Today is a perfect opportunity to use the holiday theme to entertain and educate your children. This post will feature activities for Infants through school aged children.
Painting
Things you will need:
- Green Paint
- Blue paint
- Paper
-paint brushes
- Ziplock bag
Infants
Exploring green paint is a great sensory activity. For younger infants (under 6 months), put green paint in a ziplock bag, and have them explore it, as they're on the floor. For older infants(6-12 months), they can work on sitting or sit on their own (depending on the child's abilities), and explore green paint on a piece of paper. They can use their hands, or you can provide them with a paint brush.
Skills: Sensory, Creative Expression, Fine motor
Toddlers
Young toddlers (1-2 years old), can paint a picture using green paint. Work with your child on holding a paint brush, but also allow them to create their own artwork even if they have to use their hands. It may get a little messy, but it's fun and encourages creativity, as well as helps develop confidence when a child is allowed to make their artwork! For older toddlers (2-3 years old), have the child hold paintbrush and paint a picture, then provide them with a new piece of paper and blue paint. Help them mix the blue and green paint, to make cyan (a shade of blue). Finally allow them to make a picture with the newly created cyan paint!
Skills: Fine motor, creative expression, science
Preschoolers (3-4 years old)
Have children paint 1 green thing on a piece of paper then add 2 more green things, then count how many greens things they made altogether!
Skills: Creative expression, math, fine motor
Prek(4-5)
Have children paint a picture of something green, then have them paint the letter it starts with.
Skills: Creative expression, language, fine motor
Reading
Skills: Language, Social-emotional, Social studies
Reading is a fun activity, that can have many benefits. There's a lot of wonderful books surrounding St. Patrick's day, and here's a list of a few of our favorites. You can purchase the books by clicking on the pictures of them below! As an Amazon associate, we will receive payment for purchases made using our links.
What Is St. Patrick's Day?
Non-fiction for preschool-Kingergarden
This book answers questions that kids may have about St. Patrick's day. It's easy to read, while providing information such as why we wear green, how do we celebrate the holiday, and who was St. Patrick.
Pete the Cat: The Great Leprechaun chase
For ages: 2 - 5 yrs
This wacky book involves a cat named Pete, who has opened up a leprechaun catching business. You can join in on his adventure on catching Clover; the trickiest of the leprechauns. This book also includes a lot of goodies, such as a poster, stickers and your very own St. Patrick's Day cards.
Happy St. Patrick's Day, Curious George
For: Infant - Kindergarden
In this book you follow George on a St. Patrick's day adventure, as he explores dressing up, dancing and eating, all in time for the parade. This book includes poems to read-aloud as well!
The Itsy Bitsy Leprechaun
Infant and toddlers (2 years and under)
This books puts a St. Patrick's Day twist on the nursery rhyme "The Itsy Bitsy Spider".
You can follow along as it details the adventure of a leprechaun coming down his rainbow to search for his lucky four-leaf clover.
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover!
for ages: 2- 7 years old
A St. Patrick's day story involving an old lady who is swallowing items in an effort to make the perfect rainbow, and hide a pot of gold.
Horray for St. Patrick's Day!
for: 3 years old- 8 years old
This is a fun interactive book that depicts children celebrating St. Patrick's day, as they make holiday crafts, taste traditional Irish food, and come together to perform a play, as well as take part in a Saint Patrick's Day parade. Each spread also includes a hidden leprechaun!
Race to the end of the rainbow
Skills: Gross Motor
Our last activity involves getting the children to make their own rainbows.
Draw a rainbow or create one with items you have around the house, even if children have to imagine the rainbow (this will actually help with the creativity and imagination). Have the children race to the end of the rainbow. They can race a timer, use a stop and try to beat their own time, race an adult or another child!