We aren’t very Irish. Genetically speaking, our little leprechauns are about 5%. However, St. Patrick’s Day has become one of the holidays we look forward to as a family each year. Perhaps it’s the turning point between winter and spring, or the splash of color after months of dreariness. Or maybe it’s the very little pressure of a holiday that doesn’t require gifts or all that much thought. I love to discuss our “luck” as another way to emphasize gratitude, something we could all use a reminder to do, especially after such a gloomy winter messing with our heads! Not having been raised in Irish households, neither of us had any must-have traditions, but here are 7 (because, lucky) traditions our kids look forward to every year.
Chocolate Turkey
Aka, corned beef and cabbage, but this is what our son called it when he was 16-months old and we stuck with it. It’s super easy to make (can even use the Crockpot or Instapot) and delicious for leftover sandwiches. Here is our favorite way to prepare cabbage. We love to pair it with a rainbow salad and fruit salad of some sort.
Froot Loops
Representing all of the colors of the rainbow, Froot Loops are a great tool for all kinds of St. Patrick’s Day inspired activities that also provide great fine motor practice! Some of our favorites are making necklaces and building a rainbow. When we’re done crafting, we let the kids indulge in a bowl of “rainbow cheerios,” another term my son coined. Of course these days there are plenty of alternate options to this brand, including organic and more naturally dyed varieties.
3. Lucky Charms
Another St. Patrick’s Day cereal powerhouse: Lucky Charms. Let your kids test their luck with some sorting, counting and graphing practice to see how many of each “magically delicious” marshmallow they get! We’ve also made these lucky charm treats before, but my kiddos are just as excited to get to eat a bowl of it with milk.
Pot of Gold Rainbow Chains
These are my kids’ favorite each year. They enjoy making the rainbow chains, but they really look forward to deciding what they would do if they found a pot of gold. It amazes me how much thought they put into this. It’s a glimpse into their dreams and a fun memory to pull out each year.
Leprechaun Faces
We made these when they were babies and they were so hilarious that we pull them out and hang them up each year. The craft teaches them cutting and curling skills. Last year, we added bodies and used brads for movable arms and legs, but of course I forgot to snap a picture!
St Patty’s Day STEM
As soon as we round the corner from Valentine’s Day, my son starts asking for these St. Patty’s Day STEM cards. It’s fun to see how they approach the various challenges each year. The leprechaun traps get more complex, the experimenting more curious, the fun and wonder ever present.
ROY G BIV
Pretty much anything celebrating ROY G BIV (aka the colors of the rainbow) is awesome. Kids love the colors. So do I. Winter is too gray. Making rainbow slime, painting with q-tips, handprint rainbows, and rainbow streamer crafts have become classics in our house.
