St. Patrick's Day Activity Ideas

On St. Patrick's day the Leprechaun is very mischievious. He upsets chairs while children are outside playing, walks through the jello, and dyes the mashed potatoes light green.

To help him keep out of mischief we make Leprechaun ladders for him to play on. Stringing shamrocks alternately with snips of straws. Hang from ceiling or windows.

Bubbles and rainbows are incorporated into that week and we do bubble prints, and paint with balloons.

Make Rainbow Stew by Mixing 1/2 cup sugar with 1 cup corn starch. Add 4 cups cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until thick. Divide into three bowls. Add red food coloring to one, blue to one, and yellow to the last. Put one spoonful of two colors into a zip lock bag. Let the children mix to colors to arrive at a third color. You can also make shamrock men. Let the children draw a face on the shamrock and add accordian fold arms and legs.

Irish and potatoes go together so play Hot Potato.

Make a potato planter by slicing off the top of a potato and then scooping out the insides. Put in some potting soil and some grass seeds. Watch it grow.

Write clues that you and the children can follow that lead you to a pot of gold covered candy.

St. Patrick Day stories
Fin M'Coul
Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato
Clever Tom and the Leprechaun
St. Patrick's Day in the Morning.

Above ideas submitted by Bobbie in WI

Leprechaun Hat Coloring Page
Leprechaun Paper Bag Puppet
Shamrock Coloring Page