St. Patrick's Day for wee folk

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It's lucky learning time! Have some fun with these St. Paddy's Day themed activities.

Learning Stages

By Candace Lindemann

Children's Author & Education Consultant

Candace Lindemann is a published children’s writer and educational consultant. She holds a B.A. from Yale University and an M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. You can also find Candace blogging at http://NaturallyEducational.com. While Candace’s degrees prepared her for a career in education, she’s found that the best preparation for parenting is on-the-job training.

Shamrocks

Mathematics: Count the leaves on a clover. Older children can use clovers to skip count, add, and even multiply!
Cardboard rolls make great four-leaf clovers over at No Time for Flashcards. (We made a similar craft and glued tissue paper behind them to make sun catchers.)
Make clovers out of egg cartons with A Mommy's Adventures.
These glittery and translucent shamrock sun catchers at Hands On: As We Grow are fun and simple to make.

Rainbows

Identify all the colors of the rainbow. Find items around your house for each color and make your own rainbow.
Science: Make your own rainbow outside on a sunny day. Set a garden hose to a light spray with the sun behind the water. What makes a rainbow?
You can make a rainbow sun catcher out of tissue paper or dyed pasta, or make a rainbow windsock.
Make And Takes has a table favor with a rainbow and a pot of gold.
Recycle gift wrap and other paper scraps to make a rainbow, like this one at No Time for Flashcards.

Music and dance

St. Patrick's Day is also a traditional day for parades in many cities of the United States. Music is a perfect entry into another culture for children of any age.

Show children pictures of bagpipes and harps. Ask older preschoolers how they think these instruments might be played. Play traditional Irish bagpipe and harp music for children.
Play and sing traditional Irish songs on St. Patrick's Day.
Take children to an Irish step dancing performance or show videos at home. Try a few of the steps yourself!