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St. Patrick’s Day is only two days away! St. Patrick’s Day is a fun holiday to celebrate in the lower elementary classroom with the wearing of green and leprechaun hijinks. And just in case you forgot about it, or are just deciding you want to do something for your students, this post is for you. I’m going to share 5 last-minute leprechaun pranks you can pull on your class for a roomful of giggles!
But first, let me share a few quick facts about St. Patrick’s Day.
1. St. Patrick was a real man who was born in Britain and later came to Ireland. The day we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, is the day he allegedly died.
2. St. Patrick went back to Ireland after returning to Britian to convert people to Christianity.
3. Green was not the color originally used to celebrate the holiday. It was blue. Green was said to come about years later because of Ireland’s nickname, “The Emerald Isle.”
4. St. Patrick was said to have used the shamrock when teaching about Christianity.
5. Leprechauns come from Irish folklore and supposedly hide their gold at the end of rainbows. Leprechauns became associated with St. Patrick’s Day because they are a symbol of Ireland.
Now that we know a little more about St. Patrick’s Day, let’s dive into some leprechaun mayhem!
Last-Minute Leprechaun Pranks
1. Green food coloring in the toilet. This one will always get a rise out of students. Seeing that the leprechaun used the toilet and didn’t flush. Ewww! To make it even more believable, use some washable green paint to paint two little footprints on the toilet seat.
2. Scatter chocolate gold coins around the room. Students will enjoy finding the hidden gold the leprechaun left for them. If you have a little extra time, you could have the leprechaun leave a note. Here’s a link to some short, free notes from parade.com.
3. Leave out a box of Lucky Charms for students to sort and graph the marshmallows. Here is a free version from Creating for Primary on Teachers Pay Teachers. It, also, includes a page for tallying and a sorting mat.
4. Make a small messy trail with a new book on the bookshelf to read aloud. Turn over a chair, leave some manipulatives or crayons out, or other small messes that can easily be cleaned up. For some great book choices, check out my post 10 Books for Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day.
5. Add green pencils to the students’ school supply bins. Tell them the leprechauns must’ve left their favorite color for writing with for the day. Then, let your students do their work in green colored pencil!
Final Words
In 10 minutes or less, you can create a leprechaun prank your students will enjoy! Moments like that are the ones students remember when they look back over their elementary school years. It’s, also, great to break the monotony of the day-to-day routines with a bit of mischief once in awhile. If you’re looking for more ways to get out of the auto-pilot you may be in a this time in the school year, check out last week’s post, Feeling Stuck? 6 Ideas to Get Out of the 3rd Quarter Slump!
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The St. Patrick’s Day facts came from National Geographic for Kids.