Sofia Martinez
Plastic Easter eggs are a fun part of Easter traditions, but they are not sustainable and cannot be recycled. However, there are many ways to reuse them for crafts, games, educational activities, and more. These colourful plastic eggs can be used to make bath bombs, planters, Christmas ornaments, and even small instruments. They can also be used for learning activities with kids, such as letter matching, spelling, and math games. So, instead of throwing them away, you can give these ideas a try to keep the plastic eggs out of landfills.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reuse as planters | Fill with soil and seeds, or use as a mould for gelatin birdseed balls |
| Reuse as moulds | For chocolate, ice cream pops, gelatin, or bath bombs |
| Reuse as containers | For snacks, birdseed, or toys |
| Reuse as decorations | As a garland, wreath, mobile, Christmas ornaments, or filled with treats |
| Reuse as educational tools | For letter matching, spelling, rhyming, and math activities |
| Reuse as musical instruments | Fill with rice, beans, coins, or beads and seal shut to make maracas, or fill halfway and tape two halves together to make an instant instrument |
| Reuse as rockets | Decorate and launch into the sky, or race back down to earth |
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What You'll Learn
- Make musical instruments, like maracas or instant instruments with popcorn kernels or beans
- Use them for educational activities, like letter matching, spelling, or math problems
- Create decorations, like a mobile, garland, wreath, or Christmas ornaments
- Make planters or terrariums, or use them for birdseed balls or bird feeders
- Reuse them in the kitchen, like for moulding chocolate, gelatin, or ice cream pops
Make musical instruments, like maracas or instant instruments with popcorn kernels or beans
Plastic Easter eggs can be reused to make musical instruments like maracas, shakers, or instant instruments. Here are some ways to make them:
Maracas
You can make maracas by filling plastic Easter eggs with dry goods such as rice, beans, or pebbles. Snap the egg shut and seal it with tape. You can decorate the maracas with a tissue paper collage using Mod Podge or colourful sharpies.
Musical Shaker Eggs
To make musical shaker eggs, fill half of the plastic egg with rice, beans, gravel, or anything that makes a cool "shaker sound". Super glue the egg shut and let it dry completely. Once dry, glue a ribbon across the middle to hide the glue line and make a bow with the extra ribbon.
Instant Instruments
For an instant instrument, fill a plastic egg with popcorn kernels, cover it in white tape, and decorate it with sharpies. You can also use two plastic spoons to make the shakers.
These DIY musical instruments are a fun and educational way to engage children in music and literacy. They can shake the instruments along with their favourite nursery rhymes, poems, or songs.
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Use them for educational activities, like letter matching, spelling, or math problems
Plastic Easter eggs can be used for a variety of educational activities, especially for younger children. One way to use plastic Easter eggs is for letter matching and literacy activities. You can use a dry-erase marker to write an upper-case letter on one half of the egg and the lower-case letter on the other half. Start with the letters of a child's name and add or replace letters as they learn. You can enhance this activity by naming the letters as the child matches them or asking them to think of a word that begins with that letter.
Another way to use plastic Easter eggs is for spelling activities. You can write the word ending on the right half of the egg and write consonants on the left halves, allowing children to attach the word endings and read the words. You can also use plastic Easter eggs to practice phonics and sight words.
Math activities are also a great way to reuse plastic Easter eggs. You can write numbers on the eggs and have children fill them with manipulatives to practice counting and number recognition. For older children, you can write amounts of money on the eggs and have them fill the eggs with plastic coins to practice making exact change. You can also use plastic Easter eggs for capacity activities, such as filling the eggs with a certain number of cups or gallons.
STEM challenges are another option for educational activities with plastic Easter eggs. You can have children add items to their eggs and predict whether the added weight will make the egg roll farther or weigh it down. You can also demonstrate the concepts of buoyancy and density by filling one plastic egg with air and another with a heavy material to show how they float or sink differently.
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Create decorations, like a mobile, garland, wreath, or Christmas ornaments
Plastic Easter eggs can be reused to create a variety of decorations, including mobiles, garlands, wreaths, and Christmas ornaments. Here are some ideas and instructions for each:
Mobile
To create a mobile, you can use pipe cleaners and googly eyes to transform plastic Easter egg tops and bottoms into colourful caterpillars. Alternatively, you can fill the plastic eggs with popcorn kernels, cover them in white tape, and decorate them with Sharpies to create DIY maracas. Hang these creations from a mobile structure for a fun and festive mobile.
Garland
Creating a garland is an easy and inexpensive project. Start by separating the plastic Easter eggs into halves. You can use a butter knife or your fingers to do this. Then, string twine or string through the holes at the top of each egg half, tying a knot at each end to prevent the eggs from slipping off. You can decorate the eggs with stickers, glitter, or ribbon for a personalised touch. Hang your garland by tying the ends of the twine to hooks, nails, or other fixtures.
Wreath
To make a wreath, you'll need a foam or styrofoam wreath form, plastic Easter eggs, festive ribbon, hot glue, and optional Easter grass and decorations. Start by gluing layers of plastic eggs horizontally around the outside of the wreath form, arranging them in a repeating colour pattern. Once the outer layer is complete, add another layer on top. Fill in the gaps between the eggs with Easter grass, and finish it off with a large bow made from ribbon. Attach a loop of ribbon to the top of the wreath for hanging.
Christmas Ornaments
For Christmas ornaments, you can create birdseed ornaments using plastic Easter eggs as moulds. Simply mix flour, water, corn syrup, and birdseed, and mould the mixture using your plastic eggs. These ornaments will be a treat for the birds in your yard during the holiday season.
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Make planters or terrariums, or use them for birdseed balls or bird feeders
Plastic Easter eggs can be reused in several creative ways, including making planters, terrariums, birdseed balls, and bird feeders.
Planters
To make a planter, you can use both the top and bottom halves of a plastic Easter egg. Simply fill each half with potting soil and plant seeds of your choice, such as vegetables, flowers, or herbs. Once the plant grows and you're ready to replant, you can wash and reuse the plastic eggs.
Terrariums
You can create a terrarium using a clear plastic Easter egg. Start by spraying the inside of the egg with gold paint and letting it dry for 24 hours. Then, add some wet dirt, moss, and small wire flowers to create a miniature garden. You can also include other decorations, such as painted rocks, to make it more whimsical.
Birdseed Balls
To make birdseed balls, mix gelatin according to the package directions, usually combining gelatin powder with cold and boiling water. Once the gelatin is mixed, add birdseed to the mixture. You can then fill plastic Easter eggs with the birdseed mixture and place them in the refrigerator to set. These birdseed-filled eggs can be offered as treats to birds and squirrels in your yard.
Bird Feeders
To make a bird feeder, fill a plastic Easter egg with birdseed and close it securely. Then, thread a ribbon through a small straw or skewer and tie it off at the top. You can hang these bird feeders from trees, providing food for the birds and a fun decoration for your outdoor space.
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Reuse them in the kitchen, like for moulding chocolate, gelatin, or ice cream pops
Plastic Easter eggs can be reused in a variety of ways in the kitchen. Here are some ideas for moulding chocolate, gelatin, or ice cream pops:
Moulding Chocolate
Wash the plastic eggs thoroughly and dry them. Then, dip half of the egg into melted chocolate, flip it over, and let it cool. Alternatively, you can pour melted chocolate into the egg to create solid chocolate eggs.
Gelatin Moulds
As suggested by Instagram user @kelephant31, plastic Easter eggs can be used as gelatin moulds. This is a creative way to make interesting snacks. You can experiment with different fillings and flavours of gelatin to create a variety of treats.
Ice Cream Pops
Instagram user Jennifer T. shared that they like to use plastic Easter eggs as moulds for ice cream pops. Simply pour your favourite ice cream flavour into the washed and dried plastic eggs and insert a stick. Place them in the freezer until they are solid, and you have yourself some ice cream pops!
Snack Containers
Instagram user @lorelai637 suggested using plastic Easter eggs as fun snack containers. This is especially helpful for picky eaters, as it provides a little variety at mealtimes. You can fill the eggs with different snacks, such as fruits, vegetables, or even treats like raisins or small crackers.
With a bit of creativity, plastic Easter eggs can be given a new life in the kitchen, reducing waste and providing some fun and functionality.
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Frequently asked questions
Plastic Easter eggs can be reused for various fun crafts and activities, including:
- Letter matching games
- Math problems
- Memory games
- Building challenges
- Decorating and filling maracas
- Making bath bombs
- Moulding chocolate
- Planting seeds
- Birdseed balls
- Christmas ornaments
Plastic Easter eggs can be reused in the kitchen in many ways, such as:
- Moulding chocolate
- Making ice cream pops
- Creating gelatin moulds
- Storing snacks
- Making bath bombs
Plastic Easter eggs can be turned into various decorative items, including:
- Mini planters
- Hot air balloons
- Garlands
- Wreaths
- Bees
- Christmas ornaments
