Looking for St. Patrick’s Day ideas for kids that go beyond putting on a green shirt? This roundup has a little of everything: rainbow crafts, colorful treats, leprechaun mischief, and games that get everyone laughing.
Some ideas take a few minutes. Others make a fun afternoon project. Pick the ones your kids will enjoy, and follow the linked tutorials when you want the full instructions. No one needs to do all 17—unless a very organized leprechaun has already cleared your schedule.
Rainbow Crafts and Activities for Kids
1. Make rainbow water
Give the kids clear cups, water, and a little food coloring for a colorful mixing activity. Happy Hooligans’ rainbow water activity shows how to turn simple supplies into an afternoon of color experiments. Set the cups on a tray so enthusiastic little scientists have room to work.
2. Decorate a St. Patrick’s Day lunch bag
Let kids cover a plain paper lunch bag with shamrock stickers, rainbow drawings, or a leprechaun face. The original version of this post featured Disney Family’s Mickey Mouse St. Patrick’s Day stickers. That old printable link now goes to Disney’s homepage, but making your own decorations lets kids put their personalities all over their lunch bags.
Easy variation: Decorate a gift bag instead and use it to collect treasure during a gold coin hunt.
3. Build a leprechaun trap
A cardboard box, paper, tape, and a few shiny decorations are enough to get started. Let the kids decide how a tiny visitor would get inside—and how they’ll know if one stopped by. Browse Our Thrifty Ideas’ leprechaun trap roundup for building inspiration.
For more ways to set the scene, see my sneaky leprechaun ideas.
4. Make a leprechaun paper plate mask
Give kids a paper plate, orange paper for a beard, green paper for a hat, and crayons or markers. Let them make the funniest leprechaun face they can imagine. The paper plate mask in the original roundup was credited to ABC Creative Learning; its old tutorial link is no longer working reliably, so use the idea as a starting point and make your own version.
5. Create shamrock art
Cut three green paper hearts and arrange them point-to-point to form a shamrock. Glue them onto a card and add a stem. Preschoolers can decorate pre-cut shapes; older kids can write a lucky or kind message inside the card for someone they love.
St. Patrick’s Day Treats Kids Can Help Make
6. Layer rainbow pudding
Make layers of different-colored pudding in clear cups so everyone can see the rainbow. Katie Goodman’s rainbow pudding tutorial at Make: has the full idea. Kids can help choose the colors and assemble the cups while an adult handles any prep that needs it.
7. Make leprechaun hat cookies
Turn a round cookie into a little green hat with green frosting or candy melts, then add a contrasting band. The leprechaun hat treats in the original roundup came from Sun Scholars. Their old page is unavailable, but the idea is still a fun way to let kids decorate cookies without expecting every hat to look identical. In my kitchen, the lopsided ones would be the stars.
8. Assemble an edible rainbow
A rainbow you get to eat? That’s a craft with excellent benefits. Finding Zest’s edible rainbow activity is an inspiration for a colorful snack kids can help assemble. For a simple version, arrange age-appropriate pieces of fruit by color on each plate.
9. Make green cereal treats
Classy Clutter’s St. Patrick’s Day crispy rice treats add green color and cereal marshmallows to a familiar treat. Follow their recipe for quantities and method, and let the kids help with the decorating after the hot mixture is safe to handle.
10. Surprise them with leprechaun boogers
Yes, boogers. If your kids appreciate wonderfully gross humor, my leprechaun boogers treat uses green cotton candy for a silly visit they’ll want to tell everyone about. It’s a quick idea for parents who have approximately five minutes and a good sense of humor.
Leprechaun Surprises and Sensory Fun
11. Try green and gold slime
For kids who enjoy squishy sensory play, Little Bins for Little Hands’ St. Patrick’s Day slime includes festive green and gold ideas. Follow their instructions and supervise younger kids. Slime is for play, not tasting.
12. Leave a leprechaun clue trail
Cut small footprints from green paper and tape a short trail across the floor. End it at a note, a game, or a little pot of treasure. You can add a green scarf “caught” in a doorway for a funny touch. My sneaky leprechaun tricks have more ways to make it look like someone tiny paid a visit.
13. Hide a pot of gold
Put a few treats, stickers, or notes inside a small pot or bowl and hide it at the end of a treasure hunt. Give kids clues that fit their ages: picture clues for young children and riddles for older ones. My St. Patrick’s Day activities for kids post includes the pot-of-gold idea plus more easy ways to celebrate from breakfast through the evening.
14. Put together a lucky surprise basket
For a quieter alternative to a leprechaun hunt, fill a small basket with a favorite snack, green art supplies, and a note. It also makes a sweet gift for a grandchild or friend. See these St. Patrick’s Day gift basket ideas for inspiration.
St. Patrick’s Day Games for Kids and Families
15. Play St. Patrick’s Day Would You Rather
Would you rather find a pot of gold or ride down a rainbow? Ask one question at a time and let everyone explain their choice. The answers usually get funnier as the game goes on. My St. Patrick’s Day Would You Rather questions also include a printable for a party or classroom.
16. Race to Post-a-Leprechaun
Grab green sticky notes and a timer. In this partner game, players have one minute to cover their teammate’s clothes with as many notes as they can. Switch roles and play again. Get the rules for my Post-a-Leprechaun game.
17. Play the St Leprechaun game
If your group wants a game with more movement, try my St Leprechaun game. A player wears a decorated green shirt while the others try to collect the attached treasures. It’s especially fun for a family party with kids who have energy to spare.
How to Pick the Right Activities
For preschoolers, start with shamrock art, an edible rainbow, and a short treasure hunt with easy clues. For elementary-age kids, try a leprechaun trap, slime, or one of the active games. Tweens and teens may enjoy designing a ridiculously complicated trap or trying to give the funniest Would You Rather answer.
For a simple celebration, choose one craft, one treat, and one game. That gives everyone something to make, something to eat, and something to laugh about—without turning your whole day into a project.
Which idea would your kids choose first: the rainbow pudding, the leprechaun trap, or the boogers?
Find more inspiration in our St. Patrick’s Day collection.
