Mother Nature and the St. Patrick’s Day leprechaun must be at war in my neck of the woods because after a string of cloudless days forecasters are predicting that March 17th will be a major washout. Thunder, lightning, heavy rain, fog; everything that could possibly cancel an outdoor St. Paddy’s Day celebration will descend upon our city this Thursday. Consequently, I will be moving our green-themed festivities indoors. Still, we won’t let the gloomy weather put a damper on our St. Patrick’s Day fun. Here are some of the activities we’re planning for the holiday:
Look Like a Leprechaun
Fill a pot with a bunch of chocolate gold coins and hide it somewhere in the house. In addition, hide a few stray coins in other parts of your home. Cut out four leaf clovers from green construction paper and write clues as to where the kids can find the pot. Place the clues at different places in the house. As they look for the pot they can also collect additional gold coin candy along the way.
Shamrock Stamps
Decorate cardstock or construction paper with homemade shamrock stamps carved out of potatoes. Simply cut a potato in half and press a shamrock-shaped cookie cutter into it. With the cutter still in place, use a knife to cut the shamrock shape into the potato. Remove the cutter, then dip the shamrock stamp into green paint and press it onto paper. Kids can make fun paper borders, decorate placemats and tablecloths or design greeting cards with the potato shamrock stamp.
Green Snacks
Top off the festivities with a buffet filled with green snacks, from pistachio pudding and lime JELLO to guacamole and mint ice cream. You can also make hot green snacks by toasting an English muffin with a slice of cheese on it, and then placing a green pepper clover in the middle. To make the clover, slice a green pepper crosswise near the pointed end, then cut a small straight slice for the stem.
Related Activities:
St. Patrick’s Day Fun For Kids
St. Patrick’s Day Crafts for Preschoolers