How to Plan a St. Patrick's Day Children's Party

Make Decorations, Organize Kids' Activities, and Hold a Parade

Feb 22, 2009 Renee Carver

When planning a St. Patrick's Day party for children, use Irish symbols to make decorations and then organize party games, musical activities, and a parade.

Parents and teachers organizing a St. Patrick's Day children's party can use the following ideas to decorate the party space and set up kids' activities to entertain children during the celebration.

Use Irish Symbols to Make Decorations

When setting up St. Patrick's Day decorations, first hang clusters of green and gold balloons around the corners of the room. Then, tape up garlands of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple crepe paper to create Irish rainbows. Have the end of one paper rainbow land in a black kettle or black plastic pot full of gold foil-wrapped chocolate coins or gold toy doubloons.

To get children involved in creating Irish decorations, have kids create life-sized leprechauns to decorate the walls. Trace each child's outline on butcher paper, cut out the outline, and then have the children use construction paper, markers, and other art supplies to make big paper leprechauns to tape up on the walls.

Play St. Patrick's Day Party Games

Teachers and parents can think up variations on Pin the Tail on the Donkey. For example, kids can pin the hat on the leprechaun, pin the pot o' gold to the end of the rainbow, or pin the lips on the Blarney Stone.

For another twist on a traditional party game, hang an Irish-themed piñata. Children party guests might use a "shillelagh" stick to swat at a piñata that looks like a pot of gold or a leprechaun. Fill the piñata with gold foil-wrapped chocolate coins or toy doubloons.

Children party guests may also enjoy playing a toss game. Set up a kettle or big pot to be a pot of gold. Have kids line up and toss round yellow bean bags, gold foil-wrapped chocolate coins, or toy doubloons into the pot.

A final party game kids can play is "Find the Pot at the End of the Rainbow." Pick a child to be the seeker and have him or her leave the room. The other children are leprechauns who hide a small pot full of "gold" somewhere in the room. When the seeker returns, the leprechauns shout "hot," "cold," "hotter," "colder," "warmer," and "cooler" to give clues to the location of the pot of gold.

St. Patrick's Day Musical Party Activities

To get energetic kids moving, clear a space in the room, play video recordings of Irish step-dancing, and invite children to try their feet at dancing an Irish jig. Children may also enjoy listening to lively Irish music and rhythmically striking xylophones or tone blocks with small mallets while pretending they are leprechauns tap-tap-tapping to make shoes.

Plan a St. Patrick's Day Parade

If space and time permit, plan a St. Patrick's Day parade. Have children dress all in green clothes, including green shirts, skirts, dresses, pants, sweaters, vests, jackets, scarves, socks, tights, shoes, tights, gloves, and hats. Children can also wear St. Patrick's Day accessories such as green bead necklaces, green neckties, and felt shamrocks pinned to their clothes with safety pins. Use face paint to draw green mustaches and beards on kids' faces or Irish symbols such as harps, shamrocks, and rainbows on their cheeks.

Next, have children make banners decorated with Irish sayings and Irish symbols. Then, hand out simple musical instruments such as drums, recorders, whistles, and percussion instruments. Have children carry banners, wave Irish flags, and play music while they march around and sing Irish songs.

To create an enjoyable St. Patrick's Day children's party full of fun party activities, keep familiar Irish symbols, customs, and lore in mind and adapt them as suitable to the time and space available for a party. And, once the St. Patrick's Day decorations and kids' activities are planned, do not forget to choose and prepare some St. Patrick's Day party food as well!

The copyright of the article How to Plan a St. Patrick's Day Children's Party in Kids Activities is owned by Renee Carver. Permission to republish How to Plan a St. Patrick's Day Children's Party in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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