Fun St. Patrick's Day Party Games for Kids

Games are an important part of any kids' St. Patrick's Day party. Thankfully, you don't have to go to a lot of trouble or expense to give the kids some good, clean Irish fun. Each of these games is easy and safe for kids over the age of 3 to play. Before you start planning these games, get lots of prizes and favors to give to the winners. Also make sure you have smaller consolation prizes for the kids who lose the games.

Pin the Hat on the Leprechaun

Draw or download and print a free picture of a leprechaun without his hat. Laminate the picture using clear contact paper. Draw or print the leprechaun's hat on a separate piece of paper and laminate it, as well. Use reusable adhesive to attach the leprechaun to the wall. Also attach reusable adhesive to the back of the leprechaun's hat. On the day of the St. Patrick's Day party, blindfold a child with a green scarf or bandanna. Let each kid at the party have a chance to play the game. The child who gets closest to the leprechaun's head wins a small prize.

Find the Pot of Gold

Cut out several dozen circles from cardboard. Cover them in gold foil or paint them with metallic gold paint. Place them in a black plastic pot and hide them somewhere in the room. At your St. Patrick's Day party, divide the kids into teams. Print some clues as to where the pot of gold is hidden and hand a copy to each child. Give a special prize to the kids who win this party game.

Rainbow Treasure Hunt

To create this game, find some objects in all colors of the rainbow. Make sure to include primary and secondary colors such as violet, blue, green, yellow, orange and red. They can be small toys, crafts or pieces of candy. Hide the objects all over the room. Print out a list of clues for the kids to help them find the different color items. On St. Patrick's Day, divide the kids into teams and have them find at least one item in every color you've mentioned in your clues.

Shamrock Relay Game

Make four large shamrocks from green construction paper using this free shamrock pattern. Laminate them with clear contact paper. Mark off the start and finish lines for the shamrock relay race. Make gold, silver and bronze medals for the winners of the race. At the St. Patrick's Day party, divide the kids into two teams. Give each team two shamrocks each. One child from each team must place one shamrock on the floor. The child must then step on the shamrock, then place the second shamrock on the floor and step on it, as well. He should then reach behind him and pick up first shamrock and place it in front of him. The kids should continue this until one of them reaches the finish line.

For more ideas, read St. Patrick's Day Party Ideas and Easy St. Patrick's Day Craft Ideas for Kids.