But - HOLY COW I have too many Easter eggs.
Between my art projects ( Duct tape baskets, String Lights) and my kids, I have Easter eggs littering all parts of my yard, car, and house. They. Are. Everywhere. So the question arose - what to do with all of them after Easter?
Some people save them from year to year. Well...I don't have a lot of storage space, and the temperature variations in my garage (our summer temps outside last year went into the 110s) tend to make plastic things melt or brittle. The eggs are pretty cheap and break pretty readily anyway.
We've used them in the past, filled with things that sink, for pool diving games. Last year at A's birthday party, we filled them with dried rice and beans and duct taped them all around, and used them for a bean bag toss. You know what else you can do? Make retro styled lampshade lights, a la the Easter Egg String Light tutorial, and just leave the egg bottoms off. Or put them all on and watch your kids slowly dismantle them for you. :)
I've made a fairly comprehensive list of cool egg projects for your enjoyment - Educational Projects and Fun/Decorative Projects.
Educational
If you don't want your leftover eggs, you can donate them to classrooms or teachers in your area, day schools and up. There's a lot of educational activities they can use them for.
Ready? (If there isn't a link below a project, click the picture - if I missed any links please let me know! I want to make sure everyone gets credit for their cool ideas!)
Word Family Eggs
A starting letter circle on one half, and a word ending on the other half. Good matching for preschool and younger elementary school ages.
Counting Eggs
On one half of the egg, a number, and on the other half of the egg, the corresponding number of dots. Great matching for younger kids!
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| http://room-mom101.blogspot.com/2010/03/easter-egg-matching-activity.html |
Matching Games
Make felt fried egg insides to match the egg colors, and have the kids match them.
I don't know that our teachers have ever been short of Easter eggs though, so I compiled a few things I found around the blog world that all reuse eggs for non-Easter crafts.
Fun/Decorative
Tea Lights
Attach the egg halves to a board and fill with tea lights.
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| http://dollarstorecrafts.com/2011/05/make-a-recycled-plastic-egg-tealight-holder/ |
Snake Craft
This might be my favorite - thread egg halves together and dress up to be a snake. Awesome.
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| http://www.kiboomu.com/2011/04/12/plastic-easter-egg-snake/ |
Tea Cups
Use half eggs and buttons to make tea cups, and decorate with paint and glitter. Cute playtime craft.
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| http://www.creativityinprogress.com/blog/2011/04/plastic-easter-egg-tea-cups/ |
Elegant Spring Wreath
Plastic eggs covered in book pages and arranged on a wreath.
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| http://lemontreecreations.blogspot.com/2010/03/framed-book-page-egg-wreath.html |
Firefly Crafts
Decorated plastic eggs with light sticks inside to be fireflies!
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| http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/make-fireflies-that-really-lig-147918 |
Maracas with knitted covers
I'm not a knitter (yet) but I thought these knit egg covers were a great idea, and pretty too. Fill the egg, knit around it, and you have maracas.
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Popsicles
I thought this one was super creative too - fill with juice and freeze. She even used an icing tip as a funnel to fill them. I wonder if you could do this with Jello too?
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| http://kailochic.blogspot.com/2012/03/easter-egg-popsicles.html |
Tablecloth Weights
Fill with a weighted material (gravel) and tie onto tablecloth edges to keep it from blowing away.
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| http://www.marthastewart.com/337342/last-minute-easter-ideas/@center/276968/easter |
Games
I'm sure there's more games involving plastic eggs!
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| http://www.toddlerapproved.com/2012/03/stack-em-dont-crack-em-plastic-egg.html |
Painting
Let the kids use egg halves as stamps. Or use them yourself and make some modern art!
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| http://teaching2and3yearolds.blogspot.com/2012/04/plastic-egg-painting.html |
And if you still didn't find anything you can/want to use them for...can you recycle them? I have no idea. If you know please tell me!
If you have some great ideas that think outside the box...point me in the right direction! Right now, I think I'm making tea cups and snakes. You?
Happy Easter (for those who celebrate it)!
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