Put those plastic Easter eggs to good use! 9 crafts & activities that use basic items

If you’re swimming in plastic Easter eggs, use ’em up!

It’s likely an annual tradition. You grab those plastic Easter eggs and fill them with treats and candy for the big hunt. This Easter, try some creative twists with the classic plastic Easter egg. From DIY crafts to fun games, these simple eggs are a perfect base for a lot of holiday fun!

Megan Jensen shared a basket-full of egg activities you can do with your kids or grandkids.

Crafts

Caterpillar

SUPPLIES

• Easter Eggs
• Sharpie or Googly Eyes,
• 2 pipe cleaners

INSTRUCTIONS

1. String egg halves onto pipe cleaner by using the holes already created in the plastic egg.
2. Create a pattern or just have fun making a long, slinky line of eggs.

Bunnies/Chicks

SUPPLIES

• Easter Egg
• Sharpie or Googly Eyes
• Pom Pom for the tail
• Hot Glue
• 2 pipe cleaners

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add pipe cleaners as ears and feet and glue pom poms on for tails.
2. Draw simple faces on eggs to create characters.

Mini Flower Pot

SUPPLIES

• Large Easter Egg
• Dough or soil
• Flower (real or fake)
• Hot Glue

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Glue egg ends to one another to create a base and an open end.
2. Fill with real dirt and seeds or live plants, or use clay or dough and silk flowers.

Games & Activities

 White Board/Dry Erase

Give your kids a plastic easter egg with a dry erase marker and let them color and erase. Play Pictionary or another drawing game or practice sight words or letter sounds.

Auditory Matching Game

Easter eggs are filled with various small items like rice, beans, coins, or paper clips. Each sound pair is duplicated and sealed inside identical eggs. Participants shake the eggs and try to match the pairs based solely on the sound they make.

Tower Building Game

See who can build the tallest tower by stacking eggs halves without falling in a minute.

Learning Aids

Build early math and number sense skills

Write two numbers—one on each half of a plastic egg (e.g., 3 on one half and 5 on the other). The player solves the addition problem (3 + 5) and fills the egg with the corresponding number of small objects (like pom-poms, beads, or jelly beans). You can check the total by opening the egg after shaking it or have them count aloud for reinforcement.

Practice phonics and early reading skills

Write a letter on each half of an egg. Kids find matching halves that form CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) or sight words (e.g., “c” + “at” = cat). Mix up the halves in a basket so kids have to search and test combinations.

Build color recognition and visual discrimination skills.

Mix up your plastic egg halves and place them in a basket or bin. Players choose a card, then search through the egg halves to find and snap together the pieces that match the colors shown. You can also challenge older kids by timing them or having them find multiple matches in a row.

For more creative ideas, follow Megan @meganhilljensen on Instagram.