How to Repurpose Your
Plastic Eggs After Easter
DIY Memory game
to Fill Easter Eggs
(Without Using Candy)
Egg toss
Glue or tape the eggs shut and set up Easter
baskets or buckets. Have your kids take turns
tossing the eggs, trying to get them into the
baskets. Whoever can get the most eggs to
land in the bucket or basket wins.

Letter and word games
ur family loves an Easter egg hunt, but as the mother of a child with
food allergies, it is always a challenge to find items to fill all those
plastic eggs with that are not candy. Whether, like me, your child has
a food allergy, or you would just like to cut down on sugar overload, here
are some non-candy items to fill all your eggs with for the annual hunt.

For pre-readers, you can work on matching
upper and lowercase letters by writing one of
each on a half of the egg and then having kids
match them up. For older kids, write common
word endings on one half of the egg, such
as “at,” “ot,” “all,” “ag,” etc. and common word
beginnings on the other half of the eggs, such
as “h,” “b,” “c,” etc. Have your kids put the eggs
together to make as many words as possible.

Small toys
Shake it up
Something practical
Become an artist
BY SARAH LYONS
O There are numerous ideas for small toys that you could fill eggs with:
bouncy balls, small craft items, Play-Doh, tiny cars like Micro Machines,
mini kazoos, hand stamps, toy accessories, mini rubber ducks, fake bugs,
pirate patches or just for fun—confetti! When choosing small toys to fill
your eggs, please remember that small toys may pose a choking hazard for
young children.

Practical items can be fun, too. Try filling eggs with erasers, pencil sharpen-
ers, key chains, magic towels, cute Band-Aids or travel-size lotion or hand
sanitizer. My kids’ favorite practical Easter egg filler is money!
Something to wear
Your kids can have fun and accessorize with these ideas: barrettes, hair ties,
socks, nail polish, ChapStick, lip gloss, silly shoe laces, bracelets, earrings,
rings, temporary tattoos, zipper pulls or bead necklaces.

Snacks If you are avoiding candy because of the sugar rush, try these little snacks
that are the perfect size for Easter eggs: Goldfish crackers, pretzels, grapes,
soup crackers, Cuties (mandarins), veggie straws, berries, animal crackers,
bite-size graham crackers, nuts, raisins or other dried fruit. 1
10 Washington FAMILY
APRIL 2023
Use the plastic eggs to make homemade
instruments. Fill them with dried beans, rice or
popcorn seeds and glue the eggs shut. Have
your kids shake the eggs along to music. To
make a maraca, glue plastic spoons, one on
each side, for a handle.

Put a small amount of paint on a paper for your
child and allow them to roll the egg through the
paint. They can also open the egg and use it as
a stamp. Change the colors for variety.

Sensory bin
Fill a large plastic bin or water table with beans,
rice or water and add some plastic Easter eggs
and small containers. Some of the eggs may
have holes, so kids will enjoy watching the
water slowly pour out from the bottom. They
love to use the eggs as scoops to fill up larger
containers with rice and beans.

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40+ Ways
Open the plastic egg and set each half on the
table. Hide small items like paper clips, coins or
erasers under each egg. (You will need two of
each item.) Play memory and have your child
pick two eggs to lift. They can collect them if
they match.