Eight Easy St. Patrick's Day Activities For Kids

By Charlene DeLoach, Chief Play Officer, Playroom Chronicles

 A quick note: This content was created in partnership with one or more of the brands featured. I may have been paid, received products, or both. Paid or not, I’m still going to tell you what I think because none of us needs another toy our kids won’t play with.

Whether you are Irish or not, whether you can spell Claddagh or you can’t, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day can be fun and provide your children with good cultural exposure. So here are some St. Patrick’s Day activities for kids of all ages.

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If you have younger kids, here are some fun ways to spice up the day. You can do some or all or pretend a Leprechaun visits during the night. Here is a good backstory:

1. Set a Leprechaun Trap

Explain that Irish elves called Leprechauns love (chocolate) gold coins so much that if they don’t find them in the house on St. Patrick’s Day, they will get mad and leave things a mess. So you need to capture one!

Have the kids make a Leprechaun Trap (see my post here) to see if they can trap a Leprechaun. Anything they can think up and imagine is always a great thing, too. Just find empty coffee containers, cereal boxes, oatmeal jars or shoe boxes, construction paper, tape or glue, scissors, markers or crayons, stickers, etc. Then, use items like fake gold (chocolate gold coins are good), lucky charms cereal, or anything that would ‘lure the Leprechaun’ to the trap. This is a good way to {sneakily} work on STEM skills!

Have the kids set up the traps before they go to bed. While they sleep, leave evidence behind like green confetti, maybe muss up the house a bit (or more so than usual!) Open some kitchen drawers, and leave green napkins hanging out. Turn over a chair. Maybe even leave Leprechaun footprints outside or use flour on the floor. Color the toilet water green, pretending it must be Leprechaun pee-pee. (Kids love that!) Then, hide chocolate gold coins around the house. When the kids wake up, they will see the empty trap, but the fun ‘destruction’ (and chocolate) the Leprechauns left behind in their hasty escape!

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2. Have Fun With Other St. Patrick’s Day Activities

Here are some other ‘Lucky” St. Patrick’s Day activities for kids to do on or before St. Patrick’s Day.

Serve green eggs for breakfast. Just use food coloring. I prefer food coloring without artificial dyes, but it’s all a personal preference! This (affiliate) food coloring on Amazon is an option!
Lucky Charms cereal snacks are fun! Pack them for the lunch box, or use them as a fun ice cream topping for dessert!
Wear green, of course!
Make a Leprechaun Hat. Set up a craft corner, cut out a strip of construction paper that fits the circumference of their head, and have them decorate it with stickers, markers, pom-poms, glitter, etc. Get an (affiliate) big, bulk craft kit from Amazon.
Make rainbows with colored paper, draw them with colored markers or crayons, or make shamrocks to hang around the house. I like this (affiliate) 100-piece assorted construction paper pack on Amazon.
Play Irish Music in the house.
Make Irish Soda Bread! This is a fun recipe from the Great British Bakeoff Show. You can also check out my recipe. It was given to me by a very great ‘Irish’ friend! Have the kids help!
Play St. Patrick’s Day Bingo or do an educational St. Patrick’s themed printable.

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As an FYI, leprechauns are not the only Irish elves…they have lesser-known cousins called Clurichauns that drink too much and will ruin your liquor cabinet if you get on their bad side! (But that is a post for another day.)