatest gift we can give them is simply to open our Bibles and share the Gospel with them.

Related: How Do I Share the Gospel with My Children?

Wishing you a wonderful Easter season from all of us here at Treehouse Schoolhouse!