St. Patrick's Day Games for Family Time or School

For this game, kids simply need a pad of paper and pencil. Send them on a scavenger hunt for all things green. Set a time limit and identify the parameters for the scavenger hunt. Whenever they find something green, they have to write it down. Encourage them to specific. For example, instead of plant, have them try to write aloe, cactus or ivy. Encourage them to spell new words as best they can but let them know this is a game, not a test, and that you will help them correct spelling later.

Here are some examples from our kitchen scavenger hunt:
artichoke teapot, sage soap, cactus, ivy, aloe, honey pot, green apples, shamrock paintings, The Garden Book

We played again with a refrigerator scavenger hunt and found:
Lettuce, avocado, pickles, olives, grapes

We were playing this game at home but it could be played in the car, at a park or in a classroom. Making it a game is a fun way to get to kids to practice writing new words.

St. Patrick's Day Shamrock "I am lucky because..." Game

At Thanksgiving we often have kids write a list of things they are thankful for and for Valentine's Day we often have them write things they love. On St. Patrick's Day have kids cut out green shamrocks and write answers to "I am lucky because..."

It's always interesting to see what make kids feel lucky. Over the years I have seen kids write "I am healthy," "I found a 4-leaf clover" and "my Dad works hard."

We made one mural at our house this year that said "We are lucky because we have so many friends." My daughter, 8, wrote the names of all of her friends on shamrocks and I wrote the names for my son, 4, that he dictated.

This is another fun way to encourage kids to write. You can add to the fun by having them paint with green first and then cut out the shamrocks or by decorating their shamrocks with gold glitter or green bits of tissue paper. Want more fun ideas? Just ask your kids!

St. Patrick's Day All Things Green ABC Game

This alphabetical order game is really fun. Start with A and name something green. I give 2 thumbs up for something that is always green, like asparagus or moss. I give 1 thumb up for something that can be green like a hat or yarn. Some letters are easy and obvious like broccoli for B or grass for G. Others are really challenging, like D. (Play with middle-school kids and there's a great probability someone will say diarrhea.) A great answer for D is dish detergent. Zoo sign usually has to suffice for Z. It 's helpful if you have played the St. Patrick's Day scavenger hunt first. This is a fun game to play around the dinner table, in the car, during home school or in a classroom. This game is fun for adult parties too.

These games are best suited for primary age kids but can include preschoolers with a few adaptations. If you need more preschool age activities, you'll enjoy these St. Patrick's Day ideas by creative Mom, Lisa Carey.

Don't forget to stock up on St. Patrick's Day library books. Celebrating holidays like St. Patrick's Day with games is a great way to make learning fun.