St. Patrick's Day

Squish Painting Shamrock Art

March 15, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This March I needed to get new art up quickly, and decided to have my little learners participate in a squish painting shamrock art project. Squish painting is a quick and satisfying art activity that little children love to do. Using folded hearts for the art project, the shamrock art is effortless to create.

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Supplies To Collect

Gather the following supplies for this seasonal squish art activity:

magenta, green, and white tempera paint
magenta and green cardstock paper
manila tag paper
ruler, pencil, and scissors
paint pots and spoons

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The Squish Painting Art Project

To prepare this activity, start by tracing and cutting out hearts from sturdy paper. Manila tag paper works well for the project. It comes in 9 x 12-inch, 12 x 18-inch, or even 18 x 24-inch paper sizes. The larger-sized paper allows for cutting bigger hearts.

When finished with the cutting part, fold the hearts in half.

Next, mix a little yellow into the green tempera paint to create a lighter brighter color.

Then set out green and white paint pots, and add a spoon to each one.

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Invite participants to spoon each paint color onto their hearts, then fold one side over the other.

Have children rub their hands over their heart halves to smooth out the paint.

Finally, ask them to open their hearts to see the new design created.

Shamrock Art Display

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To make a shamrock using the squish-painted hearts, group the hearts into three leaflets. Glue them to a large cardstock background or tape them to a wall. Then cut a long, thin petiole from green cardstock paper. Affix the petiole to the shamrock design.

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Variation of the Squish Painting Shamrock Art Project

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Introduce a new tempera paint color for an interesting way to vary this squish painting shamrock art project. Since shamrock plants also come in a purple variety called purple oxalis, using magenta paint instead of green is a natural fit for changing up the activity.

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Shamrock Leaf Print Art

St. Patrick’s Day Sheep Craft

Shamrock Paper Plate Lion

Leprechaun Gnome Craft

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[Read more…]

Leprechaun Goop Sensory Bin

March 13, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Have you ever heard of goop? It is made with cornstarch and water and can act both as a liquid and a solid. It is the perfect sensory base to trap or untrap leprechauns in this leprechaun goop sensory bin.

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Leprechaun Goop Supplies

Gather the following supplies for this super slimy goop-based bin:

cornstarch
water
green food coloring
bus tub or saucer sled
spoon for stirring
leprechaun figurines
craft foam shamrocks
reusable ice cube shamrocks
green ping pong balls
green and gold play coins
shamrock necklace pieces
washable tablecloth

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Making the Leprechaun Goop Sensory Bin

Goop is made from two taste-safe ingredients: water and cornstarch. It can be thicker or thinner, depending on how much water you add.

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To prepare the goop, select a bin for the activity. I feature a round saucer sled, but a regular bus tub would work fine. Set the bin on a table covered with a washable tablecloth.

Next, pour two large containers of cornstarch into the bin.

Then fill one of the containers with water and add green food coloring.

Pour the colored water over the goop and carefully stir the mixture with a spoon. You may wish to add a little more water until you get the consistency of a thick slime.

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When the mixture is stirred, set in leprechaun figurines.

Add foam shamrocks, reusable ice cube shamrocks, green ping pong balls, green and gold play coins, and strings cut from shamrock-themed garland to the bin.

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The Leprechaun Sensory Bin

Children of all ages love exploring a goop sensory bin. The goop is sticky so participants can have fun trapping and untrapping leprechauns in it along with using the other supplies.

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Keep a tub of water and a hand towel close by so it is easy to wash up after participants use the sensory bin.

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For variety, add a gel window cling leprechaun or a leprechaun hat and legs to the bin instead of the figurines.

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This activity looks pretty messy, but splotches of goop on the table and floor are easy to sweep up or wipe away with soapy water and a cloth.

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Properties of Goop

With a thicker batch of goop, it is fun to explore its ability to turn from a liquid to a solid and vice versa. Left at room temperature the mixture is a liquid. When the goop is squeezed in a hand it becomes a solid. And when fingers are unfurled, the goop becomes a liquid again. How cool!

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More St. Patrick’s Day Sensory Bins

St. Patrick’s Day Woodland Bin

St. Patrick’s Day Sensory Tub

Leprechaun Sensory Play

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[Read more…]

St. Patrick’s Day Gnome Craft

March 11, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Leprechaun activities are a fun part of St. Patrick’s Day for children, and this St. Patrick’s Day gnome craft is a fun one to include in the Irish-themed celebration. There is a free leprechaun gnome template to download to make the paper craft easy to prepare.

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St. Patrick’s Day Gnome Craft Supplies

This cheeky craft is made primarily of cardstock paper, with a few additional supplies. Gather the following for the craft:

three shades of green cardstock paper
tan, orange, black, and white cardstock paper
8 ½ x 11-inch white, yellow, or mint green cardstock
green glitter cardstock
shamrock confetti
tiny gold pom poms or craft buttons
glue stick and white glue
scissors and pencil

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St. Patrick’s Day Gnome Craft Preparation

To prepare this March craft, cut a leprechaun body and hat from two different shades of green cardstock.

Next cut a round nose, two round hands, and two oval feet from tan cardstock paper. I used paper punches for the shapes but included circles and ovals in the downloadable template in this post.

Afterward, cut a heart-shaped beard from white or orange cardstock, and a money pot from black cardstock.

Cut the rim of the hat from green glitter cardstock.

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Click on this link to download the leprechaun template for this craft.

Leprechaun Gnome PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

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Then select mint green, white, or yellow 8 ½ inch x 11-inch cardstock to glue the leprechaun parts on.

Finally, pick tiny gold pom poms or small buttons to represent gold, and have available shamrock confetti.

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The St. Patrick’s Day Gnome Craft

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To make this leprechaun gnome craft, use a glue stick to affix an oval body onto a piece of 8 ½ x 11-inch cardstock, and add the heart-shaped beard and leprechaun nose.

Next, glue on the hat and add a glitter green rim.

Then add two oval feet, the money pot, and two round hands.

Affix a confetti shamrock to the end of the hat and add one or more to the center of it for decoration.

Finally, glue tiny pom poms or small buttons on and above the money pot to represent gold.

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Instead of using shamrock confetti, pom poms, or buttons as finishing touches, you can cut apart St. Patrick’s Day necklaces to use for your craft. The tiny coins on the necklace can be used as treasure, and the necklace shamrocks can be used instead of confetti ones.

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Wouldn’t a group of paper-crafted gnomes look adorable in a St. Patrick’s Day display?

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St. Patrick’s Day Sheep Craft

Shamrock Paper Plate Lion Craft

Leprechaun Sensory Jar

Leprechaun Sensory Play

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[Read more…]

St. Patrick’s Day Playdough Tray

March 16, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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It’s nice to have a new clump of playdough for every theme, and this recipe is my pick for St. Patrick’s Day. It is an easy-to-make, no-cook playdough that keeps well. In this post, the dough is showcased in a St. Patrick’s Day playdough tray.

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St. Patrick’s Day Playdough Recipe

Shamrock leaves add interest to a St. Patrick's Day playdough invitation. Two homemade playdough recipes are featured.

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The white playdough in this post is a fantastic homemade no-cook variety. I discovered the recipe for it on The Artful Parent website. The green and yellow playdough varieties featured are a result of minor tweaks to the recipe.

For the deep green playdough, gather the following ingredients:

1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 tablespoon cream of tartar
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon green gel food color
1/4 teaspoon glycerin (optional)
1 cup boiling water

In a large metal bowl, measure the dry ingredients and mix them together.

Make a well in the center and add the oil, gel food color, and glycerin.

Boil water in a kettle and immediately add the liquid to the dry ingredients.

Stir the mixture well until all the ingredients are combined.

Let it sit for a bit until it firms up into a dough.

If the mixture is still a bit goopy after you have given it a few minutes to thicken, add a little more flour and stir again.

When cooled, knead the dough into a smooth ball and place it in a sealed bag.

Three different colors of playdough are featured in a St. Patrick's Day playdough tray for early learners to explore.

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To make the vivid yellow playdough, substitute yellow gel color for the green.

Glycerin is optional in the recipe but adds a little shine to the playdough.

Note: I’ve made the plain white no-cook playdough recipe several times, and never had to add more flour. But adding a little more flour at the end worked well for me this time when including gel food color in the recipe.

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The St. Patrick’s Day Playdough Tray

Set out this fun St. Patrick's day playdough tray for your little learners to explore. Three different colors of playdough are featured.

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Collected for this fun playdough invitation are:

rainbow, shamrock, and leprechaun hat erasers
green buttons
metallic and wooden shamrocks
small shamrocks and gold coins
gold beads
green necklace garland
shamrock cookie cutters

These St. Patrick's Day-themed loose parts are perfect for a playdough tray or a sensory play experience.

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All the shiny loose parts, from the large shamrocks to the tiny coins, are cut from St. Patrick’s Day necklaces.

Themed erasers are always a great addition to a playdough tray, as are a variety of buttons.

Setting the playdough and loose parts on a party tray is an eye-appealing way to offer the St. Patrick’s Day playdough invitation.

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If you have a shamrock plant available, snip off a few leaves to add to each participant’s playdough experience.

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More St. Patrick’s Day Activities

Shamrock Paper Plate Lion

Shamrock Rolling Pin Art

Scissor Skill Shamrock Collage

St. Patrick’s Day Sheep Craft

Sweet sheep craft perfect for St. Patrick's Day or spring.

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St. Patrick’s Day Painted Shamrock

Crayon Resist Watercolor Shamrock

St. Patrick’s Day Sensory Tub

Leprechaun Sensory Jar

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St. Patrick’s Day Woodland Sensory Bin

St. Patrick’s Day Jewelry Bin

Leprechaun Sensory Play

St. Patrick’s Day Treasure Blocks

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St. Patrick’s Day Light Table Tray

Shamrock Dissolving Candy Experiment

St. Patrick’s Day Activities

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This St. Patrick's Day playdough invitation will help children celebrate the special day. Two no-cook homemade playdough recipes are featured.

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More Playdough Recipes and Activities

Apple Playdough Tray

Edible Playdough Turkey

Scented Playdough Activities

Invitation to create apples with scented, two-ingredient playdough, toothpicks, and apple leaves.

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Pumpkin Playdough Activities

Orange-scented Playdough Invitation

Chocolate Mint Playdough

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Santa Claus Playdough Tray

Valentine’s Day Playdough Activities

St. Patrick’s Day Playdough Tray

Easter Playdough Tray

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[Read more…]

St. Patrick’s Day Pretend Play

March 15, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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A play kitchen is a must-have center in an early learning classroom and is a favorite place for little learners to play. Adding seasonal items to a play kitchen keeps it interesting and inviting. In March, a St. Patrick’s Day pretend play center is a perfect fit.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies Collected

Green and St. Patrick's Day-themed accessories for a dramatic play kitchen center your little learners will love to explore.

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For this center, I gathered mostly green items, with a few yellow and gold items added in. Included are:

St. Patrick’s Day disposable plates
cutlery
play food
stir sticks
reusable shamrock ice cubes
clear glasses
baskets, serving bowls, and ice cube tray
felt “pretzel” shamrocks
sheet pan with felt shamrock “cookies”
wooden shamrock “candies”
shamrock-shaped serving tray with buns
ping pong ball “buns” in a muffin tin
St. Patrick’s Day erasers
jar with coins, beads, and garland strips
large gem pebbles
leprechaun and bear table decorations
artificial flowers in a vase

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The St. Patrick’s Day Pretend Play Center

In this post, most of the supplies are set on a play kitchen table. These supplies can also be arranged in the appliances and on the shelves.

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There are a variety of green and St. Patrick’s Day-themed loose parts in the table display. Little learners will use their imagination to incorporate the loose parts in their own ways.

The themed supplies are set on a gold tablecloth. In an earlier post, I showcased similar supplies on an orange tablecloth. I also featured them on a green table-a natural fit!

Many of the play kitchen accessories seen here are useful in other centers as well. They can be used on a light table, in a water table, or on a rice sensory tray.