diff --git a/tests/ui/children_test.py b/tests/ui/children_test.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4788d40
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ui/children_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+import ipywidgets
+import playwright.sync_api
+import pytest
+from solara import display
+
+import ipyreact
+
+
+def test_children_text(solara_test, page_session: playwright.sync_api.Page):
+    def on_click(event_data):
+        b.children = ["Clicked"]
+
+    b = ipyreact.Widget(
+        _type="button",
+        events={"onClick": on_click},
+        children=["Click me"],
+        props={"class": "test-button"},
+    )
+
+    display(b)
+    button = page_session.locator(".test-button")
+    button.click()
+    page_session.locator(".test-button >> text=Clicked").wait_for()
+
+
+def test_children_react(solara_test, page_session: playwright.sync_api.Page):
+    def on_click(event_data):
+        b.children = [
+            ipyreact.Widget(
+                _type="span", props={"className": "test-span"}, children=["direct child"]
+            )
+        ]
+
+    b = ipyreact.Widget(
+        _type="button",
+        events={"onClick": on_click},
+        children=["Click me"],
+        props={"className": "test-button"},
+    )
+
+    display(b)
+    button = page_session.locator(".test-button")
+    button.click()
+    # direct child, not a grandchild (e.g. extra div around it)
+    page_session.locator(".test-button > .test-span").wait_for()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.xfail
+def test_children_ipywidgets(solara_test, page_session: playwright.sync_api.Page):
+    def on_click(event_data):
+        html = ipywidgets.HTML(value="not a direct child")
+        html.add_class("test-html")
+        b.children = [html]
+
+    b = ipyreact.Widget(
+        _type="button",
+        events={"onClick": on_click},
+        children=["Click me"],
+        props={"className": "test-button"},
+    )
+
+    display(b)
+    button = page_session.locator(".test-button")
+    button.click()
+    # not per se a direct child
+    page_session.locator(".test-button >> .test-html").wait_for()