Has the impending St. Patrick’s Day holiday got you scrambling around for a list of games and activities for your children? If so, you’ve come to the right place. I happen to have a handful of ideas that have successfully kept my kids entertained over the years. Thus, they may work for your kids as well. Here they are:
Rainbow Hunt
Legend has it that if you want to find a leprechaun’s gold, you should look for the rainbow. Therefore, you may want to think about hiding small rainbow stickers around your home or classroom and asking the kids to find them. The children that find the rainbow stickers could be given the choice of a foil wrapped candy coin or a special wish as a prize. Just make sure that you put limits on what they can wish for. One way to do that is to create a series of “wish coupons” with your computer and printer. The coupons could be redeemable for certain things. Examples of suitable wishes could include a “no chores” or “no homework” day, an extra 10 minutes of recess, or the chance to be the line leader. You could opt to give the coupons an expiration date or leave the redemption date open ended. The choice is yours.
Holiday Dominos or Memory Game
Another great option would be to separate the kids into small groups and let them engage in a game of holiday memory or dominos. There are websites that have ready-made, holiday themed memory cards and dominos. One of them is Busy Bee Kids Printables. My kids enjoyed playing both games. If you are unfamiliar with how to play the games, there are websites that contain detailed instructions. For example, the Domino Games website has instructions for playing over 10 different versions of dominos. Thus, you could pick the one that matches the age and interest level of your child. My family generally plays block dominos or concentration. Instructions for playing the memory game are available on the SIL International website.
If you want to keep the kids in one large group, you could always opt to play a St. Patrick’s Day version of bingo instead. You can typically create themed bingo cards on websites like DLTK. Should you be at a loss for card ideas, I’d suggest using such words as shamrock, blarney stone, leprechaun, gold and limerick. With older children, you could also opt to include the names of famous Irish poets, playwrights, athletes and other historical figures.
Hot Potato Game
Since Ireland has long been associated with potatoes, you may want to have the kids play a game of hot potato. There are instructions for playing the game posted on the Grandparents website. If you don’t want to use a real potato, you could always bust out Mr. or Mrs. Potato Head. Based on my experience, the kids will get a real kick out of that, especially if you outfit the toys with homemade leprechaun costumes. You can typically make those out of green felt and Velcro. Should you not want to use either one, other great options to consider utilizing are miniature cauldrons filled with faux gold coins, shamrock magic wands and leprechaun hats. You can find directions for making homemade pots of gold, leprechaun costumes and shamrock magic wands on the Parenting Extra website.
Holiday Crafts and Handouts
Not into playing games? Try engaging the children in some holiday crafts instead. For example, you could make a leprechaun hat flower pot and plant shamrock seeds. Instructions for making the leprechaun hat flower pot are posted on the Better Homes and Gardens website whereas the shamrock seeds may be purchased through the Lolly Smith website. If the kids are too young for such craft projects, you could opt to hand out St. Patrick’s Day coloring sheets instead. There are also websites that offer free St. Patrick’s Day word puzzles for older children. Websites that I have found helpful in such instances are Educational Coloring Pages, School Family and Education.
Irish Jigs, Music and Parades
Want to let the children burn off some excess energy before story or nap time? Why not teach let them do a few Irish jigs, march in a leprechaun parade or make some Irish music? You can find wonderful lesson plan material posted on the Museum of Irish Dance Dublin and the Library Think Quest websites. The materials on the sites will help you teach the children how to dance and what musical instruments are common in Ireland. For visual learners, there is a “Harlem Students Dance to an Old Irish Jig” posted on the Huffington Post’s website that you may find helpful.
Source: Personal Experience
More from this contributor:
Make Homemade St. Patrick’s Day Window Clings
Create Clothes Pin Fairies for St. Patrick’s Day
5 Great Movies to Watch on St. Patrick’s Day
5 Traditional Irish Groups to Listen to in March
