5 Ways to Have Fun With Kids on St. Patrick’s Day

2 Cook an Irish meal at home

In keeping with the spirit of the holiday, you can celebrate and honor Irish tradition by cooking an Irish meal with your kids. Let the children help out as you whip up Irish favorites like corned beef and cabbage, mutton stew, Dublin coddle, soda bread or buttermilk scones. If you’re not sure your family can appreciate an Irish meal, you can still follow the St. Patrick’s Day theme with plenty of greens and even green food coloring in your regular dishes.

3 Make St. Patrick’s Day crafts to decorate the house

There are many fun symbols associated with this Irish holiday. Shamrocks, pots of gold, leprechauns, and the color green are common sights as St. Patrick’s Day draws near. You can bring the spirit of the holiday indoors by creating fun St. Patrick’s Day crafts with the kids to decorate your home. Crafting fun door hangers and other decorative items is a great way to bond with the kids and create fun memories around the holiday.

4 Visit a nearby St.Patrick’s Day attraction

Some cities take this Irish holiday very seriously. Chicago is famous for dying its river green in honor of the holiday. In Phoenix, the local parade is followed by the St. Patrick’s Day Faire, with food, drinks and entertainment for adults and children. The celebrations in Boston are a week-long affair with food fests, concerts and other special events. In Savannah, the city’s fountains are dyed green for the holiday. Five Points in Columbia organizes many special events for St. Patrick’s Day, including a kid approved Pot O’ Gold Play-land! Find out which cities hold the most spectacular celebrations for St. Paddy’s Day and if you find you don’t live too far from one of them, you can drive the kids down there for an unforgettable holiday.

5 Make a leprechaun trap

Leprechauns are an important part of Irish folklore and their naughty nature lends them naturally to having fun with kids. When captured, a leprechaun is capable of granting his captor three wishes in return for his release, but is known to trick the captor into looking away and making a quick getaway in the meantime. On St. Patrick’s Day, you can try making a leprechaun trap with your kids. The key is to use gold coins as bait and to make the trap look natural, with trees, shamrocks or rainbows hiding the contraption. Very few people have ever been able to get hold of a leprechaun, but the little fellows often leave a trail of green footprints and magic dust in the area. You can also look for signs like upset furniture, or a piece of green cloth caught in the trap to tell whether a leprechaun has been visiting.

The many traditions surrounding St. Patrick’s Day make it a fun holiday to celebrate with kids. Which of these holiday activities do you intend on doing this year?

About the author: Corinne Jacob is a professional writer who is convinced that kids learn best when they’re having fun, she is constantly on the lookout for new and exciting ways to make learning an enjoyable experience. Corinne loves all things that scream out unschooling, alternative education and holistic learning.