I decided to lean alllll the way into the fun of St. Patrick’s Day with the kids this year!
We didn’t do anything outside the home, but somehow still managed to pack in so many sweet moments anyway. Between school activities, baking and cooking, and a little bit of leprechaun mischief that the kids are still talking about, it was such a special day. I’m already cherishing the memories, the joy, and the laughter.
Here’s how we celebrated this year. 💚
Getting Ready for a Little Leprechaun Magic 🪄
The day before St. Patrick’s Day, we started getting in the spirit by doing a few school activities that centered around rainbows and pots of gold!
We had been reading about Ireland and St. Patrick’s Day all month, so it was fun to bring some of it to life with a few hands-on activities the kids absolutely loved.
Random side note: I learned there are no snakes in Ireland! Homeschooling has been so rewarding because I get to learn right alongside the kids, too 😎
The kids made a rainbow with their fingerprints and Sadie did a writing activity about what she would do if she found a pot of gold. She wrote “I would give it to the poor.” I was a little more selfish with my answer. What can I say… we lose electricity way too often. 😆
We played a fun game of Would You Rather. I showed the kids a Powerpoint filled with silly questions like “Would you rather have green skin or wear green for the rest of your life?” and “Would you rather slide down a rainbow or dive into a pot of gold?” I loved hearing their answers!
Our next order of business was to make leprechaun bait to try and catch a leprechaun. We combined pretzels, Lucky Charms cereal, green M&Ms, and melted white chocolate.
That evening, Jimmy helped Sadie and Mordecai set up a leprechaun trap and then put some of their bait inside. I didn’t have to do a thing to make sure the trap was upset and “eaten” because Niva was all too happy to do the work for me 🤣
A Very Mischievous Morning 🌈
Before the kids woke up on St. Patrick’s Day, I put leprechaun footprints leading up to their trap.
Those $5.99 decals were money well spent because the kids were completely shocked and amazed! I put a few footprints on the wall, ceiling, and even in the bathroom. I also put a few drops of green food coloring in the toilet and their milk which blew their minds. It’s the little things!
I wish I had a video of Sadie waking Mordecai up saying “MORDECAI!!! THE LEPRECHAUN CAME!” It was too cute. My mom came over for the day and everyone wore green! She was a big help with getting the kids out of the living room and kitchen while I prepped a scavenger hunt put on by the leprechaun.
The first clue said “A tiny green fellow was here last night, He hid some treasures out of sight! To find your gold, you must be bold, go look where the milk is kept very cold!”
I hid several clues in small wooden treasure boxes around the house with chocolate coins in them (there’s nothing like chocolate coins at 10:00 am 😂) and the kids raced around the house—Mordecai was in it for the chocolate and Sadie was fully engaged in getting to the end of the clues!
The final clue led them to our coat closet where I had hidden small baskets with St. Patrick’s Day-themed Beanie Babies I thrifted. I also included a few more gold coins, stickers, and a small jar of clay to play with. It was a big hit!
Who would have thought stuffed bears I found online from 2001 (!!!) would bring the kids so much joy?!
A Little Taste of Ireland 🇮🇪
I wanted to have a few Irish-themed foods throughout the day! Mordecai helped me make Irish soda bread. It’s such a great bread to make with kids because it comes together so quickly and doesn’t require any yeast!
At dinnertime, we laid out a gold table cloth and used green plates! I cooked a lamb steak, potatoes, and we had our soda bread!
Everything was delicious. The kids had been anxiously awaiting dessert all day… homemade shamrock shakes! We just blended vanilla ice cream, milk, a little green food coloring, and then topped it with whipped cream and shamrock sprinkles!
They were saying “shamrock shakessssss!!!!” when I took their picture. 😂
That was how we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day this year! It wasn’t anything elaborate, but it ended up being one of those days I know I’ll remember for a long time. I think I had just as much fun as the kids did. There’s something so special about making holidays fun and exciting with little ones. ☘️
Living My Full Life 