by Emma Purchese

Created on: March 03, 2007   Last Updated: November 17, 2011

St.Patrick's Day activities for children are varied and fun! Depending on the child's age and if you're wanting to do a from home activity or an outdoors event.

Here are some tips and ideas for entertainment for kids:

You might consider making some "green" food to go with the party. This is fun to do and so easy you can involve all the children. Especially easy is making green Jell-O, choosing apple or melon or lime flavor and getting the kids to make and mix. Other easy green foods are spinach fajitas filled with lettuce and sour cream and cheese, spinach dip, guacamole and avocado salad. To go with the jelly you could choose a pistachio or mint ice cream.

Activities for both in and outside the home include:

• Finding the pot of gold!

Gold paper covered chocolates or gifts are placed in a traditional treasure hunt way. You can include clues the older children or make it a free for all for the younger ones.  You could even do 2 hunts, one for older with clues and one for younger without.  Clues should be simple, for example: You will find me in a pouch, on a shelf, behind the couch. One treasure per child at least is necessary for a really good hunt.

• Irish dancing

Hold a musical chairs competition to Irish music. Down load just 2 or 3 songs from iTunes for .99c each. One chair is needed for each child. Play the music and dance "Irishly" around the chairs until the music stops, and then they must find a seat. The next time you play the music the same thing happens but you remove one chair. The child left without a chair is out. The process is repeated until only one child and chair remains - thus crowning the winner! If you don't have enough chairs use cut out circles from card or paper as places to sit on the floor on.

BIG RULE - Any child caught snatching or cheating is immediately disqualified.
You could just have an Irish jig competition! More for the parents than the kids though!

• General knowledge

Give the children 5 facts based on Ireland and the meaning if St.Patrick's - tell them to remember them and test them later. The one with the most right wins.
If the children are too young you could try finding 5 pictures of Irish objects, like a four leaf clover, an Irish flag, a pot of gold, a fairy ring, a leprechaun, an emerald, a picture of a stew! Anything you can think of. The children have to memorize them and again the one to remember the most wins.

• Crafts

You could make four leaf clovers from green paper, cut them and cover them in green glitter and colour them with pens.

• Hats

You could make an Irish hat. You take one long sheet of paper, enough to go around the head and stick it together, put another circular piece on the top to make a hat. Use the "hat" to make a circle on another piece of paper and cut it out for a rim. Decorate the hat, put it together and wear it to the parade!

• Wishing wells

The Irish are lucky! And kids love to wish, so research your area for any lakes or wells or even go to the mall fountain. It only takes a few mins but its fun and exciting, like wishing on a birthday. Go to a place of water and wish on St.Patrick's day, just maybe you will make someone's dreams come true.

• Coloring

Use your imagination and ask them to draw you what they think Irish is! Use a washing line and pegs to pin them all up around the house or outside it.

There are some really good links on the Internet with lots of printable pictures and puzzles, too.

Have fun!

Learn more about this author, Emma Purchese.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.