St. Patrick's Day Fun!

Sunday, March 17th is St. Patrick's Day! Time to drag out your green and have some fun! There are so many activities on Long Island that take place between now and St. Patrick's Day. About.com has a great list of local parades. Hofstra University will be hosting an Irish Festival on Sunday, March 10th that includes Irish dancing, food, and crafts. If you're not in the mood to go out and celebrate, never fear! There are so many books, crafts, and recipes to help you enjoy the day. Here are some of my favorites:

Baby/Toddler Books - Check out the displays in your local library for more wonderful selections! 

Bright Baby Touch and Feel St Patrick's Day by Roger Priddy

St. Patrick's Day Countdown by Salina Yoon

The Story of Saint Patrick's Day by Patricia A. Pingry and Pamela R. Levy 

Children's Books

The Night Before St. Patrick's Day (Reading Railroad) by Natasha Wing and Amy Wummer

St. Patrick's Day Alphabet by Beverly Vidrine and Patrick Soper 

St. Patrick's Day in the Morning by Eve Bunting and Jan Brett

Rhymes

One green shamrock, in the morning dew,'
Another one sprouted, 
and then there were two.

Two green shamrocks, growing beneath a tree;'
Another one sprouted,
and then there were three.'

Three green shamrocks, by the cottage door;'
Another one sprouted, 
and then there were four.

Four green shamrocks, near a beehive'
Another one sprouted, 
and then there were five.

Five little shamrocks, bright and emerald green,'
Think of all the luck 
these shamrocks will bring.
(source) 

I happen to love rhymes that include counting. You can pretty much find one for every special day. There are a bunch more St. Patrick's Day songs and rhymes at Perpetual Preschool.

Crafts

Bell pepper four leaf clover stamps - Head out to the grocery store and pick up a bell pepper. Slice it through the middle, horizontally. Press the pepper into green paint and then onto your paper. You have a perfect four leaf clover. All you need to do is add the stem! 

Froot Loop Rainbow- While you're at the grocery store for the last project, pick up a box of Froot Loops. Ask your child to sort the Froot Loops by color. When they are sorted, they can glue them to the template. If you or your child aren't a fan of Froot Loops you can also do this with Skittles or Rainbow Colored Marshmellows. (Any leftovers provide a tasty rainbow colored snack!)

For an endless supply of St. Patrick's Day crafts, visit Parent Teach Play.

Games

One of my favorite activities that I did with my early intervention class on St. Patrick's Day was have a  "Gold Toss". I picked up a black cauldron around Halloween and made bean bags from gold felt and dried beans. The kids took turns tossing the gold into the pot like a Leprechaun. 

Need more game ideas? Visit Preschool Education.