47 St. Patrick’s Day Activities, Crafts & Games for Kids
Holidays like St. Patrick’s Day are a great time to let your kids have fun with all kind of games and activities. Kids of different ages have different needs and abilities, but there’s always something for everyone. Whether it’s a St. Patty’s Day themed activity or a festive spin on a classic game, your kids are sure to have a blast.
Leprechaun Trap
A leprechaun trap is a fun and adorable activity for kids of all ages on St. Patrick’s Day. There are no limits to what your kids can do, so get your craft supplies out and tell your kids to get decorating. Their trap can be as simple or complicated as they want it to be.
St. Patrick’s Day Fortune Teller
Remember those old fortune teller “cootie cups” from when you were a kid? This game will never go out of style, and you can even give it an update for St. Patrick’s Day. Use a printable template or create your own using decorative paper and green markers or gel pens. Have some fun writing the items and fortunes, and your kids will have just as much fun learning their silly fortune.
Try On Leprechaun
Using a small mirror, craft foam, tacky glue, and some convenient print-out templates, your kids can create a try-on leprechaun game that lets them see themselves as a leprechaun on St. Patty’s Day. Encourage your kids to get creative with how they decorate their try-on leprechaun, especially the hat. You’re sure to see lots of smiles when your kids are finished making their masterpiece.
St. Patrick’s Day Clothesline Art
Using heart or shamrock shapes, have your kids create a delightful string of St. Patty’s Day clothesline art. Kids can help cut out and decorate the shapes, and then they can help pin the shapes to some string, twine, or yarn. Tape or tie the strings onto a blank canvas for display.
St. Patrick’s Day Necklace
Making festive St. Patrick’s Day necklaces is a fun holiday project that everyone in the family can do together. Turn boring wooden beads into beautiful, brightly colored baubles and add them to a bright green or yellow ribbon. Use several shades of green paint for the wooden beads, or create a rainbow necklace by coloring the beads in all shades of the rainbow.
Rainbow Race
The Rainbow Race game is incredibly easy to make, especially considering how much fun your kids will have playing it. This activity is particularly good for preschool-aged children. Though the rainbow theme lends itself well to the St. Patrick’s Day holiday season, your kids are sure to enjoy playing it all year long.
St. Patty’s Day Topiary
A St. Patty’s Day topiary is a fun activity and a cute decoration for the kids’ room, kitchen table, or mantel. Use several strands of St. Patrick’s Day garland or decorative green ribbon for your topiary, and get creative with your container. A topiary is easy to make but the finished product always looks great.
Follow the Ribbons Game
Create some chaotic fun for the kids with a Follow the Ribbons game. Use rainbow colored ribbons to make long and winding paths throughout the room or even your entire house. Each ribbon is connected to a prize at the end, but your children have to follow the ribbon in order to learn which prize is theirs.
Lucky Shamrock Wand
Have your kids spread their good luck around on St. Patrick’s Day. Kids can help make their own shamrock wands, so spread out some craft accessories for the kids can personalize their wands. Then, on St. Patty’s Day, they’ll have a blast using their new wands to spread some holiday cheer (and luck) to their friends and family.
Leprechaun Hat Game
The Leprechaun Hat Game is a fun activity inspired by the traditional memory game. You and your kids can make all the pieces yourselves using felt or craft foam, and then have fun making different funny designs with the individual hat pieces. Make easier designs for little kids, or more difficult ones to challenge the bigger kids.
Lucky Golden Rocks
Kids can create their very own lucky golden rocks. Use some regular rocks and have your kids paint over them with gold paint. They can then paint whatever word or name they want on their gold rock. You can also use stencils to have your kids paint shamrocks on their rocks. These make great display pieces in the kids’ rooms.
Rainbow Song
Need an activity that’s both fun and educational for the little ones this St. Patrick’s Day? If you have a piano or keyboard, play the Rainbow Song in order to teach your kids or students about the colors of the rainbow. If you can play “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” on the piano, you can play the rainbow song.
Leprechaun Beard
Leprechauns are all about tricks and mischief, so it’s no wonder why kids love them so much. Let your kids enjoy being a leprechaun for a day with an adorable leprechaun beard. All your kids need in order to make their beards is some orange felt and string. With their brand new leprechaun beards in place, your kids will be grinning and laughing all day long.
Don’t Eat Lucky
The “Don’t Eat Lucky” game is a fun St. Patrick’s Day twist on the classic game of “Don’t Eat Pete.” Print out a pre-designed St. Patty’s themed game card for each child. It’s simple to explain and easy to play. Kids will love the game itself, and they’ll also love getting to eat chocolate and candies as part of the game.
Four-Leaf Clover Accessory
Grab some green felt and help your kids make a cute clover leaf accessory they can wear on St. Patty’s Day. This is a fun activity and a cute accessory for both boys and girls, and it’s the perfect way to make sure your child doesn’t get pinched for not wearing green!
Leprechaun Footprints
Tell your kids all about the tricky leprechaun while doing this fun St. Patty’s Day activity. Kids can use their painted hands and index fingers to create tiny leprechaun footprints on pieces of paper. You can decorate your child’s room with the prints, or hide them in various places on St. Patrick’s Day for a leprechaun scavenger hunt.
Shamrock Flashcards
A shamrock flashcards game is a great learning activity for St. Patrick’s Day. It’s both fun and educational, and kids can even get involved with the setup. Have them paint some craft sticks in different colors of the rainbow, and then you can write different words or math problems on each one. The “answers” to the craft stick equations and words should match up with a word or number that you write on a shamrock.
Shamrock Shirt
Designing a T-shirt is a fun activity for kids of all ages to enjoy. Use freezer paper for the shamrock stencil, because you can iron it onto the shirt. That makes it easy for the kids to stay in the lines when painting. Gather some green fabric paints and have your kids color in the shamrock. It’s a fun activity they can then go on to wear on St. Patrick’s Day.
Rainbow Slice and Bake Cookies
Rainbow slice and bake cookies are a fun treat for the kids, and they’re pretty quick and painless to put together. Turn it into a fun activity by having your kids help out with the preparation. They can also help when it’s time to bake the cookies; while you’re slicing the dough up into individual cookie sizes, your child can arrange each cookie on the baking sheet.
Lucky Banner
Create a “Lucky” banner with your kids using cardstock or burlap for the flags and green paint for the letters and clover shapes. First, paint the letters and clovers in green. Once they’re dry, paint over the clovers with glue and have your kids cover the glue with glitter. This is a great project you can then display in your home or in your child’s room.
St. Patty’s Day Plate
With the help of your little ones, turn an old plate into a fun St. Patty’s Day decoration. Use spray paint to paint the plate green ahead of time, or have your kids paint it themselves using craft paint. Your kids can then decorate the plate with scrapbooking paper, glitter paint, and other fun craft accessories.
Shamrock Garland
Arts and crafts are always a fun activity that gets the kids using their minds and their hands to get creative. Make a shamrock garland with the kids and you can hang it up in a doorway or on the mantel when it’s all finished. Use different shades of green paper for the shamrocks, or get creative with decorative paper that your kids can help pick out.
Edible Matching Game
A memory matching game is easy for parents to make and fun for kids to play. And the best part about this one is that you and your kids can enjoy a chocolaty snack when you’re done playing. Cut out a handful of circles in different colors and tape or glue them to the bottoms of some Hershey’s Kisses. The Kisses should all be the same color, and green is the best choice for St. Patty’s Day. Lay the Kisses out in a grid and teach your kids the fun game of memory.
Shamrock Game
Make a cute shamrock game for the kids to enjoy on St. Patrick’s Day. Cut as many shamrock shapes out of green paper or cardstock as you want, and then write some fun St. Patty’s Day themed activities, such as naming something green or doing an Irish jig, on the back of each one. Lay the shamrocks out in a winding path, and then have your kids perform each activity before moving on to the next shamrock.
Four Leaf Clover Handprint Art
All your child needs in order to create a masterpiece on St. Patrick’s Day is some paper and green paint. Paint both of your child’s hands, and have him make four handprints on a piece of paper, making a shamrock. For less mess, have your child do one hand at a time and wash the paint off the first hand before painting the second on.
Rainbow Handprint Craft
Let your kids get creative and colorful with a rainbow handprint art project. Color your kids’ hands in the different colors of the rainbow, and have them place their painted hands down on paper. They can then add golden foil wrappers (after eating the chocolates they came from, of course) and a black pot that’s cut out of construction paper, making an end-of-the-rainbow treasure.
Leprechaun’s Gold
The Leprechaun’s Gold challenge is perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, and it’ll keep the kids having fun for only a dime—literally! All you need in order to play is a coin. The foil-wrapped chocolate candy coins are a perfect option for the kids, but you can use a quarter, too. The object of the game is to release the coin while holding your hands a certain way. It’s all but impossible to do, and if your kids are curious, you can explain to them why it works that way.
Shamrock Sprouts
The shamrock sprout activity is great for kids because it’s a chance to have some fun while learning about how plants grow and how to take care of them. Use a household sponge (green is best for St. Patrick’s Day, of course) and cut it into a shamrock shape. Soak it and then add some seeds to the top. Place the sponge in a sunny window and have the kids mist them with water as needed. Soon, the seeds will sprout, and your child will delight in caring for the sprouts as they grow.
Rainbow Nesting Boxes
Do-it-yourself rainbow nesting boxes are a fun project for kids to make on St. Patrick’s Day, and they can proudly display their creations once they’re finished. Print out the rainbow box templates and let your kids have fun decorating them while the boxes are flat. You can help the kids with the folding and gluing, and then have your kids fill them up with their favorite candies and trinkets.
Shamrock Party Hat
If you’re looking for an easy, mess-free activity for kids to do on St. Patrick’s Day, look no further than a festive shamrock party hat. All you need is a paper plate, scissors, and some green markers. You can always take it a step further by laying out some extra craft items like glitter, felt, pompoms, pipe cleaners, and more to let the kids decorate their shamrock hats however they want.
Catch the Fairy Gold
A variant of the old “ball in a cup” game, this Catch the Fairy Gold game is a fun activity for kids to make and play with. Use the leprechaun face printout template, and have each kid color or paint it to his or her liking. Parents can help cut it out and put the pieces together, and then the kids can have fun playing their new handmade games.
Handprint Leprechauns
A handprint leprechaun is a great activity for kids because it lets them get their hands dirty. Paint each child’s palm peach or flesh-colored, with orange at the bottom of the palm and on the fingers (minus the thumb). Kids can then put their handprint down on a piece of paper. The paint will dry while you help the kids wash their hands, and then kids can add a hat and smile to their leprechaun handprint.
Rainbow Wand
Turn some ribbon, cotton balls, and an extra-long lollipop stick into a magical rainbow wand for your little ones. Kids will have fun making this colorful rainbow wand, and they’ll have even more fun playing with it when it’s done. Use ribbons in all colors of the rainbow, and use glittered or plain white felt (plus cotton balls or stuffing) for the cloud at the tip of the wand.
Paperclip Necklace
Making a paperclip necklace is a great activity for kids to do together. You’ll need some green decorative paper, scissors, glue, and paperclips. Any kind of paperclips will do, but to make it more kid-friendly, you can use the big, colorful plastic ones. Pick out all the green paperclips you can find, and let the kids have fun making the paperclips into “beads” with decorative paper.
Shamrock Scavenger Hunt
Put together a fun-filled scavenger hunt for the kids this St. Patrick’s Day. You can have the kids help out with making the final prize, or you can make it a complete surprise. Either way, it’ll make them eager and excited to get started on the hunt. Kids can definitely help with making some fun shamrock shapes. Mom, Dad, or Teacher can then write clues on the back of each one and spread them around the yard or classroom.
St. Patrick’s Day Headband
For St. Patrick’s Day, have your little girl make a fun accessory she can wear all day long. Use and old green shirt or grab some green fabric to turn into a cute clover. Parents can use a glue gun to glue the clover onto a snap barrette. Then, snap the barrette onto a pretty headband so your child can wear it.
Lucky Clover Field
For a fun St. Patrick’s Day activity, create a lucky clover field with your kids or students. Kids can create their own clover to add to the “garden,” which is a piece of floral Styrofoam that’s trimmed to fit inside a decorative box or other container. You can then have your kids make a festive banner to adorn the front of the box.
Rainbow Ice Cubes
Making ice cubes is always a fun activity for kids, and it’s a great opportunity for parents to teach them about the science of water turning into ice. Making rainbow ice cubes is also a great way to tell your kids all about St. Patrick’s Day. Use food coloring to make rainbow colored ice cubes, and once the water has frozen, kids can use the ice cubes in their favorite drink.
Leprechaun Dress-Up
This St. Patrick’s Day, kids of all ages can dress up as a leprechaun with this fun craft project. Make the hat and beard out of construction paper, and use string to hold the beard on. Encourage your kids to use their imaginations to decorate the hat with glitter, ribbons, pompoms, and other fun craft accessories.
Ring Toss Game
Ring toss is a fun and energetic game that’s easy for kids to learn and play. You can buy a ring toss game, or you can get the kids together to make one yourself. Make a St. Patrick’s Day themed ring toss game with a paper towel tube, some recycled Styrofoam cup rings, green ribbons, and green paint.
Wee Little Shamrock Men
These cute wee shamrock men add some personality to your kids’ room or classroom. Let your kids get creative with painting and decorating the toilet paper rolls, which make up the body of each shamrock man. Kids can also have some fun adding little arms to the body, and googly eyes to the shamrock heads.
Hanging Shamrocks
Your kids can create a series of hanging shamrocks to decorate your home for St. Patrick’s Day. Kids can help measure and cut the strips of paper, and depending on the kids’ ages, parents might want to help with stapling all the strips together to make the shamrock and stems.
Rainbow Friendship Bracelet
Gather some skeins of yarn in the different colors of the rainbow, and then gather the kids for a fun St. Patty’s Day activity. Rainbow friendship bracelets are great for both boys and girls, making this a perfect activity for families and classrooms. Kids can get creative with different braiding patterns and bead combinations. Yarn is perfect for littler fingers, but you can use thinner thread if your kids are older.
Lucky Hat
Craft projects are always a fun activity for kids to do around the holiday. With some cardstock and decorative paper, kids can make their very own lucky hats to wear on St. Patrick’s Day. The activity can be as structured or as free-form as you want it to be, since there’s plenty of room for creativity with the decorations.
Pot o’ Gold Game
This fun St. Patty’s Day game is two-fold: kids can help out with the assembly, and then have a blast playing the game. Have the kids help paint and decorate some clothespins in the different colors of the rainbow. To play the game, each player rolls the die, and then pins the clothespin to the corresponding number on the card. The first player to fill his or her card and make a rainbow is the winner.
Lucky Bingo
Everyone loves an exciting game of Bingo. It’s lots of fun and it’s easy to learn if your kids haven’t played it yet. Print out some St. Patty’s Day themed Bingo cards for each of your children or students, and have them use chocolate coins, candies, or other trinkets as markers. Put together a fun prize for the winner, and your kids will have a blast.
St. Patrick’s Day Treasure Hunt
Send your kids on an exciting treasure hunt for St. Patrick’s Day. Use a batch of colorful shamrock print-outs to hide around your house, yard, or classroom. Place the cards around so that the kids will find them in order. At the end of the “rainbow,” the precious treasure awaits.
St. Patrick’s Day games and activities are a great way for kids to exercise their bodies and minds while learning something new about the holiday. Choose from a variety of games and activities for kids of all ages, and you just mind find a fun new tradition for the whole family to enjoy for years to come.