The Best Plastic Egg

Buying Guide

If you’d like something less messy and breakable than the real thing, plastic eggs come in handy for various activities. You can easily hide them so that your kids can have an Easter egg hunt, and you can usually fill them with small toys or treats to make gathering the eggs more exciting. Plus, you can use plastic eggs as a festive decoration for years to come since they won’t go bad like the real ones do.

Many plastic eggs are small or medium in size and come in packs ranging from a dozen to several hundreds. Ideal for egg hunts and baskets, these eggs usually split into two pieces or have a hinge that lets you open them for filling. While bright and pastel solid colors are very common, some plastic eggs are shiny or glittery, have patterns, feature images or even glow in the dark. They’re ready to use as-is, but you can always customize them if you’d like.

Designed for those more interested in decorating, other plastic eggs are small and white and don’t open up to put anything inside. These tend to be costlier and come in packs of a dozen. They may include paint, dye or other craft supplies so you can make whichever egg designs you’d like. However, basic options just include the eggs, so you’d need to get your own decorating materials.

You can also find some special types of plastic eggs that may serve as a fun toy or decoration. For example, you could get a giant plastic egg to put in your yard, or you could surprise your child with a plastic egg that has smaller ones nested inside. If you like making dioramas, some decorative plastic eggs have a cutout in the front so you can create a scene inside. Another option is to buy a jumbo plastic egg that can hold bags of candy to serve at your event.

• When buying plastic eggs for a hunt, take into account the number of people participating. As a rule of thumb, try to get at least a dozen eggs for each person to ensure a fair chance of collecting eggs. You might go up to 20 eggs per person if you’re holding the egg hunt in a large space.
• While putting candy in plastic eggs is most popular, non-food items come in handy if you’re concerned about sugar or food allergies. Coins, stickers, hair accessories, jewelry, keychains, small toys and even funny notes are good alternatives. Just avoid anything that could be unsafe for the kids attending.
• If your plastic eggs split into halves, feel free to mix and match colors.
• You can use very small glow sticks to light plastic eggs up. This is a good idea for a creative Easter egg hunt at night or with the lights off.
• Many plastic eggs feature a small hole that you can use to attach some string for hanging.
• Get creative if you decorate your plastic eggs. For example, you might create a chick by painting the egg yellow, adding some googly eyes and a yellow pom pom, and drawing on other details.
• Make sure the plastic eggs you buy don’t contain lead. You may also want to avoid those containing the chemical called bisphenol A.
• If you buy dyeable plastic eggs, keep in mind that the dye may not take exactly like it would on real eggs. Using liquid dyes or paint will usually provide the boldest effect. If you do use regular dye tablets, you could need more vinegar to get the desired look.
• Using dye is messy, so get some plastic or paper to cover your work surface before you start. To prevent stained hands, consider wearing gloves. Some dye kits have plastic bags that you pour drops of dye into and then insert the plastic egg, and these kits cut down on the mess.
• You can also use plastic eggs for making colorful garlands, teaching kids colors and counting, playing games and decorating your garden.