Izzy and I love to make learning fun! So here are some activities we tried and enjoyed that follow a St. Patrick’s Day theme. I hope you all enjoy them as much as we did. Please use your own parental discretion when it comes to giving a child scissors, glue etc.
Mosaic Paper Rainbow
Cut paper and sort colors of the rainbow. Use various shades and even paper with patterns/designs. Have the child help you to cut and sort. Optional: add other items such as buttons, pompoms and sequins. Cut out a large U shape from thick paper. Take a glue stick and curved across the top of the U and allow the child to add the red layer. Continue until reach color has been added. While the child adds colors, discuss the color. For example: What color is it? Is it dark or light blue. Is your child choosing to do a pattern with their colors? example: dark blue, light blue Additional Fun: add eyes, pompoms, and even clouds. Optional: allow the child to do a mosaic rainbow without the colors in order. This is typically easier for younger children.
Clover Sun Catcher
For this activity you will need tissue paper. We used dark green, light green and yellow. Have the child (depending on age) help you to cut the tissue paper into little pieces. You will also need glue, scissors and parchment paper. Now cut the parchment paper into a clover/shamrock shape. Cover the clover in glue and add tissue paper to it. Once finished, let it dry. Optional: punch a hole in it, add a string and hang it in the window.
Rainbow Paper Chain
Cut paper into long strips. This is great scissor practice as well. Monitor your child with their kid scissors & support as needed. Discuss scissor safety and how to hold scissors when cutting and if they are walking with them. Glue or tape each strip of the rainbow into a hoop. Start with red, then wrap orange around the red, now wrap yellow around the orange. Continue until you have the rainbow complete. Optional fun: attach a paper pot of gold at the bottom of your rainbow. Hang the rainbow up for decor &/or use the rainbow as a count down to St Patricks day.
Mosaic Paper Shamrock
For this activity you will need thick paper, such as cardstock paper. You will also need various types/shades of green paper, glue, scissors and misc green things such as buttons, pom moms etc. First cut the cardstock paper into a clover shape. For older kids, you can draw the shape or print it onto the cardstock and allow them to cut it out. Next have the child cut the different green papers into pieces/shapes. Now glue the pieces onto the clover. Finally add 3D fun such as pom poms, buttons etc.
Beaded Shamrock
This beaded shamrock activity is great for strengthening fine motor skills. You can also create patterns & count the beads, which focuses on math skills. For this activity, you will need green pipe cleaners, beads, scissors & a hot glue gun. I cut & shaped hearts with pipe cleaners. Have the child string beads on each heart. Next close each heart with glue. Then glue the 4 hearts together, plus straight piece for the stem. Optional add a button to the middle. (It helps cover up the glue.)
Rainbow Skittle Sorting
Pour a large bag of skittles into a big bowl. Give your child a utensil, such as a spoon for scooping out colors and sorting them. Talk about a rainbow and the order of the colors. Taste the different colors and talk about the flavors. Are they sweet or sour? Once you complete the sorting, estimate which color has the most. Count the skittles and write down how many of each color you have. Was your guess correct?
XO Eryka