St. Patrick's Day for wee folk
Skills
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
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!
More Like This
Make this shamrock front door decoration with your child to celebrate St. Paddy's day—and add some luck to your home!
With St. Patrick's Day approaching and rainbow sightings everywhere, March is the perfect time to talk about colors with your toddler!
