March 2007 Activity
This
St. Patrick's Day, let your child in on a
well-guarded secret and start
a
new family tradition in the process. The fun begins with the legend of the
leprechauns and leads to a treasure box filled with goodies and gifts.
Here's what to do. On the day before the holiday, read aloud the following
tale.
LEGEND
OF THE LEPRECHAUNS
MAKING
THE TREASURE BOX
Now, have your child decorate an empty shoe box or tissue box with paints,
glitter glue or stickers. If she tries to bargain for a bigger box,
explain that leprechauns are tiny and if they can't reach the top of the
box, it will remain empty. Just before bed, she should place the finished
box on a windowsill where the moon will shine on it.
Once she's sound asleep, the resident leprechauns can fill the box with
small treasures, such as foil-covered chocolate coins, costume jewelry or
a bag of marbles, and then hide it in a special place. All that's left to
do is lay a trail of green leaves or paper shamrocks from the windowsill
to the box. An older child may even enjoy the challenge of several trails
to follow, some with dead ends (you know, trickery of the leprechauns!).
Full of magic and trickery, the leprechauns
remain in their hidden world until the night before St.
Patrick's Day. On that one night of the year they appear throughout
the world to dance and sing and frolic.
Disguising themselves as leaves and grass, and sounding like the wind and
the crickets, they come and go unnoticed.
However, it is said that if a decorated treasure box is left empty under
the moon, the leprechauns must fill the box with gold or jewels or gifts.
But then they will hide the filled box in the most unlikely of places.
If the box is found on St. Patrick's Day, the
treasure remains in our world. If not, the leprechauns may retrieve what
is rightfully theirs. And though the leprechauns are very clever, it is
not impossible to find the treasure because, unknowingly, leprechauns
often leave a trail of greenery behind them.
Activity Provided by: www.familyfun.com