My daughter LOVES holidays. I don’t think the term “love” is even adequate for describing how obsessed she is. Can you really blame her though? Holidays are filled with fun traditions, games, family time, and more often than not, candy, and gifts. If you look back on your own childhood, I think it’s safe to assume that some of your BEST moments are when you and your family were celebrating a holiday together. This is especially true for me. I have fond memories of huge Easter egg hunts at our local park, massive fireworks shows in July, and spooky costumes and candy for Halloween. However, one holiday always got overlooked in our home--we never did anything for St. Patrick’s Day! Although this never really bothered me at the time, I do remember all the fun traditions my friends had with their families. Now that I have my own daughter that is obsessed with everything celebratory, I’ve decided it’s about time to start some new traditions in our home! If you’re like me and need some ideas, here are some of my favorite craft and snack ideas that kids are sure to love this St. Patrick’s Day!
Crafts & Activities
Treasure hunt
There is NOTHING better than a treasure hunt as a little kid! This is one of our favorite activities to do with our kids for birthdays, Easter, or other holidays. Create “clue cards” with drawings or riddles indicating different areas in your home. Mix up the cards and put them in a stack. Set aside the first card. This will be your child’s first clue. Place the next card in the area of your home that is written on the first card. Continue placing the rest of the cards throughout your home in this same way. (Here are some amazing example cards if you'd rather not make your own.) At the end of the treasure hunt, place a pot of gold! I love candy, so our “gold” treasure would be a combination of Rolos, Hershey’s Nuggets, and gold chocolate coins.
(Photo credit: Jill at https://www.createcraftlove.com)
"Guess the Number" Jar
Leprechaun Traps
Have fun “catching” leprechauns together. Give your kids a bag of leprechaun bait. I like to use colorful treats like skittles, fruit loops, colorful licorice, etc. Using random items you can find in your house such as cardstock, paper towel rolls, cardboard boxes, and milk cartons, help your kiddos build their own little trap and fill it with the bait.
(Photo credit: https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com)
Coloring Pages
My daughter LOVES drawing and coloring! Pull out your computer and google St. Patrick’s Day coloring pages and let your kiddos choose their favorites! Print them out and pull out the crayons, watercolors, and markers for some fun creative time together! I personally love the free printables found on the Crayola website!
Rainbow Fingerprint Painting
Kids LOVE rainbows! Combine it with painting or crafting, and you have an activity that your kids are sure to love. I absolutely love the idea of using finger paints to create a rainbow. This is also an incredible keepsake as it puts their sweet little finger prints on paper forever. When they’re finished, put the date at the bottom so you can treasure it forever. If you prefer to stay away from messy finger paints, try out our super cute rainbow glitter glue, Chunkies paint sticks or rainbow gel crayons! These are fun crafting tools that are sure to make creating a lot more fun!
St. Patrick’s Day Bingo
Bingo will always be one of my favorite games! Create your own bingo boards together using clip art or your own drawings, or find a fun printable online such as this one! Use skittles or other rainbow candies to place on your bingo board while playing.
Pipe Cleaner Shamrock or Bracelets
Pick up some green pipe cleaners and a big pack of colorful beads! You can then add the beads to the pipe cleaner in whatever order and bend and twist into a shamrock shape. You could also twist it into a fun bracelet. If you’re going the bracelet route, you could use regular yarn or string instead.
“I’m Lucky to have…” Activity
It’s always a good time to think about what we are grateful for. Teaching kids to express their gratitude is a great way to teach them about all the wonderful blessings they have in their lives. Although St. Patrick’s Day isn’t traditionally about gratitude, you can use the “luck” and “shamrock” theme to create a fun activity with your kids. Draw a four-leaf clover on a piece of paper. On the stem, write “I’m lucky to have…” On each of the leaflets, have your child write something they are grateful for. For younger children, you can write for them.
Bell Pepper Shamrock Stamps
Grab some green paint, white cardstock, and some bell peppers! Bell peppers come with 3 or 4 lobes, so if you want to create 4 leaf clovers, make sure to purchase the peppers with 4 lobes. Cut your bell pepper in half crosswise to create 2 stamps. Your child can then dip their pepper into the paint and stamp it on the paper. Finish the drawing by adding a green stem to each!
(Photo credit: Jessi at Practically Functional)
Rainbow Balloon Game
Pick up a pack of balloons in a variety of colors. These are pretty inexpensive and can be found at most dollar stores or grocery stores. Blow up and tie the balloons. Have each child pick a color. (Each person playing will have one balloon, and each person will have a different color). Throw your balloons into the air and try to keep them from touching the ground. If someone’s balloon hits the ground, they are out. The last person is the winner.
Snacks & Fun Meal Ideas
Green Lucky Charms Pancakes
Whip up some pancake mix, add in some green food coloring, and top with whipped cream and lucky charm marshmallows! It may not be the healthiest breakfast, but it sure is a memory that your kids will remember forever.
(Photo Credit: Michelle at https://www.craftymorning.com)
Rainbow Jello Jigglers
Jello is a childhood favorite of mine! My mom would always make Jello Jigglers and pull out mini cookie cutters for us to make whatever shapes we wanted! Grab a variety of different colors and follow a simple recipe to create your rainbow jigglers! Cut into squares, or use small cookie cutters and let your kids make their own shapes. For tips and tricks on making the perfect jigglers, check out https://www.myfoodandfamily.com/recipe/053920/jell-o-jigglers.
Rainbow Fruit Tray
Go to your local grocery store and pick out your favorite fruits in a variety of colors! Wash, slice and arrange on a plate to create a fun rainbow. Here are some fun ideas for each color:
- Red: Raspberries, strawberries, watermelon
- Orange: Mango, mandarin oranges, orange slices
- Yellow: Pineapple, bananas, honeydew
- Green: Green grapes, kiwi
- Blue: Blueberries
- Indigo/Violet: Blackberries, purple grapes
Add some whipped cream or cream cheese fruit dip on either end to use as the clouds at the end of the rainbow.
(Photo credit: https://catholiccuisine.blogspot.com)
Rainbow S'mores
Grab some chocolate, granola bars, and colored marshmallows and make rainbow s'mores! Whether you live in a warm climate and can roast them outside, or prefer to warm in the microwave or over your stove top, this adds a fun holiday touch to classic s'mores! I recently found Lucky Charms-style marshmallows at Target. These are in between the size of miniature and jumbo marshmallows. Roast one or two for each smore. This makes a super fun (and yummy) treat for St. Patrick’s Day!
Leprechaun Floats
Similar to root beer floats (a fan favorite!), create a yummy green creation for your little one to enjoy! Grab some lime or rainbow sherbet and pour in some sprite and enjoy!
(Photo Credit: Julie Evink at https://www.julieseatsandtreats.com)
Mint Brownies
When I make treats, I love things that are quick and easy to throw together. Grab a box of brownie mix and prepare as directed on the box. Then, whip up your favorite vanilla frosting. Add a drop of mint extract and some green food coloring. Once the brownies are cool, frost the cookies and top with sprinkles! If you prefer homemade brownies, check out this awesome recipe here!
Sugar Cookies
Pick up a shamrock cookie cutter at your local craft or grocery store. Make some fresh cookie dough and let your kids cut out the shapes themselves! After the cookies are done baking, let them decorate them with white or green frosting and finish them off with some fun rainbow sprinkles!
Leprechauns, green, gold and ALL the rainbows! St. Patrick's Day can be filled with so much fun, and memories that are sure to last a lifetime! Whether you hate holidays or you love them, fun crafts and yummy snacks can make any day special for your kids.
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