Empty Easter Eggs vs Pre-Filled Easter Eggs: Which Should You Print?

For most egg hunts and large-volume community events, Empty Easter Eggs are the better choice because you control the contents, manage age appropriateness, and can scale quantities without paying for filler items; choose pre-filled eggs when you need fast distribution with a built-in “play value” and minimal prep.

Custom Easter Eggs

Quick comparison table

Shop directly: Empty Easter Eggs or explore pre-filled variants inside Custom Easter Eggs.

Choose Empty Easter Eggs if…

• You’re running an egg hunt where you need large quantities and consistent refills.
• You want full control of what’s inside (candy, tokens, offers, small prizes, messages).
• Your audience is mixed-age and you need to avoid one-size-fits-all filler risk.
• You want to create tiered eggs (standard + “golden eggs”) without buying pre-filled premium units for everyone.

Numeric qualifiers (planning reality):

• Egg hunts typically plan 12–18 eggs per child for most events, then add 10–20% extra as buffer for uneven finds and breakage.
• If you have 50+ children, empty eggs usually scale best because you can fill assembly-line style and tune filler value by tier.

Start here: Empty Easter Eggs and use the hunt playbook: Best Custom Easter Eggs for Egg Hunts.

Choose Pre-Filled Easter Eggs if…

• You need fast, ready-to-distribute eggs with minimal staging time.
• Your event success depends on instant “play value” (kids open and use the item).
• You’re running retail counter promotions or walk-in events where staff time is limited.
• You want a “single SKU” solution rather than sourcing and stuffing.

Numeric qualifiers (planning reality):

• For retail handouts, plan 1 unit per transaction (cashier offered) with a 10–15% buffer for spikes and staff giveaways.
• If you can’t commit staffing time to stuffing eggs, pre-filled often outperforms empty even at smaller volumes.

Explore pre-filled formats:

• Putty options: Crazy Putty Eggs, Easter Eggs with Putty
• Toy option: Sticky Hand in Easter Eggs
• “Cha-Cha” options: Easter Egg Cha-Cha (Standard Colors), Easter Egg Cha-Cha with Handle

Retail execution: Best Custom Easter Eggs for Retail Spring Promotions.

Best use cases (where the winner changes)

1. Large egg hunts (parks, schools, churches): Empty wins (scale + content control).
2. Small, staffed hunts with prize tiers: Empty wins (golden egg strategy).
3. Retail “surprise and delight” at checkout: Pre-filled wins (speed + play value).
4. Walk-in events with no staging window: Pre-filled wins (ready-to-go).
5. Sponsor-led promotions needing message inserts: Empty wins (insert-based messaging).
6. Kid-centric activity tables (open-and-play): Pre-filled wins (toy/putty immediate use).
7. Mixed-age public events: Empty often wins (you can tailor filler and avoid mismatch).

Branding & imprint considerations (what changes the print result)

What stays true for both: curved, small imprint reality

• Best: bold logo, thick strokes, minimal text.
• Avoid: tiny taglines, fine outlines, dense copy.

When empty eggs are better for “message depth”

Empty eggs let you keep the imprint simple and put real messaging inside:

• Offer card
• QR/URL card
• Prize token

When pre-filled eggs are better for “perceived value”

Pre-filled eggs rely more on the “gift inside,” so the imprint can remain minimal just enough for recognition.

For the detailed print rules and file checklist: Logo Printing on Custom Easter Eggs: Rules, Examples, and Common Mistakes.

Operational factors (prep time, staffing, storage, and flow)

Prep and staging

• Empty eggs: requires sourcing filler + stuffing + staging bins by zone (for hunts) or by day (for retail).
• Pre-filled eggs: simpler staging open case, stock counter, refill as needed.

Inventory and risk management

• Empty eggs: more moving parts (filler supply); you must prevent “run-outs” of filler items.
• Pre-filled eggs: fewer moving parts; you standardize experience.

Flow and fairness (hunts)

• Empty eggs: easiest to create prize tiers: a few high-value eggs among many standard eggs.
• Pre-filled eggs: harder to tier unless you mix SKUs intentionally.

FAQs

1) Which is better for large egg hunts: empty or pre-filled?

Empty Easter Eggs are better for large hunts because they scale, allow refill planning, and give you control over what’s inside.

2) Which is better for retail checkout giveaways?

Pre-filled Easter Eggs are usually better for checkout because they are ready-to-distribute and deliver instant play value.

3) Can I still include a message if I choose pre-filled eggs?

Yes, but messaging options are more limited. If message depth matters, empty eggs with inserts are typically more effective.

4) How many eggs should I plan per child for a hunt?

Plan 12–18 eggs per child for typical hunts and add a 10–20% buffer for uneven distribution and breakage.

5) What’s the most common mistake with empty eggs?

Underestimating stuffing and staging time is the most common mistake. Assembly-line filling and pre-zoned bins prevent day-of chaos.

6) What’s the most common mistake with pre-filled eggs?

Choosing a pre-filled item that doesn’t match the audience is the most common mistake; align the “inside gift” to age mix and venue expectations.

7) Which prints better: empty or pre-filled eggs?

Printing constraints are similar because the shell is still small and curved. Use a bold, high-contrast logo either way.

8) Where can I learn the artwork rules for eggs?

Use a print rules checklist designed for curved imprint areas.