St Patrick’s Day is one of the most fun holidays to celebrate. There are so many easy ways you can honor Saint Patrick of Ireland, and you are in good company, as the holiday has been celebrated for over 1,000 years!
We wanted to share some of our favorite ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day while also learning about Irish traditions, even if we are in the United States!
Wear Green!
One of the most common ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day is to wear the color green! With green being a sign of good luck as well as easily connected to Irish history, you can go as simple as a green t-shirt, or you can dress from head to toe in the bright, cheery color!
This is a great time to add in some green beads, fun socks with leprechauns, and a glittery green top hat. If there was an option for the most spirited, you would definitely be in the running!
Serve a Traditional Irish Meal
While some might only think of Corned Beef and Cabbage (which is great, by the way!),however, there are many more Traditional Irish Foods you could try with your family to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
Creating a meal and talking with your kids about the history and culture of Ireland is a great way to not only celebrate a holiday but also broaden their horizons and knowledge of the world around them. Explain why food is important to the Irish heritage and that it's important that we continue the traditions today to honor them.
Attend a St Patrick’s Day Parade
No matter where you are, there is usually some kind of event or local parade close by that you can use to celebrate some St. Patrick's Day fun! Check out this link of St. Patrick's events near me, or maybe put together and host a small St. Patrick’s Day parade in your own neighborhood! Let the kids decorate their bikes and wagons with green streamers, create an Irish flag and 4-leaf clovers, play traditional Irish music, and celebrate with the whole family!
Make Some Green Slime
Kids love to make sticky concoctions all of the time, so use St. Patrick’s Day as an opportunity to create some green slime at home! While you’re making your slime have some fun tidbits of information about why we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and how there are some cities that even still turn their rivers green to celebrate! Add in some green glitter or little shamrocks to give your slime the true St. Paddy’s Day feel!
Create Four-Leaf Clover Cards with Encouraging Notes
It’s always a fun way to celebrate when you can also spread some cheer around your neighborhood, especially if you’re around any older people or those who aren’t able to get out as much. Try using some of these 4-Leaf Clover Templates and create small cards with encouraging notes and then have your kids take them around town to bring some good old-fashioned Irish cheer to the whole community!
Turn Your Home Into a Tour of Ireland
If you are homeschooling and looking for some fun activities for St. Patrick’s Day, try turning your home into a small tour of Ireland. Make different rooms in to some of the more well-known counties, such as Dublin or Wicklow. Have some little notes up about some of the well-known figures from the large cities as well as some added folklore stories and riddles. This is a great opportunity to highlight some information on the emerald isle or even send your kids on an Irish scavenger hunt for missing gold coins!
Learn About Irish Music and Dancing Traditions
One of the best ways to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and Irish culture is to play some Irish Dancing Music! This fun beat can make even the most awkward dancer feel confident! Work on your Irish step dance skills and enjoy some quality time as you laugh and learn together! Look up some different videos, and if you really want to get into character, try creating some of their traditional outfits!
Make Fruity Rainbow Parfaits
You might not be able to predict the weather for Saint Patrick’s Day or find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but you can put together some colorful rainbow parfaits for a perfect afternoon snack or special treat! This would be a great option with a group of kids by setting out different types and colors of fruit down the middle of the table and having the parfait glasses sitting around the sides of the table so they can create their own rainbow! Top with some whipped cream and maybe some sprinkles, and you will have a festive treat to celebrate the patron saint of Ireland!
There are many more fun St. Patrick's Day activities out there for this fun national holiday! Do you have a favorite way to celebrate St Patrick's Day? Do you consider it to be a lucky holiday? We are always looking for new ways to celebrate as a family and as a community!