Fun and Creative St. Patrick's Day for Kids!

Whether you have a baby, toddler, school-aged kiddo, or a high schooler, all children love St. Paddy’s Day and getting into the green holiday spirit! There are few things more magical than the luck of the Irish, and you can bring it right into your own home (or classroom!) on March 17th. We put together a list of our favorite green ideas, crafts, and activities to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day this year, even including some super easy things and things you can totally throw together at the last minute. Keep reading to see our favorite ways to have a fun and creative St. Patrick’s Day for kids and the products that will help make it even better.

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with Kids

Making yearly holiday traditions at home can start anytime, any holiday, any year, including on this year’s St. Paddy’s Day! Whether you celebrate every year or this is your first time feeling festive for the kiddos, you can have a fun and memorable St. Paddy’s Day this year with your favorite little leprechauns without breaking the bank or overstimulating yourself with too much effort. All you have to do is incorporate plenty of green, whip up some easy crafts, or plan an activity or two!

Here is some history to teach your kiddos, according to National Geographic Kids:

St. Patrick might be the patron saint of Ireland—but he didn’t always live in Ireland. Patrick was born in Britain in the fourth century and didn’t arrive in Ireland until he was 16 years old, when he was sent to work in the country.

After he arrived, Patrick became interested in Christianity and started teaching others about the religion. He is said to have converted many of the country’s residents to Christians, and now St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on the day Patrick supposedly died.

All Things Green!

There are so many reasons why green is so closely tied to this holiday. As legend has it, leprechauns are the main reason you’re supposed to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day. Apparently, green makes you invisible to leprechauns! They love to pinch anyone they see, so wearing green protects you from getting pinched throughout the day.

Green is also the color of shamrocks and four-leaf clovers, which are the symbol of good luck. Green is also synonymous with Ireland because of its beautifully green landscape, so many people wear it to honor the country’s beauty.

Here are some ways you can incorporate green throughout your day to not only hide from leprechauns but to bring good luck and honor the beautiful country that is Ireland:

• Clothes. You’ve got to make yourself invisible from those pesky pinching leprechauns! Pull out some green clothes and PJs for your kiddo to wear throughout the day to ensure they’re safe from pinching. Don’t have any green clothes? Skip down to the next section to learn how to make some green leprechaun hats, stat!
• Food. A little food coloring can go a long way, especially green. Add a couple drops to your kiddo’s morning eggs or pancakes and even their milk!
• Toilet. You read that right! Add a couple of drops of green food coloring to your toilet throughout the day so that your little one thinks leprechauns are using it. They will get a huge belly laugh out of it!

St. Paddy’s Day Crafts

If your children love to create, color, and focus on a task, they are going to love these St. Paddy’s Day crafts! You don’t have to be a superstar Pinterest or Instagram mom to make these happen, either. They are likely to come together with things you already have in your craft bin!

• Kindness rocks. If you have rocks, paint, and paintbrushes at home, you’ve got a craft on your hands! You’ve probably seen kindness rocks on social media, TV, or right in your own neighborhood. Kindness rocks are adorably painted rocks with positive words, phrases, and affirmations on them and you can create some great St. Paddy’s Day ones! Paint them up and leave them outside, or hide them throughout your community for others to share, swap, and enjoy.
• Sensory bin. One of the best ways to kill some time and celebrate the holidays is by creating a green sensory bin! Bonus points if you use our Spike Sensory Toys for an easy, mess-free sensory bin that is even more fun in water and easy to clean.
• Green bubble art. Set up a canvas or tape some pieces of paper up. Mix a drop of paint in your bubble dish with the solution, dip your wand, twirl, and blow the bubbles onto your canvas. Green bubble art is endless fun! Make sure to use our Spike Bubble Blower for toddler-friendly fun that they can create all on their own with no backflow.
• Leprechaun hats. There are so many ways to create fun leprechaun hats for St. Paddy’s Day! Whether you’re using construction paper or popsicle sticks, there are endless, easy ways to create. Here’s one of our favorites by Crafts by Amanda. [link to: https://craftsbyamanda.com/leprechaun-hat-craft/ ]

St. Paddy’s Day Activities with Kids

• Practice your Gaelic. Use St. Paddy’s Day as an opportunity to teach your kids something new! Some simple words in Gaelic include Dia dhuit for “Hello,” Le do thoil for “Please,” and Slán agat for “Bye!” Give your kiddos gold coins for using them throughout the day!
• Cookie decorating. What holiday is complete without some cookie decorating? Bust out your favorite recipe and some green frosting, and have a cookie decorating party at home!

• Irish baking. Rather than sticking with the same old cookies, you can have an Irish baking party! Some things you can make include Irish soda bread, scones, or oat bread. Who knows, your kids may have a new favorite treat afterward!

For more fun ideas and great family products, visit us at Innobaby.com!