Need Saint Patrick’s Day lessons or St Patrick Day fun ideas and crafts? Or want to learn about St. Patrick’s Day history to add to your Spring kids activities? Whether you’re looking for St. Patrick’s Day activities for classroom or home school or need fun holidays for kids ideas and to learn more about this celebration of Irish culture and Saint Patrick fun facts, check these out for this fun March holiday!
Saint Patrick’s Day Lessons and Activities for Kids
If you’re looking for St Patrick’s day lesson plans, activities with leprechauns, resources about clovers and good luck, green foods and more, you’ll love these suggestions and ideas for St Patricks Day — whether you’re looking for how to teach preschoolers St Patrick’s Day, St Patrick’s Day activities for elementary or kindergarten, March crafts, or something like St Patricks Day history for middle school students/ high school in the classroom or for awesome St Patrick’s Day homeschool activities!
How do you teach St Patrick’s day to kids?
Saint Patrick’s Day Lessons and Saint Patrick Day Activities for Kids:
- Learn about the meaning of St Patricks Day.
- Do lessons about St Patrick’s Day history, symbols, and traditions using St Patricks Day history worksheets and videos.
- Understand history of St. Patrick: who is Saint Patrick and research the answer. (see resources below!)
- Have an I Spy Green St. Patrick’s Day scavenger hunt. (You can even do this for Saint Patrick’s Day Zoom activities!)
- Study the geography of Ireland.
- Learn the difference between shamrocks vs clovers for St. Patrick’s Day science.
- Do St. Patrick’s Day STEM and make green slime. Use St Patrick’s Day science worksheets to record the process step-by-step.
- Research, What are the traditions of St Patrick’s day?
- Listen to St. Patrick’s Day music / Irish music and make your own music. (Search for some St Patrick’s Day music worksheets to go with your learning!)
- Make layered St Patricks day drinks for kids.
- Create a costume of green and wear it. (Having a Green Party is one of those fun St Patricks Day themed activities kids love!)
- Do a St Patrick’s Day object lesson using green four leaf clovers and discussing green with envy.
- Go to a St. Patrick’s Day parade (search: St. Patrick’s Day events near me)
- Do an art for Saint Patrick’s Day lesson plan.
- Read children’s books about St. Patrick’s Day.
- Read the How To Catch A Leprechaun Book and then build a leprechaun trap. (One of the most popular St Patrick’s Day fun activities for kids, especially if you’re looking for leprechaun ideas for the classroom / St Patrick’s Day at home activities!)
- Cook and eat corned beef and cabbage (or learn about St. Patrick’s Day food).
- Hunt for lucky St. Patrick’s Day clover / shamrocks. (Do a St. Patrick’s Day hike / park play as part of your St Patrick’s Day classroom activities!)
- Watch fun Irish movies for kids.
- Make a St Patty’s Day sensory bin — great way to practice fine motor skills for your little leprechauns.
- Do fun crafts for St Patrick’s day like painting wooden four leaf clovers (great for an easy group project!).
- Attend local St. Patrick’s Day events! (Search St Patricks Day activities near me.)
See the full list of St Patricks Day activities for school and home school, facts about Saint Patrick’s Day, St Patrick’s Day free worksheets resources, St. Patrick’s Day hands-on activities, and St Patricks Day lesson plans ideas below.
Keep scrolling for all the fun St Patrick’s Day lessons activities — everything you need for Saint Patrick lesson plan for preschool / kindergarten through high school!
HOLIDAY FAQs: How do you explain St Patrick’s Day to a child?
Wondering how do you explain St Patrick’s Day, what’s the purpose of St Patrick’s Day, and what’s the real story of St. Patrick?
What is St Patrick’s Day and why do we celebrate it?
Why is St Patrick’s Day celebrated and what is the St Patrick’s Day history?
St. Patrick’s Day, also called the Feast of Saint Patrick, is both a cultural and religious day to celebrate and honor St. Patrick, a patron saint and Christian minister in Ireland.
The day was made an official Christian Feast Day and commemorates the arrival of Christianity in Ireland.
Why do we celebrate St Patrick’s Day in the United States?
St. Patrick’s Day is observed in the United States to celebrate Irish-American heritage and culture of the Irish.
Although the holiday is from Ireland, most of the traditions were started in the United States. In America, the holiday is also referred to as St. Paddy’s Day or St. Patty’s Day.
Is St Patrick’s Day always March 17?
St Patrick’s Day date is always on March 17th, which is the death date of Saint Patrick, or the patron saint of Ireland.
Is St Patrick’s Day a holiday?
St. Patrick’s Day is a public holiday in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and a few other places.
St. Patrick’s Day is not a federal holiday in the United States.
Although not an official holiday in other countries, it is still widely celebrated in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and other countries around the world.
DON’T MISS MORE FUN MARCH ACTIVITIES:
St Patrick’s Day Facts and Traditions
Learning about culture and tradition and the importance of St Patrick’s Day should be part of your St Patrick’s Day learning activities for kids!
St Patrick’s Day Colors
Did you know that St. Patrick’s color is really blue (and not green)?
According to Time.com:
Saint Patrick’s color was blue, not green, say historians. The hue — St. Patrick’s blue, a lighter shade — can still be seen on ancient Irish flags and was used on armbands and flags by members of the Irish Citizen Army.
…But the use of green on St. Patrick’s Day began during the 1798 Irish Rebellion, when the clover became a symbol of nationalism and the ‘wearing of the green’ on lapels became regular practice.
Why do we wear green on St Patrick’s Day?
According to some, the St Patrick’s Day green that you often see on St Patricks Day outfits is because of leprechauns.
Legend has it that green makes you invisible to leprechauns. If they can’t see you, then they can’t pinch you in their mischievous way.
If you don’t wear green, the leprechauns can see you and pinch you! And, that’s why we traditionally pinch people who don’t wear green on St. Patrick’s Day!
This is a fun leprechaun activity to do with kids — especially as St Patrick day activities for preschoolers because they think it’s super funny! So make sure you have everyone wear the color green!
What do you do on St Patrick’s Day?
St. Patrick’s Day celebrations include:
- Wearing green
- Looking for shamrocks
- Listening to Irish music and singing traditional Irish songs
- Going to St. Paddy’s Day parades
- Visiting festivals
- Looking out for leprechaun tricks
- Eating special food like corned beef and cabbage and soda bread
- Drinking green beer or green drinks
Because Lenten restrictions are often lifted for the day, many people drink alcohol and the day has been commercialized for that as the main reason to celebrate.
(For example, they do not drink green beer in Ireland!)
Many in Ireland believe this has added a negative stereotype to the holiday.
Fun St. Patrick’s Day Trivia
Play bingo with trivia as a fun St Patrick’s Day activity!
- St. Patrick wasn’t even Irish! He was born in Britain!
- March 17th, the day the holiday is celebrated, is the day St. Patrick died.
- Saint Patrick’s real name was Maewyn Succat. He changed it to Patricius after becoming a priest.
- Saint Patrick’s official color was blue, not green.
- Legend credits Saint Patrick with driving all the snakes out of Ireland. However, Ireland was too cold for snakes, so it is believed that Saint Patrick was driving away metaphorical snakes.
- Leprechaun’s were initially described as wearing red and not green!
- New York city hosts the biggest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the world.
- Legend states that the three-leaf shamrock represents the Holy Trinity.
- The “corn” in corn beef refers to the salt used to cure the meat, which was called “corn.”
- Irish lore says that leprechauns are shoe cobblers and spend their days making/mending shoes and that’s how they earned their pot of gold.
St Patrick’s Day Sayings
A traditional saying for the holiday is, “Erin go Bragh!” It means “Ireland forever!”
St Patricks Day Food
Traditional Irish St Patrick Day food includes:
- Irish Fry breakfast of bacon (“rashers”), blood sausage (also called black pudding), fried tomatoes, brown soda bread, and tea.
- Irish soda bread
- Scones
- Roast with potatoes, peas, carrots, and gravy
- Colcannon (a version of mashed potatoes)
- Apple tart
- Shepard’s pie
- Bacon or lamb (mutton) and cabbage
- Corned beef and cabbage *
*Corned beef and cabbage is not a traditional Irish dish and is an Irish-American culture dish. However, there was a traditional Irish dish of bacon and cabbage that was adapted in the U.S.
GET MORE ST. PATRICK’S DAY KIDS ACTIVITIES: St Patrick’s Day Kid Snacks and Crafts Ideas and also St Patricks Day Toddler Activities – so much fun in those ideas!
What does the rainbow mean on St Patrick’s Day?
Some say that the rainbow is a symbol of Ireland transitioning from paganism to Christianity. It is also said that leprechauns hide a pot-o-gold at the end of a rainbow.
St Patrick’s Day Traditions Leprechaun
Why is there a leprechaun on St Patrick Day?
Leprechauns are mythical creatures from Irish folklore. They are said to be small with red hair, a beard, and they wear all green and symbolize luck. There is no connection between leprechauns and the patron saint of the holiday. However, along with shamrocks, they have become symbols of St. Patrick’s Day.
Leprechauns are quite mischievous and like to play practical jokes.
They have a pot of gold that they’ve hidden. They’re hard to catch, but if a human is lucky enough to catch one, it is said that the person gets the pot of gold.
Legend has it that they will trade three wishes for their freedom.
FUN FACT: Did you know that leprechauns originally were said to wear red and not green?
According to CBSNews.com:
Leprechauns were originally depicted wearing red, not green.
In ‘Legends and Stories of Ireland,’ written in 1831, Samuel Lover describes their dress:
‘He wears a red square-cut coat, richly laced with gold, and the inexpressible of the same, cocked hat, shoes and buckles.’
What does the leprechaun bring kids?
Leprechauns may leave your kids coins, chocolate, candy, or chocolate coins (or any other treat surprises you think go along with the theme!). Leprechauns also like to leave pranks and do naughty things (like knock things over) when they visit!
How Do We Celebrate St Patrick’s Day for Kids?
What do you give kids on St. Patrick’s Day?
- A green shirt or St. Paddy’s Day t shirt (or something green to wear)
- Green socks
- Fun hats
- Pot o Gold (chocolate) coins
- Rainbow stuff
- Shamrock glasses, beads, necklaces, and bracelets
- Shamrock tattoos
- St. Patrick’s Day book
- Leprechaun book
- St. Patrick’s Day crafts
- St. Patty’s Day stickers
- Leprechaun costume
- A St. Patrick’s Day leprechaun
OK! Let’s get to the full list of St Patrick’s Day teaching resources, St Patrick’s Day worksheets, and St. Patrick’s Day lessons — enough to make a fun March unit lesson plan or holiday unit studies!
List of St. Patrick’s Day Lessons Ideas & Learning About St. Patrick’s Day
23+ St Patrick’s Day Activities for Kids with Hands-On Activities and St. Patrick’s Day Lesson Plans
Whether you’re looking for St Patricks Day activities for kindergarten, St Patrick Day activities for elementary students, or St Patricks Day activities for middle school or high school, you can use these resources together to make fun lessons on St Patrick’s day!
Tons of ways to have a kid friendly St Patricks Day and a fun St. Patrick’s Day in the classroom and homeschool!
Saint Patrick Day Worksheets, Crafts, Videos, and Teaching Resources:
• Watch a short St Patricks Day history video (for a St Patrick’s Day video lesson)
• Read Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland
• Need a St Patrick’s Day geography lesson idea? Study the geography of Ireland for an Irish lesson plan (great companion to St Patrick’s Day history lesson)
• Get St Patricks Day science worksheets and do some St. Patrick’s science
• Make Pot-O-Gold Popcorn Bites – edible pots of gold at the end of the rainbow! (I love this to go with St Patricks Day toddler lesson plan activities or coloring St Patrick’s Day worksheets for toddlers!)
• Plan a (pretend) trip to Ireland and see if you can stay on a budget
• Make easy shamrock treats (this was such a fun activity that my daughter still talks about it!)
• Perfect opportunity to make leprechaun snacks
• Read The Night Before St. Patrick’s Day (one of our favorite books for this holiday!) and then build your own leprechaun trap! (Great for mischievous leprechaun and a leprechauns in the classroom activity theme!)
• Watch a video book, Story of the Leprechaun
• Do St Patrick’s day Bible lessons (great for Saint Patrick’s Day Sunday school lesson ideas or if you need Saint Patrick’s Day Bible lesson ideas!)
• Get free Saint Patrick’s Day math worksheets (free St Patrick’s Day math printables)
• Read about different Irish good luck traditions
• Watch St Patrick’s Day movies for kids
• Make some St Patrick’s day crafts / St Patricks Day art
• Make a St Patricks Day meal of corned beef and cabbage
• Have fun with art projects and make these St Paddy’s Day preschool leprechaun hats (great for younger students or small groups projects)
• Learn the colors of the rainbow (make a Fruit Loops rainbow snack!)
• Play Patty’s Day bingo for fun St Patrick’s Day games
• Read long with an Irish folktale children’s book and look up other Irish folktales
• Make some traditional Irish soda bread
• Study about Irish blessings (and write your own!) (fun for St Patrick’s Day lesson plan high school ideas or St. Patrick’s Day writing for older students)
• Do a STEM project and make green carnations
• Make St Patrick’s Day drinks for kids
• Get free St Patrick’s Day school worksheets
• Tell some St Patrick’s Day jokes
• Put these gold coins in a jar and play guess the number of coins for prizes
• Color an Irish flag
• Listen to a St Patrick’s Day song and St Patrick’s Day music / Celtic music (fun for St Patrick’s Day classroom music activities / singing St. Patrick’s Day songs) — you could even learn about Irish dancing!
• Learn about the tradition of storytelling in Ireland as part of the history of the holidays
• Go on a nature walk to look for the elusive four-leaf clover or go on a leprechaun hunt
• Do a St Patrick’s Day word search
• Have fun with St Patricks Day drama lesson activities
• Make St Patrick’s Day drawings and art
• Read some St. Patrick’s Day books for kids
• Grab some free St Patricks Day coloring pages / St Patricks Day Printables
If you have a great St. Patrick’s Day resource, let us know! What are your fun ideas for St Patrick’s Day / things to do on Saint Patrick’s day? Let us know so we can add them to our list!
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Happy St Patrick’s Day and enjoy St. Patrick’s Day fun and your St. Patrick’s Day celebration!
Have fun with these Saint Patrick’s Day lessons and activities for kids!
