St. Patrick's Day Games and Activities for Kids

St. Paddy's Day party

You can play very simple games changing the theme or wording. For example Duck, Duck, Goose turns into shamrock, shamrock, and leprechaun or instead of mother may I, say lucky leprechaun may I, Pin the pot of gold on the leprechauns hand etc. Lots More ideas below:

Shamrock Hunt Play an indoor or outdoor shamrock hunt. Cut up several sizes and shades of green shamrocks out of card stock or construction paper. Make sure to make some four leaf clovers. The children who get the four leaf clovers and the one who collects the most shamrocks receives a treasure. I use gold-foil covered chocolate coins or hershey gold nuggets.

Treasure Hunt Have a treasure hunt for the "pot of gold" at the end of the rainbow. Write clues or riddles on index cards to lead the group of children to the next clue and eventually to the "treasure".

Use clues to direct kids inside your house outside maybe even down to the corner park and back, under adult supervision of course.

For the "treasure" you can have a box, or bowl, full of stickers, gold coins or Hershey nuggets, costume jewelry, bead necklaces, or even rubber snakes.

St. Patty's Day Scavenger Hunt You need to have a list, a responsible parent and pen for each group. How many parent volunteers and children you have will decide how many, and what size, groups everyone splits up into. Take your list and hit your neighborhood, asking door to door for your items on your list. You may want to ask your neighbors if they'd like to participate ahead of time and give the addresses to each parent. Have each parent write down where you got each item from.

Sample list: a shamrock, a horseshoe, a green candle, a green cup, a green button, a green sock, and so on.

Be sure to return items to their owners. This activity is geared for 8 years and up. It takes a lot of time and energy so try to make the prize worth it. I did 12 kids in four groups of three. 1st prize was a pot of gold of $1.50 per child. 2nd prize $1.00 per child, 3rd $0.75 per child and 4th $0.50 per child.

Look up the Story of St. Patrick's and in your own words explain St. Patricks Day.

Read aloud "Rumpelstilskin"

Read aloud "Green Eggs and Ham as a group. Add diced ham to hot pan to heat. Prepare regular scramble eggs. Right before you cook eggs add a good amount of liquid green food coloring and have each child sample to find out if he or she likes Green eggs and Ham.

Rent Leprechaun themed movies. If the children are a little older "The Quiet Man" with John Wayne is a classic movie and fun for kids to watch as well.