While not everyone is Irish, St. Patrick’s Day can be a day of fun, mischief and surprises for all. According to Irish legends, the night before St. Patrick’s Day is notorious for leprechaun mischief. While you are sleeping or not paying attention, they can create all sorts of chaos.
This year, get your family ready and try to catch that tricky leprechaun before he causes trouble. Here are some ideas to get you started on some fun:
Make a leprechaun trap
On St. Patrick’s eve, work together as a family to create your own leprechaun traps. Whether you use an old shoe box propped up with a trap door or make a small ladder leading up to a large vase filled with gold coins, get creative with your own original trap. Then leave it out overnight to see if you have any luck! According to folklore, if you catch a leprechaun, in exchange for his freedom he will grant you three wishes!
Get out the green dye
Just a small bottle of green dye can go a long way and create tons of fun on St. Patrick’s Day. Put a few drops in each toilet bowl to turn the toilet water green. Add a few drops to your gallon of milk and watch the kids be shocked when it’s time for morning cereal. Whip a few green drops into a some Cool Whip to top off a milkshake, hot cocoa or ice cream.
Photo sabotage
Grab a green or black Sharpie and make trouble on all those framed pictures of your kiddos in the house. On the glass frame cover, draw mustaches, beards, horns or other silliness on their faces. Then with just a little Windex glass cleaner, those frames go back to normal the next day. If if you are opposed to Sharpies, cut out green shamrocks and tape those over your kiddos’ faces.
Mirror mirror on the wall
With a window crayon, write funny messages from the leprechaun on the bathroom mirror. Write a riddle that needs to be solved for the kids to find treats or treasures. Something like, “Your treat is out of sight. It’s somewhere that lets in light,” or “Your treat is under a table. Try to see it if you’re able.”
Pot of gold
Every kiddo loves gold covered chocolate coins, so get those hidden all around the house. Create a scavenger hunt to find them. Write clues on green shamrocks to send the kids searching for gold through your home.
At the end of the rainbow
If you are feeling really colorful, get some rainbow colored steamers (remember ROY G BIV!) to create rainbows hanging in the doorways or streamed around the windows or rooms at home. Or blow up rainbow colored balloons to scatter around the house.
Tempting treats
Bust out a bag of Skittles or box of Lucky Charms and create a rainbow message directly to your kids from that mischievous leprechaun. Or leave a trail of Skittles around the house where the leprechaun caused trouble.
Find a penny
Share the luck from the leprechauns with penny trails around the house, and the famous saying, “Find a penny, pick it up, all day long you will have good luck.” Sneak some pennies into your kids shoes, under their breakfast plate or in their coat pockets.
Leprechaun putty
Make a batch of easy green play dough with 1 cup salt, 2 cups flour, 2 Tbsp cream of tartar, 2 Tbsp cooking oil and 2 cups of water. Add a few drops of green dye and green glitter. Heat and mix slowly on stovetop until dough comes together. Knead as it cools. Leave play dough in a sealed Tupperware with a note from the leprechaun.
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This article originally published on March 14, 2018. It has been updated with the most recent information.
