You don’t have to be Irish to enjoy St. Patrick’s Day. 

Kids will revel in learning how snakes, leprechauns and four-leaf clovers are celebrated on this holiday. 

 

Enjoy a lucky store, learn a few tricks for scouting for four-leaf clovers or have a family movie night with leprechauns!  And it’s so much fun to delve into some of the culture and traditions behind the holiday.  I’m including affiliate links for any of our recommendations for your information and convenience.

 

Books that Share the Luck O’ the Irish

Tim O’Toole and the Wee Folk by Gerald McDermott tells of the good and bad luck of Tim and his family.

 

That’s What Leprechauns Do by Eve Bunting is a fun tale of the mischief that leprechauns get into!

 

Magic Tree House #43: Leprechaun in Late Winter by Mary Pope Osborne – Jack and Annie are whisked back to Old Ireland to experience a magical world.  And what I love about many of the books in this series is they also have great non-fiction companions so you can learn even more about the topic.  Try the Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #21: Leprechauns and Irish Folklore to explore even more about the Irish culture and traditions!

 

Learn about the Traditions

Visit the English Zone to learn about how shamrocks, leprechauns, the color green and the Blarney Store are connected to the holiday.

Don’t forget to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day!  Some places have fun rewards for those who wear green; and if you don’t wear green, you may get pinched!

 

Have Some Fun @ Home

Go in search of a 4-leaf clover!  It may not be as hard as you think – follow these instructions from Instructables and you may be blessed with some extra luck.

Looking for some fun crafts or recipes?  Check out the St. Patrick’s page at the Family Fun website!

Search for a ‘pot of gold’:  Hide something fun in the house and have your kids go on a ‘leprechaun’ search.  A ‘leprechaun’ search means that the item is hidden low to the ground (those guys are little) and probably near something green.  You might decide to hide small trinkets, something green or even human gold (money).

 

Celebrate with a Movie

Darby O’Gill and the Little People is an old Disney favorite!

 

The Magical Legend Of The Leprechauns is a Hallmark family movie – a cottage on the Emerald Isle, a feud between leprechauns & fairies, and a love story – what more could you want (other than maybe a little luck!).

 

The Leprechauns’ Christmas Gold is an old Rankin-Bass show (same great team that produced “Rudolph” and “Year Without a Santa Claus”).  Yes, it is a Christmas special, but it’s a great one to see for St. Patrick’s Day!

 

Kansas City Irish Celebrations

• The Brookside 32nd Annual Warm-up Parade is March 15^th at 2:00 p.m.

• The 39th Annual Kansas City St. Patrick’s Day Parade is March 17^th around 11:00 a.m.

 

Wishing you a day of fun and four-leaf clovers!