How to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day in the Classroom

March can be a long, boring month in the classroom. The glow of Christmas is long gone and spring break seems far, far away. Luckily, there is a way to break up this long month in the classroom--consider celebrating St. Patrick's Day. Plan some educational and fun activities for this minor holiday because there are many things students can do other than wearing green.

Instructions

1. Teach your students about the origins of St. Patrick's Day. Read to them from a picture book, or go online for a great summary of the history of St. Patrick's Day that you can print out and read aloud to your students (see Resources).

2. Do a St. Patrick's Day craft activity. Make leprechaun hats to wear for the remainder of the day, or cut out little pots of gold to place on their desks. If you can, try to link the craft to an educational activity or story you've read to them about St. Patrick's Day.

3. Make it educational. Incorporate St. Patrick's Day into a writing activity. Have the students write about what they would do if they found a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, or whether or not they really believe in luck and why.

4. Visit St. Patrick's Day on the Internet. Take your students to the computer lab, if you school has one, and visit some St. Patrick's Day websites. There are many sites with interactive games and trivia hunts about St. Patrick's Day.

5. 

   Treat the students to some special St. Patrick's Day snacks. Let them frost cookies with green icing and serve green "lucky" milk. Make green leprechaun pudding or make some healthy lucky clovers out of cucumber slices (use celery sticks as stems).

Tips & Warnings

• Encourage the children to wear green on St. Patrick's Day.

• Watch out for the green. Warn your students that pinching and/or punching will not be tolerated.

Resources

• A list of St. Patrick's Day crafts