Have a Pot ‘o’ Gold Treasure Hunt
Send your wee ones on the hunt for their own pot ‘o’ gold with this memorable activity that is sure to become an annual tradition in your house.
You’ll need:
A wooden or cardboard “treasure chest” (a cardboard box will work just fine)
Green craft paint
Paintbrushes
Things to decorate the “treasure chest” (glitter, acrylic gemstones, markers, stickers)
Treats for “treasure” (gold coin candies, etc.)
Paper and markers (to create clues)
Here’s how to put it together:
1. With your kids, paint the “treasure chest” with green craft paint and allow it to dry. You can add glitter and stickers, or glue acrylic gemstones to the chest to make it more festive.
2. When your kids aren’t looking, stuff the chest with treasures, including gold coin candies. Find a good hiding spot, and leave clues throughout the house, with each clue leading to the next clue. For example, leave a note about “The next clue is near Fluffy’s favorite place” and leave the next clue on the windowsill where your cat loves to soak up the sun. Leave several clues that progressively lead to the treasure’s hiding spot.
3. Once everything is set, enjoy the hunt!
Make Shamrock Necklaces
Don’t get pinched for not wearing any green! Here’s a fun option: handmade shamrock necklaces.
You’ll need:
Green and white construction paper
Scissors
Hole punch
Yarn
Glitter, markers and stickers for decoration
Creating this necklace is simple:
1. First, grab some green and white construction paper and use scissors to cut out several sizes of shamrocks.
2. Use a hole punch to create a hole in each paper shamrock, then use yarn to string them together and make your very own St. Patrick’s Day necklace.
3. Use glitter, markers or stickers to decorate the shamrocks, and enjoy wearing your necklace.
Create St. Patrick’s Day Carnations
This fun craft is also a science experiment — so it’s entertaining and educational.
You’ll need:
White carnations
Green food coloring
Water
Vase (or jar)
Here’s what to do:
1. First, mix water with a few drops of green food coloring in a vase or jar.
2. Place each carnation’s stem in the water, and predict what will happen.
3. Watch over the next few hours as the green coloring spreads through the stem, and into the petals of the flower.
4. Once the flowers are green, you can display these festive carnations, wear them in your hair or decorate with them.
Drink Green Drinks
Skip the green beer and go straight for the kid-friendly alternative: green ginger ale (just add food coloring!). Or mix up some yummy root beer floats with green ice cream. The little ones will love the sweet, sudsy treat. Serve in clear, plastic mugs so they can show off the green appearance.
Build a Leprechaun Trap
Legend has it that if you catch a leprechaun, he must take you to his pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Keep the magical story alive in your child by building a leprechaun trap together. (Bonus: your child learns a bit about engineering along the way!)
Encourage your child to entice the leprechaun with gold (rocks painted yellow?) and leave a trail of glitter or shamrocks to prove that the magical little man came by.
Check out the Ten Ways To Trap A Leprechaun.
Plant Shamrocks
Start an annual St. Patrick's Day tradition of giving a shamrock plant as a gift. Not only are shamrocks longer lasting than a sack of green candy, but caring for a plant can build self-confidence and responsibility in children.