Whether you're hosting a St. Patrick's Day party at your home or classroom or simply devising activities to help your kids celebrate the March 17 holiday, organize an assortment of entertaining and challenging kids' games. Create themed competitions that incorporate St. Patrick's Day colors and whimsical images to generate a lively party atmosphere.
Treasure Hunt
Enlist the children to help you find the gold coins that the leprechauns hid throughout the house and yard. Hide 50 to 100 plastic gold coins, depending on the number of children playing the game. Give each child a plastic bucket or a basket to collect as many coins as she can find in one minute. If you're hosting a party for children under five, hide coin stickers instead of plastic versions, since the small objects can become choking hazards.
Pot of Gold
Set up a St. Patrick's-themed game that tests the players' aim and throwing skills. Place an empty, black plastic pot sold at party supply stores three to six feet away from the children. Give the first player five to 10 yellow bean bags to represent pieces of gold. Time each player to see how long it takes him to throw five bean bags into the pot or how many "baskets" he can make in 30 seconds. Make the game easier for younger children by scooting them closer to the bucket.
Clover Stomp
Design an active party game for the St. Patrick's Day party that allows the kids to dance, spin and stomp. Affix 10 clover stickers to one-inch-square pieces of white paper. Slip the 10 stickers into 10 green balloons. Blow up the 10 balloons, along with 20 to 30 additional green balloons that don't have stickers inside. Scatter the balloons across a driveway or living room floor. Give the guests one minute to stomp or sit on the balloons to break them. Present prizes such as St. Patrick's Day-themed water bottles, pencils or notepads to the children who pop a balloon containing a sticker. Since balloon fragments can present a choking hazard, this game should be played by children older than five.
Leprechaun Says
Play a game based on Simon Says that requires the children to complete tasks that an adult dressed in green shouts, such as jumping up to touch a rainbow, bending down to pick a gold coin off the floor or rolling in a patch of four leaf clovers. If a player follows an instruction that doesn't include the phrase "leprechaun says," she is out of the game. Play until only one "leprechaun's apprentice" remains.
Rainbow Relay
Organize an active game that requires teams to create colorful rainbows. Give each player on each team a roll of streamers in a different color. The first player on each team must run across the yard and unroll her streamer on the lawn as she runs back to tag the next player in line. Award a prize such as a pot of chocolate coins to the team that completes its rainbow first.
