St. Patrick's Leprechaun Leftovers

This tradition begins with a legend of the Leprechauns and leads to a Treasure box filled with goodies. Here’s how to make it happen: On the day before the holiday, tell your children the fabulous tale of the fun-loving Leprechauns. Begin your story with the idea that Leprechauns, full of magic and trickery, remain in their hidden world until the eve of St. Patrick’s Day. Then, as legend has it, they magically appear to bury their hidden treasures. If your child leaves a small-decorated box on the windowsill, the Leprechauns will fill it and bury it for your children to uncover. Use “Leprechauns Leftovers”, as clues to the whereabouts of the hidden treasure. Sprinkle green glitter that leads the treasure seekers closer to their loot, then leave a miniature pail and shovel (from a local craft store) to mark the spot where the enchanting treasure is hidden.

Lucky Penny Hunt

Every St. Patrick’s Day, hide pennies in your backyard or around the house for your children and their friends to hunt for. Explain that the Leprechauns love to hide lucky coins in the yard and once found, they can be exchanged for a small treat. There is one catch: the Leprechauns have to put an unlucky spell on all the coins, and only children have the power to reverse this spell. Once the coins have all been collected, the children must give an example of why they are lucky in order to reverse the spell and receive their treat. “I am lucky because… “ This tradition will teach children to appreciate and enjoy what they have.

The Local Leprechaun

Everyone needs the luck of the Irish, but since some of us have more than others, St. Patrick’s Day is the perfect time to pass it around. Enlist your children as local Leprechauns and send them out to share their luck. To do this, make cookies or another simple treats with your children and then wrap the goodies in something green. Write a special note to the local lads and lassies and deliver the notes along with the lucky treats to your neighbors and friends. Remember you are to act as a Leprechaun and never be seen. Leave your gifts on the porch, in a mailbox or on a windowsill. Irish or not, your friends will be tickled green.

The Great Green Gala

Start with breakfast and make the entire day green. Have green scrambled eggs with green juice, or green pancakes with green syrup. For lunch, make green sandwiches with green Jell-O or pudding, green grapes and green milk. Prepare an all green dinner with green mashed potatoes, or rice along with some green soup or pasta. Get creative and make sure that the entire day is green! Your festive dinner will only be served to those who are dressed appropriately, head to toe, all in green! Each year the outfits your family or friends dream up will get more outrageous. Soon, this will become one of your favorite holiday activities. Don’t forget to snap your annual photo, all dressed in green, to include in your St. Patrick’s Day Tradition Book.