St. Patrick’s Day is a celebration of a legendary patron saint of Ireland. A noted Christian evangelist, his early adulthood was spent in slavery on the emerald isle until he escaped and returned to his native Rome. Entering the church, he felt the call to act as a missionary to the land of his captivity and he returned to Ireland. Most suggest that he ministered there from about 433 AD until his death, although the timeframe cannot truly be fixed.
Eventually his life and work was interwoven with myths and local folklore, and perhaps the most intriguing story credits him with single-handedly causing all snakes to leave Ireland – even as zoologists suggest that there really never were any to be found in that vicinity to being with.
St. Patrick’s Day celebrations are held yearly on March 17th, which is thought to have been the date of his death. The faithful will attend church and celebrate the saint in accordance with church law, while municipalities engage in parades where attendees wear the color green and also display shamrocks. The less reverent revelers will of course belly up to the bars that for this day will serve green alcohol.
Yet no matter how you will celebrate the day, children love getting in on the action and the story about the snakes most certainly adds a great appeal to any saintly figure! Here are three easy St. Patrick’s Day craft ideas that are sure to provide fun and perhaps even a bit of learning for your young ones!
Green Mobile
You need: Shamrock stencil (available for free online), cardboard, crayons, string (preferably fishing line), bag of small plastic toy reptiles, hot glue gun, clothes hanger.
This is a great activity for the preschooler who is just learning her or his colors. Combine the story of St. Patrick’s snake adventure and then think of other reptiles that are green. Visit your local toy store and buy one or two bags of plastic reptiles that are more or less realistically colored. In the alternative, you may find such toys online as well, but be prepared to pay more!
Ahead of time, make enough copies of the shamrocks for your mobile (the number is up to you) and then glue them to cardboard to make them sturdy. Next, cut them out to give you the shapes. Punch one hole into each shamrock through which you will eventually pull the fishing line that will connect the shamrock to the clothes hanger, thus creating the mobile.
Together with your child, color the shamrocks green. Help your child recognize some of the most commonly seen reptiles, like crocodiles, turtles, tortoises, lizards, and different kinds of snakes. Hot-glue them to the shamrocks (depending on weight, usually one or two per shamrock), then connect the shamrocks to the hanger, and you have a wonderful mobile that helps your child learn about the color green, about reptiles, and about the story of Saint Patrick and the snakes!
Trinity Shamrock
You need: Shamrock stencil (available for free online), reptile stickers (for boys), sequins (for girls)
This is a favorite of Christian parents who enjoy hands on crafts to teach about their faith in God. Following in the footsteps of Saint Patrick, parents will teach about the triune personality of God by labeling each leafy outcropping of the shamrock as one personality. Thus, the “Father,’ “Son,” and “Spirit” will be written on the shamrock’s corners, while the word “God” may be put in the center.
The lesson explains that God is made up of three characteristics that are used frequently in the Bible, but that this does not equal three different gods, but instead just one God. A hard lesson for adults – to be sure – but when helping with little visuals such as these, even children will begin to understand the idea of the trinity. Boys will enjoy decorating their shamrocks with stickers of reptiles (especially snakes, in keeping with the story), while girls will love sequins. Make sure the written words do not get obliterated!
Shamrock Headgear
You need: Shamrock stencil (available for free online), green construction paper, reptile stickers, green pipe cleaners, hot glue gun
If you are planning some outdoor fun, such as a scavenger hunt for plastic snakes and other plastic reptiles, green candy, and other treats, or if you are planning on doing some cooking with the kids, getting them in the mood with the shamrock headgear is a great way of having fun on that day!
Use the construction paper and cut out a strip measuring about one and ¼ inches in width. Fit the strip around your child’s head and when it fits snug (not too tight!), tape it together. Help your child to color and cut out the shamrocks, decorate them with reptile stickers, and then glue them to the pipe cleaners. Glue the other end of the pipe cleaners to the outside of the construction paper ring, one on each side. Depending on the length of them, the shamrocks might be quite wiggly! Now go ahead and let the child wear the headgear and have some fun!
