When my oldest kids were little, the wait between Valentine’s Day and Easter felt really long. It might have just been the long winter. I decided at some point that we needed something to look forward to surviving the wait for Easter and St. Patrick’s day seemed like the perfect diversion. Here are some of our favorite holidays traditions. I added a few to our list that we might try this year too.
Scavenger Hunt
First thing St. Paddy’s morning, we have a scavenger hunt. The kids run excitedly around the house solving riddles and clues. I try to add a little bit of leprechaun language to the clues by using words like wee, top o’ the mornin’ to ya, etc (FYI, did you know that the abbreviated version of St. Patrick’s Day in Irish is St. Paddy’s Day). At the end of the scavenger hunt is a pot of gold, which in our case is chocolate gold coins (many stores have them, we get ours from the Winco bulk section). If you don’t know where to find gold coins, you can also use Rolos or the edible gold spray from Wilton on Oreo cookies. If you find yourself rushed before the holiday, I have included a few scavenger hunt links here, here, and here.
Breakfast
After the scavenger hunt we eat breakfast and everything is green. Green pancakes, green eggs, and even green orange juice. It is amazing what a little bit of food coloring can do to make breakfast exciting. For a simpler breakfast, you could do Lucky Charms. Either way, your kids will get a kick out a special breakfast prepared by Leprechauns.
Crafts
Since St. Paddy’s day lands on a Saturday this year, I thought some crafts might be fun. I am not a huge crafter. I like crafts that the kids can do by themselves and I just monitor. Here are a few links for fun do-it-yourself crafts.
Baking
If you have a pre-teen girl like I do, then you know craft time in actuality probably means baking time. There are some pretty fun ideas out there like Lucky Charm Rice Krispies, Leprechaun Popcorn, Pretzel Pops, or Chocolate Mint Brownies.
Dinner
For dinner, we have a traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage meal. They are pretty effortless to make with a slow cooker. This is the recipe I have been using for a couple of years. We substitute chicken broth for the beer. Everyone in the house looks forward to this meal. It is a big hit.
Hopefully this makes your St. Paddy’s day easy for you and fun for the kids. May the luck of the Irish be with you!
