Feel festive and excited for Saint Patrick’s Day with these activities for the whole family! - Small Legacies

Saint Patrick's Day is one of my favorite holidays these days because its my son Shane's birthday! We now love getting all dressed up and having a fun time on this day making it feel special.

This week I want to share with you some of our favorite activities that can help you and your family enjoy the holiday and a fun and festive way! And first up, it's building a leprechaun trap.

How to Build a Leprechaun Trap - Engineering for Kids

This activity is adaptable for all the ages! Preschool, Elementary, Middle School…you name it!

1. Read How to Catch a Leprechaun

On March 16th, in anticipation of the day, read the book How to Catch a Leprechaun by Adam Wallace.

2. Design a Trap Using the Engineering Process

You can take this to the next level by teaching the kids all about the engineering process! Use this free packet on the engineering process to guide the project. There’s also a video that goes through the steps of the engineering process that you can watch in advance on your own in case this concept is new to you.

3. The Leprechaun Visit and Leaves Coins!

Although this is similar to Elf on the Shelf, we thankfully don’t have to endure an ENTIRE month of this. It’s just one night so have fun with it! The book will have given you ideas of silly things you can try like turning the toilet green (green gatorade works really well for this) or making a mess of all of the shoes in the house.

Skip the chocolate coins and go for real ones! We recommend turning Saint Patrick’s day into an organic lesson about money. Have the leprechaun leave a train of coins leading to an enduring legacy bank!

4. Teach the kids GIVE-SAVE-SPEND Using These Leprechaun Coins

Once they have found the fun, have the kids collect and count their coins and sort them into Give, Save and Spend! Then take a trip to the store to spend the money on something fun like some chocolates. If you are in the classroom, set up a little shop where the kids buy something special with the coins the leprechaun left for them.

Saint Patrick’s Day Parade

Find a local parade to take the kids to, or better yet, plan your own parade! Dress in green and orange, make some decorations and parade around the hallways to Irish music!

Saint Patrck’s Day Activities for Preschoolers

These Saint Patrick's Day Activities for kindergarten and

Saint Patrick’s Day Activities for Toddlers can easily be adapted to fit the age you are spending the day with! Make Saint Patrick’s Day Decorations and Saint Patrick’s Day Arts and Crafts. Here are just a few cute ideas for your kids to create!

Each of these ideas and photos come from some of our favorite bloggers. Be sure to follow the link to learn how to make each one!

Tissue Paper Four Leaf Clovers

Instructions at Smart Party Planning Blog

Saint Patrick's Day Party Hats!

Kids love using this messy and fun way to add color to the party hats using shaving cream!

Instructions at The House That Lars Built Blog.

Make a Shamrock Wreath

Grab an empty wire wreath and some festive fabric and you can have a great time making this beautiful wreath with the little ones. This is the perfect activity for teaching scissor skills and tying knots!

Instructions at A Mom's Impression Blog.

Leprechaun Coloring Pages

Click Each Picture to Access the Printable PDF.

Saint Patrick’s Day Activities for Middle school

The Leprechaun Trap

The Leprechaun Trap activity sheet mentioned above is perfect for middle school students learning the Engineering Process!

Don’t forget to use the Engineering Process Packet Here.

Learn to Cook Traditional Irish Food

There are some really delicious (and some really strange) Irish meals. Have fun this year by trying some of these recipes! There are so many options to try with your middle school kiddos that could be a lot of fun. Below I’ve put the top three favorites for most Americans, but check out the Top 12 Irish Recipes from Will Fly For Food.

Irish Soda Bread

Irish Soda Bread is a quick and easy bread that relies on Baking Soda instead of yeast. This recipe is very plain so be sure to have some sort of spread on hand to add flavor like jam or cheese.

Check out this simple and traditional recipe for Soda Bread from the New York Times.

Shepherd’s Pie

Traditional Irish Shepherd’s Pie is made from seasoned lamb with a potato topping. To make this into Cottage pie, you can change the meat out for ground beef! It’s a hearty comfort food that is the perfect recipe to make together for Saint Patrick’s Day!

Check out the full Shepherds Pie Recipe from the Wholesome Dish.

Full Irish Breakfast

Start this Saint Patrick’s Day off with a Full traditional Irish Breakfast! Meat, beans, eggs and more make this a very hearty and delicious breakfast.

You can find a detailed list of how to prepare a Full Irish Breakfast on the Waderzest blog!

Saint Patrick’s Day Movie Night! Learn About Saint Patrick’s Day in Ireland through a highly renowned film!

Sing Street (2016)

Music, romance and fun. If you have a slightly angsty teen who is longing to be rich and famous, they’ll probably love this one. The film follows a boy growing up in Dublin during the 1980s who escapes his strained family life. He does this by starting a band to impress the girl he likes. There’s some mild language but overall a great pick for middle schoolers!

The Secret of Kells (2009)

This animated film takes you into the world of Irish folklore. The film follows a young boy in a remote medieval outpost under siege from barbarian raids. The boy is thrown into a world of adventure when a celebrated master illuminator arrives with an ancient book, brimming with secret wisdom and powers.

Although this one is animated, it’s not for little kids. The visuals would be too scary or intense for little ones.

Brooklyn (2015)

Saoirse Ronan (One of my favorite actresses) plays a young woman in 1950s Brooklyn, where she quickly falls into a romance with a local. When her past catches up with her, however, she must choose between returning to Ireland, or staying in Brooklyn. This one isn’t quite as flashy and fun as the others but it’s a truly phenomenal film that helps show the struggles of those people who choose to move across, away from their family and friends.