There's no excuse for kids to sit staring at screens throughout the Easter holidays, says Lisa Salmon. Not when there's a wealth of other fun ideas around, come rain or shine.

On top of the chocolate eggs, many children will be enjoying a diet of TV and computer games this Easter.

New research has found that watching television and videos will be many mums' back-up plan during the upcoming school holidays, backed up by previous studies suggesting children often spend more than two-and-a-half hours a day watching TV, and nearly two hours online.

But although most parents would like their children to do something other than just stare at a screen all holiday, sometimes the British weather scuppers any entertainment plans they may have.

Indeed, new Flora Buttery research found that more than half of mums questioned (54%) are hoping for good weather this Easter holiday, saying it's harder to entertain the kids when it rains and three quarters admitted that staying indoors all day often leads to arguments and tantrums.

The publication of two new activity guides, one for inside and one for outside, hopefully means this hair-tearing situation can be avoided.

Garden designer Dawn Isaac has created her 101 Things for Kids To Do Outside Book, packed with ideas ranging from quick 10-minute activities like building a human sundial and making twig stars, to party games, treasure hunts, simple gardening projects like planting an alpine colander, and more organised tasks like making a mud pie kitchen or holding a mini Olympics.

"I think there are parents all round the country who are panicking and trying to think of what the kids can do," says Isaac, "and sometimes the solution they come up with is very expensive.

"None of the ideas in the book are expensive, they're just using things you can find round the house or that are quite cheap."

Mother-of-three Isaac stresses that a huge garden isn't necessary for most of the activities - the mini-vegetable garden, for example, is created in an old pot, and there's a herb garden that grows in a wheelbarrow.

"It's trying to be realistic," she says.

"Gardens are shrinking, and most people don't have that much outdoor space, although they can usually get to a park.

"But saying 'Let's go down to the park' to the kids often isn't as attractive to them as the electronic equipment indoors, so the idea is to sell it to them a bit more."

She acknowledges children may still prefer to take the TV or computer games route, so she suggests parents could try the approach she has with her three children, of keeping one weekend day a week, and perhaps more in the holidays, as a 'screen free before three' day, when the TV and other screens aren't allowed on until after 3 pm.

"I'm not anti-screen, it's just finding the time to do other stuff," she explains.

Isaac adds that, depending on the age of the child, the idea is for parents to hand kids the book and leave them to it.

"The best things when you're a kid are when adults aren't involved, so the idea was always to make it for the kids to do themselves."

She also points out that while parents might have a problem with rain, kids generally don't mind getting wet, and there's very little in the book that can't be done when it's raining.

Nevertheless, if it's really miserable outside, even the most weather-resistant children may prefer to stay indoors - and that's where parenting author Tanith Carey's Funspiration activity guide could come in handy.

The downloadable guide features 15 activities to do in 15-minute slots, using no more than five items found around the house. Ideas include making egg carton crocodiles, launching a rocket, or simply kids on the catwalk doing their own modelling show.

Mother-of-two Carey, who teamed up with Flora Buttery to create the guide, says: "Sometimes we frazzled mums would rather stay at home than venture out on another exhausting, not to mention expensive, outing with the kids.

"Holidays should be about spending time with the kids, helping them to relax and getting that bond back which may have been lost a little bit during the busy school term."

She says studies show children learn much better through hands-on play, and by interacting with real people, and points out: "In an increasingly techno-obsessed world, active play teaches kids the vital lesson that computers and tablets are not the only way to enjoy themselves."

:: 101 Things for Kids To Do Outside by Dawn Isaac is published by Kyle Books, priced £14.99. Available now.

:: To download Tanith Carey's free Funspiration Activity Guide, visit www.flora.com/funspiration

Ask the expert

Q: "I'm a very busy mum and take my baby all over the place in her pushchair or in the car. Could there be any problem with her sitting like that for such long periods?"

A: Sally Goddard Blythe, director of the Institute for Neuro-Physiological Psychology, says: "There's nothing wrong with buggies and car seats for short periods of time or the occasional long car journey, but parents need to be aware of what cannot be done in a constrained position, and why it matters.

"Baby equipment should never replace the floor as a baby's first playground, or become a substitute for being held or social engagement.

"Time set aside every day for a baby to lie on the floor in the early months provides freedom of movement and scope for sensory and motor exploration which cannot be experienced from the confines of a chair, while being carried and held is the earliest form of physical communication between adult and child, planting the seeds for empathy.

"Playing on the floor encourages a young baby to learn to hold their head up. Head control supports centres involved in the control of eye movements, which will be necessary for reading and writing later on. In order to sit up, a baby must pass through a series of stages of motor development, each one of which acts as a building block for coordination in later life, helping to form important neurological connections involved in how to solve problems. This is very different from being placed in a sitting position by an adult.

"Baby equipment is a modern convenience - fine when used as a tool for life, but it should not become a way of life."

Eggless Easter

Milkysnugz Rosie the Rabbit

Babies can't have chocolate eggs for Easter, but they can hug this cuddly rabbit baby bottle comforter, which also helps keep milk warm in the bottle it covers. Compatible with 98% of baby bottles, and works with sipper spouts for toddlers too. Suitable from birth, £21.99, available from www.milkysnugz.co.uk .

Safebreathe Hoppy

A machine-washable soft cotton rabbit designed with safety and breathability in mind, so it's made from airmesh and stuffed with hypoallergenic hollowfibre, minimising the risk of suffocation. Suitable from birth, £14.99, available from www.safedreams.co.uk .

Skibz Easter Dribble Bib

A highly absorbent cotton bib with a soft backing, covered in brightly coloured Easter eggs to keep chocolateless babies happy. Suitable from six months, £10, available from www.skibz.co.uk .