Kids from babies to teens can celebrate St. Patrick's Day in their own ways. There's fun to be had by all ages... check out our list of easy St. Patrick's Day Activities.
๐ Babies
Rainbow Cereal
Pick the rainbow cereal of your choice (like Fruit loops), get a fairly strong string (measure string to make sure it fits over your child's head or hand), then create a rainbow stacking the cereal on the string. Tie it off and you have a necklace or a bracelet. Or simply place the cereal in a bowl or on a tray.
Pro Tip: ALWAYS supervise babies when using a looped string.
Fingerpainting with the Colors of the Rainbow
Use tempura paint and find something fun to paint on. We use white paper plates. They make fun masterpieces!
Pro Tip: Use a smock or painting shirt to protect clothing, or paint in diapers!
๐ Toddlers
Leprechaun Sensory Bags
Place rice, slime or water in ziplock bag (any size). Add some fun things like coins, tiny gnome figurines, tiny leprechaun figurines, rainbows. Anything that says St. Patrick's day.
Pro Tip: Use clear packaging tape to secure the zippered end. Ask me how I know this.
Fingerpainting Rainbows and Shamrocks
Dig out the white paper plates, paper, or anything that you like to paint on. Get out a rainbow of tempura paint colors and trace out the shape of a clover or rainbow or just let your little one create their own masterpieces.
Edible Paint
Mix a little Cool Whip with a few drops of green food coloring and place a dollop on your toddler's highchair tray. Let them use their fingers to draw in the fluff.
Pro Tip: Use a cookie sheet with a rim for easier clean up.
Monochrome Scavenger Hunt
Make or buy a green shamrock and have your little one go around the house finding green items that match the shamrock. You can also do this with and have them find any shade of green.
Bingo Dauber Art
Choose only green or a rainbow of colors and let your toddler create a masterpiece on regular paper, a foam poster board, a paper plate, or even a paper towel. Voila!
Pro Tip: Disposable plastic tablecloths keep your surfaces clean when toddlers create.
๐ Elementary School Children
Leprechaun Hunt
Guess what? The Leprechaun left a list of hints and some clues where your kiddo can find his gold (chocolate) coins. Create some clues on green or brown paper, and hide them around the house.
Pro Tip: We have used chocolate gold coins, Werther's Candies, butterscotch candies, Hershey's Nuggets (the gold ones, of course), and Rolos for our "gold".
Skittles Rainbow Experiment
You'll need a bag of skittles with the colors divided, plate and warm water. Arrange the skittles alternating in a rainbow of colors around the inside edge of the plate, pour the warm water in and let them sit. They will begin to "run" and the colors will flow. Watch the experiment here.
Catch a Leprechaun
Use recycled objects to create a leprechaun trap.
Pro Tip: Be sure to set off the trap and leave some leprechaun gold inside. Those leprechauns might be small, but they are speedy!
Watch a Movie or Two
Have a Bit O' Fun with these movies this St. Patrick's Day.
- Darby O'Gill and the Little People
- War of the Buttons
- The Secret of Roan Inish
- The Secret of Kells
- Song of the Sea
- Wolfwalkers
Pro Tip: Check out the trailers ahead of time to make sure they are a good fit for your kids and family.
Leprechaun Hunting
We hide leprechaun gold in a local park every St. Patrick's Day, and then conveniently take a ride near said park. A quick shout of "Did you see that?" will pique their curiosity and you simply must get out and look for the leprechaun that you saw.
Pro Tip: Hide a pot of gold in an area of the park that will not likely be found by other visitors, and lead your kids to the area while you are hunting. They may not find the leprechaun, but they can definitely find the leprechaun's gold!
๐ Tweens
Make St. Patrick's Day Rice Krispy Treats
It's easy to create themed Rice Krispy treats! For St. Patrick's Day, add green food coloring, green sprinkles, or candy shamrocks to the mix.
Pro Tip: Add edible gold flakes to really put your Rice Krispy Treats over the top.
Green Food All Day
Fill your plates with green eggs and ham, green cupcakes, green pistachio pudding, lettuce, spinach, edamame, kiwi, basil, peas, jalapenos, green beans, asparagus, artichokes, sugar peas, avocado, cucumber, bell peppers, green pasta (spinach) and of course many candies! Make it a challenge to see all the different kinds of food you can find that's green and who stays on the green diet for a day.
Pro Tip: Keep track of all the green foods eaten during the day, and reward the highest scorer with a pot of leprechaun gold!
Dye Those Locks Green
Has your kiddo been wanting to add some color to their hair? Grab some spray in color, hair chalk, color wax, or dye.
Pro-Tip: Use a disposable shower cap or bonnet to sleep in, or your pillow might get dyed, too.
๐ Teen
The Wearin' O'The Green
Wear green from head to toe. Add some bling by adding gold accents. You can be a leprechaun fashionista or just simply have fun! Dress Classy or Sassy, your choice. Make it a challenge.
Pro Tip: Host a green themed fashion show to show off your fits.
Create an Irish Dinner
Corned beef and cabbage is a St. Patrick's day tradition in our house. Look up some recipes and have some fun with the dessert. Don't forget the Irish Soda bread.
Pro Tip: Check out our Easy (and Irresistible) Irish Soda Bread recipe.
Lucky Charms for Breakfast
Frankly this one is good for almost any age but it brings your teens back to their childhood.
Binge Watch Irish Movies
You'd be surprised how many movies fit the St. Patrick's Day theme. These are just a few. Check out the trailers and see if these fit with your family and your teen.
- The Banshees of Inisherin
- Belfast
- Wild Mountain Thyme
- Black '47
- Braveheart
- Calvary
- The Irish Pub
- Leap Year
- The Wind That Shakes the Barley
- Angela's Ashes
- Michael Collins
Pro Tip: Have each family member make a St. Patrick's Day themed snack to enjoy while watching movies.
๐ The Leprechaun was here!
Kids of all ages will enjoy proof that a leprechaun has visited. Here are a few ideas of evidence that the leprechaun dropped in!
See things in a different light
Change out lightbulbs for green or rainbow colors through the house. You can find these on Amazon.
Mischief in the house
Move things around the house to unfamiliar places. Relocate the chairs around the table to the corner of the room. Hide the underwear in an different drawer. Put their toothbrush in the bottom of the sink with little green footsteps made with green icing from the usual toothbrush older to the edge of the sink.
Green Tap Water
Thanks to Steve Spangler, the leprechaun can work magic with their bathroom sink water. Take the screen off the faucet nozzle place a blue and yellow color tablet (Like in Easter Egg kits) in the faucet then replace the screen.
Pro Tip: Be sure to dry the screen before inserting the tablet or it will dissolve before the magic happens.
Green Footprints
Use paper, store bought green footprint stickers, or even green frosting to show where the leprechaun has been.
Pro Tip: Add a few drops of green food coloring to the toilet water. It always gets a good laugh.
Magic Gold Coins
Have your kids put out pennies or plastic coins. Overnight, the leprechaun changes them to chocolate coins.
Pro Tip: We hide the gold "coins" around the house in addition to leaving the trade. The kids love discovering gold all day long.
No matter how you celebrate St. Patrick's Day, your family will have lots of fun "going green" for the day!
๐ Happy St. Patrick's Day!
