Happy almost St. Patrick’s day! I don’t know about your family, but ever since preschool, come March 17th, my kids are on a mission to try to catch a leprechaun. The boys and I have fervently built several various kinds of traps over the years, but those darn little guys seem to elude us every time! While majorly frustrating, our leprechaun, “Lucky”, is a kindhearted fellow who leaves fun surprises as a consolation for not imprisoning him in a camouflaged shoe box. It’s become a fun tradition over the years and they always look forward to seeing what kind of tricks our little leprechaun might have up his sleeve.
Building a Leprechaun Trap
First things first, you will need a leprechaun trap. You can’t have any fun shenanigans if you don’t lure a leprechaun to your home with shiny leprechaun-attracting bait. My kids will sometimes make leprechaun traps with their class at school, but if not, we usually make our own DIY version. There are a lot of good ideas out there on the interwebs for designing and decorating a good leprechaun catcher. (I suggest browsing Pinterest for ideas.) Usually, you can just use household items like a shoe box, tissue box, canisters, jars, or this year, my youngest, Evan, who is already one step ahead of the game, plans to use a contraption that he has created out of magnet tiles. (Gotta love his inventive spirit!) My point being that it doesn’t have to be a big extravagant project. Give them a cardboard box or container of any shape, some markers, construction paper, and any other craft items you have around the house and let them have fun and be creative!
St. Patrick’s Day Tricks
Now onto the shenanigans! I know what you’re thinking….this just adds more to my plate “a la you-know-who-on-the-shelf” BUT, it’s just one day (not 25) and it’s pretty cute and fun for the kids so I think it’s worth it. Plus, I’m giving you all the ideas so there’s less brain stress on you. One trip to Party City (or Target, Walmart, etc.) and done. ????????????
Here are some great easy ideas for creating a little St. Patrick’s Day mishchief. Just pick a few and have fun with it!
Add Green Food Coloring to the Milk
Then, go the extra mile and pour it into a bowl of Lucky Charms cereal for breakfast!
How cute is this idea from ThoughtfullySimple?
Make a Mess
Make a general mess about the house as evidence that a mischievous sprite has been there. Extra points for rearranging furniture!
Go For Green
Pull out anything around the house that’s green colored and make a mess/have fun with it: build something with just green legos, draw doodles in coloring books or on paper with green crayons or markers, stack kids’ green-colored plates, bowls and cups in the kitchen, etc.
Silly Bathroom Surprise
Add food coloring to the toilet water! (They really get a kick out of this one.) While you’re at it, you can write a fun message on the bathroom mirror with a green dry-erase marker and unfurl the toilet paper for that extra dose of mischief!
Rainbow Food
Make a rainbow on the counter with skittles (or rainbow colored cereal like Froot Loops or Trix).
Make a Chalk Trail
Leave leprechaun footprints, shamrocks and rainbows on the sidewalk with chalk.
Here’s a cute idea from Inner Child Fun.
Go Crazy with Streamers
String green crepe paper everywhere! Or rainbow-striped streamers if you can find it! Some fun ideas for placement: across kids’ bedroom doors, down/across the staircase banister, hanging from a light fixture, hanging down from or blocking an entryway.
Streamer door barricade by: Casual Fridays
This is a super-cute idea from Events to Celebrate:
And THIS one is a little extra but it’s too awesome and pretty not to share:
Courtesy of Natalie Menke
Make Leprechaun Footprints
In past years, I’ve sprinkled green confetti to mark a trail of where the leprechaun’s been throughout the house. You could also try using stickers or construction paper cut-outs (depending on how much of a mess you want to clean up!)
Leave a Note and Fun Treats!
If the kids don’t catch a leprechaun in their trap, make sure they aren’t left empty-handed. Put out some fun St. Patty’s day treats for them to discover and enjoy. And if you’d like, your leprechaun can also leave a fun little note.
Click here and here for some cute free printables!
St. Patrick’s Day Treat Ideas:
- Gold chocolate coins
- St. Patty’s day party hat/headband
- Shamrock bead necklace
- St. Patty’s day pen/pencils
- Stick-on mustaches
- Skittles
- Stickers or tattoos
- Funny plastic glasses
Amazon has this cute set (below) all ready to go, or you can check out Party City (my usual go-to) and Target for some fun favors!
Don’t Get Pinched
Don’t forget to wear green! Here are some cute tops available on Amazon to help get you in the spirit:
And click here to see even more adorable shirts for the whole family!
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Do you have any fun St. Patrick’s day traditions? Share them in the comments below!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
With love,
Liz