What to do with empty plastic Easter eggs

Don't throw away those plastic Easter eggs! Save up a couple of egg cartons and store them for refilling next year. Or use them as part of your kid's play kitchen, grocery store or farm.

I'm sure you've got more creative ideas than I do (Jewish girl that I am)! Any tips?

Comments

[Chris]

Good idea, and to tell you the truth my mom used to do this but for some reason come around christmas time they all were either lost or... well i suppose some dog ate them cause come easter next year there were none to be found.

[Stephen Francoeur]

My son likes to put small dinosaurs inside of them and make them "hatch."

[Kimmer]

I don't think I'm going to explain this very well, but you can use them as tools for learning to read. On one side of the egg, write a beginning sound. On the other, write ending sounds that "go with" the beginning sound (or vice versa). For example, on one side, write a "b," an "f," a "c," and an "m" on the left hand side. On the right hand side, write "at." So you can rotate the two sides to match them up to make bat, fat, cat, and mat.

[LisaS]

We always keep them in a box in the basement, ready to reappear next year. But Kimmer's idea will be eggs-ecuted.

[STLMom]

It had actually never occurred to me that people just threw them away (and no, I did not live through the Depression.)
I have two large baskets (one per child) and I store the eggs in them. I wrap each in a clear dry-cleaning bag so I can see where they are, but they don't get dusty. I also put any leftover bunny napkins, Easter books & stickers, etc. in the baskets. I even save the egg-dippers so the kids don't fight over the one that comes in each dye packet.
Wow, I really am turning into my Grandma. Next thing you know, I'll be ironing and re-using wrapping paper. I'm so glad that now I can call myself "environmentally aware" instead of "cheap"!

[Liz]

We used them for an egg hunt at a farm themed birthday party. We took advatage of the multi-colored packs, and selected one color of egg per child, so everyone ended up with the same thing. I assume that is how lots of people do their hunts on Easter proper as well.

[Lauren]

We've had 16 egg hunts already (Now I'll hide them and you look! Now you hide them again!) and I know that my five-year-old would love to find eggs at more than just easter. It could be a good rainy-day activity!

[Andi]

I'm really in favor of finding other ways to use them. You can use them to make egg shakers for music play. Put dried beans in one, dry rice in another, pebbles in another, beads in another and seal them with glue. It is fun to see how the sound varies based on what you put inside and how much.

Another great use is one that was posted on Skip To My Lou, make use them as moulds to make sidewalk chalk. There are so many other fun shapes out there now, bunny heads and jelly beans just off the top of my head, you could have a lot of fun with this.

http://skiptomylou.wordpress.com/2007/03/12/egg-shaped-sidewalk-chalk/

You could also put a prize into the egg and close it over the end of a skein of yarn. Use it as the center for a Magic Yarn Ball. If you're not familiar with Magic Yarn Balls, here's a great description.

http://whipup.net/2006/04/25/kids-yarn-project-the-magic-wool-ball/

[Elana]

If anyone wants to send them to me, that would rock...my son is allergic to eggs, and I've never seen a wooden or plastic easter egg here that we can do hunts with!

Yes, I could stock up on the next trip to the US, but if someone is giving them away.......

[marykz]

cat toys- put something like a bell or marble inside, superglue the halves together, and let kitty go to town batting it around. with the weight inside, it's path is unpredictable. the noise helps too.... (I'm always finding these under the dishwasher and under the breakfront... silly kitty)

[Multi-tasking Mommy]

I have placed one Easter treat inside each plastic egg and put them into a big bowl. Whenever it is time for a "treat", I will let my daughter pick out an egg and be surprised by what is in it.

[Jamie]

I had to bring in plastic eggs for both my girls' daycare Easter egg hunts. I was SO glad I'd saved the empty ones from last year!

All these ideas are great. They would make fun "prizes" for road trips, too. Just fill them with little trinkets, like stickers, or treats, like Goldfish.

[Lisa]

Similar to Kimmer. I too use my eggs as learning tools. With a Sharpie marker, I write a capital letter on the top half and the lowercase on the bottom. Then I put a tiny object that begins with that sound inside the egg (Ex. easter grass in G, a marble in M, etc... sometimes I used a sticker to put in a picture of something that starts with the letter.) I also write the letters in the bottom of the egg carton. You can play with them using sounds as you open each one, and then play it as a matching game as you match the 2 halves and put them back in the container.

[smurphy05]

I'm a child care teacher also and for my class of 2-3 year olds we put Easter grass in a sensory table and put in several plastic Easter eggs that have been separated. We encourage the children to find the eggs and find the matching half. This is a great way for children to learn colors.

[CM]

I store small desk supplies in them (thumbtacks, paper clips, binder clips, etc.) Caveat: keep them at work, or in a locked desk drawer, if it's something dangerous like thumbtacks or you have a baby.

[Theresa]

I know it's Easter BUT I use them to hide gifts inside at Christmas time - the red and green ones!

[Nancy]

send them to amerian friends living abroad! we cant get plastic eggs anywhere in dublin!

[Monera Mason]

We fill matching colour eggs with items that make sounds, clear duct tape and you then have to match the sounds. Rice,beans, coins, cat bells, etc. Can you tell we are Montessori?

[Martha]

Check the web -- many are recalled due to lead paint! Geez, is everything soaked in lead these days?

[Katte]

I put cerial in my plastic eggs. I pick a sugar cerial and then my 18month and 3 yr old get something yummy without the chocolate mess. I also only buy lucky charms at St. Patty's day. If you use sugar cerial at holiday times it helps them to not beg for it every day. Works for us. Happy Spring!

[Tiffany]

smurphy05 that is a spectacular idea! I love it!!

[Tiffany]

smurphy05 that is a spectacular idea! I love it!!

[Lea]

Just a heads up that I have seen them as a huge choking hazard ~ we had older preschooler put one in their mouth backwards, panic, and start to vomit before we were able to get it out
Heads up!

[kennedy]

We use them for hideing in houses and let them find it, just put 25cents or 50cents and hide it all over the house,it works trust me.

[Terrie]

I use them as a surprise in my kids' lunch boxes. Not every day, but once a week or so, I put a piece of candy, sticker, or other surprise inside and sneak it into their lunchbox. When they see the egg, they know Mom loves them, and something fun is inside!