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Inside: Help the month of March pass more quickly with some fresh St. Patrick’s Day crafts and activities that are both educational and engaging.
I stared at the calendar on my desk. Four weeks. Four whole weeks without any half days or days off. I lifted my eyes from my desk to survey the classroom. Some students were doing the assignment I had given, some of the students were having side conversations, and some students were asleep. I sighed. The month of March is a beast.
March [for me at least] is the looooooooongest month of them all. It seems to stretch on forever with no end in sight. It’s always been that way- plus I now also associate it with when the pandemic brought the entire world to its knees. Ugh.
Surviving this month as a teacher is no easy feat. We have to find ways to mix things up and make learning a little more enjoyable for everyone. This will keep us all interested and also help make the time fly by.
St. Patrick’s Day is March 17th- and the perfect opportunity to bring a little “magic” into the classroom. In this blog post, I share some fun St. Patrick’s Day crafts and activities that are both educational and engaging. From learning about Irish culture to practicing math skills, your students will have a blast while celebrating St. Paddy’s Day.
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1- St. Patrick’s Day Themed Centers that are Sure to Bring a Little Luck your Way
Themed center activities are a great way to reinforce math and English Languard Arts (ELA) skills while bringing some fun and excitement into the classroom.
There are many different workstation activities you can have your students do, and they don’t have to be complicated. They could be as simple as grabbing a stack of flashcards, some gold coins or shamrock table scatter from the dollar store, and a couple of ten frames. Presto- you have a math center that will get kids practicing addition and/or subtraction facts in a fun, festive way.
For ELA, you could gather a set of St. Patrick’s Day themed picture books and put them in a bin with several copies of different reading response pages. You could have students select a book to read and then write a book review, character analysis, or illustrate a scene or favorite part of the book.
There are also many premade center activities that you can find online for free or purchase from teacher-authors like myself. These activities are a great way to save time, as they come with all the materials and often just require printing and cutting.
Speaking of time-saving printable activities you can grab for free, check out my St. Patrick’s Day Math Center. This fun activity gives students practice with comparing numbers as they aim to collect coins with only the highest values for Colin the leprechaun.
By giving students engaging St. Patrick’s Day center activities, they will have the chance to strengthen their math, ELA, and creative problem-solving skills while having fun. 🍀
2- Take a Trip to the Emerald Isle without Leaving Your Classroom
St. Patrick’s Day was originally celebrated in Ireland, so why not consider bringing the beauty of Ireland into your classroom through a virtual field trip? With Google Earth, teachers and students can explore the rolling hills and vibrant culture without ever having to leave the classroom. What a time to be alive, friends!
Consider launching this activity with a quick KWL Chart. Ask students to share what they think they already know about Ireland and be sure to note any specific locations they mention. Then, ask them to brainstorm a list of things they are wondering or would like to know about Ireland.
Prepare for your “class trip” by starting a new project on Google Earth and plotting points of interest. Be sure to include any relevant locations that students identified during the KWL activity as well as iconic landmarks such as the Rock of Cashel and Dublin Castle.
As you jump from location to location, narrate interesting facts about each so that students learn about Irish culture and history. Keep the tour interactive by encouraging students to ask questions and point out things they notice along the way.
Your virtual field trip to Ireland can be a captivating experience with lasting impressions. Not only will your students have fun, but they may also develop a newfound appreciation for all that Ireland has to offer!
3- Get Your Craft On with Fun St. Patrick’s Day Craftivities
St. Patrick’s Day crafts are a great way to engage kids in a hands-on activity they are sure to enjoy while also creating work that will look fantastic when displayed in your classroom or throughout the school.
My favorite kind of craft is the kind that has a solid learning component as well. Craftivities that include a direct connection to math, reading, or writing give me life!
One of my favorite St. Patrick’s Day crafts is my Spring Place Value Craft. This activity gets kids thinking about place value and the different ways to show a number as they compose an adorable sun & rainbow or leprechaun craft. (Both versions are included!)
This resource includes printable templates, step-by-step instructions with images, and project planner pages to simplify the process. I’ve used this activity with my students many times over the years and they’ve loved it every time and I think yours will, too. You can check it out here.
No matter what St. Patrick’s Day crafts you decide upon, make sure they are age-appropriate and give your students a chance to practice valuable skills as they complete them.
4- Get Lost in the Magic of Irish Folktales
Instead of reading the same old picture books about how to catch leprechauns and such, consider taking a deeper dive by exploring traditional Irish folktales with your students.
A word of caution- be sure to read each of the folktales you choose before sharing them with your students. The most traditional versions may deal with themes that are inappropriate for young children. Luckily, there are softer versions out there.
Check out these titles to see if they are a good fit for your class! You can find them easily in my Amazon Store:
Traditional Irish Folktales
Fin M’Coul: The Giant of Knockmay Hill by Tomie dePaola
Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato by Tomie dePaola
Jamie O’Rourke and the Pooka by Tomie dePaola
Too Many Fairies by Margaret Read MacDonald
The Children of Lir by Laura Ruth Maher
Tim O’Toole and the Wee Folk by Gerald McDermott
Irish Fairy Tales & Legends by Una Leavy
The Last Snake in Ireland by Sheila MacGill-Callahan
Have a few short stories ready for a quick read-aloud activity or set aside a few days to slowly read through one of the longer tales with your class.
After sharing a folktale with your class, have them do a writing activity to further explore the characters and story. You could have them analyze the characters and their actions, determine the lesson or moral, or create new endings.
Another fun activity would be to have your students retell one of the traditional Irish folktales in their own words and then have them act it out as a skit or puppet show. This is sure to be a blast for everyone involved and will also help your students practice their reading fluency, story structure, and performance skills.
To extend this activity even more, you could provide your students with different materials such as contstruction paper, glue, and scissors and have them create their own St. Patrick’s Day crafts related to each story.
These simple activities can provide an entertaining and educational experience for your students this St. Patrick’s Day.
5- Dig into the Fascinating History of Leprechauns
While we’re on the subject of Irish folklore, another great option would be to take a step further and research leprechaun lore with students.
Leprechauns are mythical creatures that have become symbols of St. Patrick’s Day. They are usually depicted as small bearded men wearing green suits, hats, and shoes who possess magical powers and treasures hidden away in crocks or pots of gold at the end of rainbows. This is an image found in various ancient Irish folktales which have been passed on from generation to generation over the centuries.
Curate a list of appropriate websites to peruse with students or prepare a simple PowerPoint presentation to teach your students about the history of leprechaun lore. I’m sure you will learn a few things you didn’t know!
You can then have students create their own storybooks or comic strips that incorporate the traditional elements of a leprechaun tale. Your students can use this activity as an opportunity to practice their reading, writing, and art skills while learning more about Irish folklore and having some fun at the same time.
Another fun option is to find some St. Patrick’s Day crafts that represent leprechauns and have students create them. Students can write something they learned about leprechauns on the hat.
By exploring these myths with children through books and stories, St. Patrick’s Day can provide an entertaining way to learn about this unique aspect of Irish history at home or in the classroom.
6- Still Feeling Festive? Celebrate with a Yummy St. Patrick’s Day Snack
To wrap up your St. Patrick’s Day exploration, consider having a little celebration with your students. You can ask parent volunteers to send in various green and/or rainbow foods and have a little party!
Prep an assortment of rainbow colored foods or gather snacks in different shades of green. Consider green grapes as well as granny smith apple slices, avocado toast, cucumber spears, honeydew melon or kiwi slices, and even edamame with sea salt.
For a sweet treat, you could make or buy St. Patrick’s Day green cupcakes, rice krispie treats made from Lucky Charms cereal, or oatmeal cookies cut into shamrocks.
Of course, you can also consider bringing in more traditional St. Patrick’s Day snacks like soda bread and Irish butter.
These quick and easy snacks are sure to make St. Patrick’s Day in your classroom feel extra special. Whatever you choose to make for your St. Patrick’s Day snack, be sure to have fun with it and get creative. Your kids will love wrapping up your St. Patrick’s Day festivities with this mini celebration!
The End of the Rainbow
So… the month of March is still most definitely a beast. But at least now we can tame it with a little St. Patrick’s Day magic.
Whether you’re looking for a fun and educational way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year or just wanted some new ideas to add to your classroom repertoire, I hope that you found something helpful in this blog post. St. Patrick’s Day crafts and other activities are an engaging way to surve the looooongest month.
I’m a teacher, a certified Reading Specialist, and the author behind "Real Life in the Classroom". I love to create classroom resources and share ideas to help real teachers in real classrooms easily plan and implement instruction that they can feel great about.
I’m Melissa Glenn of Real Life in the Classroom. I live in New Jersey with my husband, Tom, our two children, and our dog, Klaus. I taught first grade for 12 years and I also have a certificate in Reading Specialization. I love spending time with my family, all things tech, [online] shopping, and new books!
