Gold for St. Patrick’s Day

 

• Sneaky Service Leprechauns … We have done this the last couple of years and it makes a great week before St. Patrick’s Day.
  1. The leprechaun leaves us a note and his gold (“he” found the gold coins at Michael’s and Joann). Or get them here .
  2. Whenever we do a secret service for each other, we take a piece of the leprechaun’s gold and leave it for that person to find. So if I made my 3-year-old’s bed, I would leave a gold coin on his pillow.
  3. When he finds the gold, he can put it into the empty pot on the table.
  4. We try to do so much secret service that we fill up the whole pot.
  5. On St. Patrick’s Day, the leprechaun comes and collects his gold and leaves us a pot full of chocolate gold coins and rolos (they’re gold).

• G-O-L-D Hunt
1. Write the letters G-O-L-D on several plastic gold coins (or cut out yellow circle coins).
2. Using 4 bowls, place one letter coin into the bottom of each bowl as a “label” … make sense?
3. Hide the other coins around the room.
4. Tell the kids that the leprechauns spilled their gold and need help picking it up and matching it in the bowls!
5. To make it more fun, have them to an action each time they find a letter. My kids were hilarious
   • If they find a G, they can take GREAT big steps to the bowl!
   • If they find an O, they can spin in a circle
   • If they find an L, they can do LEAPFROG jumps to the bowl.
   • If they find a D, they can DANCE all the way to the bowl

• Silly St. Patrick's Day BINGO
  1. Print out a simple pot-o-gold on a piece of paper. I made a blank pot-o-gold and one filled with ABCs. Just click on either to print!
  2. Draw several ABCs, numbers or shapes inside the pot. Or even better, have them draw their own (just so everyone has the same ones)!
  3. Give the kids a yellow do-a-dot marker.
  4. Call out one of the ABCs, numbers or shapes and let the kids dot the matching symbol with their dot marker (looks like gold, right?!)
  5. When all the ABCs, numbers and shapes are covered up, have them stand up and dance a lucky leprechaun jig!

• Green & Gold Sensory Tub … this great idea is from No Time for Flashcard.
  • Pour split peas and mung beans into a tub or box.
  • Add several plastic gold coins and mini leprechaun hats.
  • Add scoops.
  • Explore, dig, and scoop! And sweep it all up when you’re done!

• Snack Idea: Edible Gold Coins … my kids love these!
  1. Squeeze honey onto circle Ritz crackers.
  2. Place a banana slice on top and sprinkle with green (lucky dust) sugar crystals.
• Treat Idea: Sweet Gold Coins … uh, yum!
  1. You’ll need:
     • 24 Ritz crackers
     • 1 cup smooth peanut butter
     • 2 cups butterscotch chips
  2. Spread peanut butter on one cracker and sandwich it with another. Repeat with all crackers.
  3. Put crackers in the fridge for an hour.
  4. Melt the butterscotch chips (according to package)
  5. Dip the peanut butter sandwiches into the butterscotch and set on wax paper to dry. Enjoy!