Putting The Pretty In Preschool

Finding Beauty In Everyday Early Childhood Experiences

St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick’s Day Treasure Blocks

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Leprechauns add an element of fun to St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. And a leprechaun is the star sighting in these St. Patrick’s Day treasure blocks that are sure to appeal to little learners.

St. Patrick's Day treasure blocks featuring a leprechaun and shamrock themed craft supplies and coins.

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Ten Things To Know About Leprechauns

In Irish stories passed down through oral tradition, leprechauns …

  • are tiny, imaginary men.
  • are older in age and have rust-colored beards.
  • make shoes for a living.
  • are good craftsmen and musicians.
  • collect gold for their work. Some stories say they keep it in a pot at the end of a rainbow for safekeeping.
  • are smart with a quick sense of humor.
  • are mischievous tricksters. They can easily distract people from getting their gold, or from having three wishes granted.
  • are hard to catch. Listening for the faint tapping sound of their little shoe hammers is a tip to track them down.
  • live in remote places and like to be by themselves.
  • No one has ever seen one!

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St. Patrick's Day loose parts with gold coins, foil shamrocks, rainbows, pots of gold, and a leprechaun.

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20th Century photos and figurines usually show leprechauns as well dressed, wearing green coats, buckled shoes, and top hats. In earlier years they were dressed in dark red.

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St. Patrick’s Day Treasure Blocks

St. Patrick's Day treasure blocks featuring a leprechaun and shamrock themed craft supplies and coins.

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There is plenty of gold to keep a leprechaun happy in these St. Patrick’s Day-themed treasure blocks.

Items in the treasure blocks:

  • leprechaun
  • gold and green beads
  • rainbow, pot of gold, and top hat erasers
  • rainbow and pot of gold stickers on felt backing
  • green, gold, black, and white pom poms
  • gold and green coins
  • pot of gold confetti
  • shamrock confetti

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Leprechaun themed loose parts to use in treasure blocks or sensory jars.

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Related: St. Patrick’s Day Sensory Tub

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Follow up this engaging St. Patrick’s Day block play activity by constructing a leprechaun trap with your little learner. Creative DIY traps are featured in the blog post: A Fun Idea For St. Patrick’s Day: Leprechaun Traps.

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St. Patrick’s Day Sensory Tub

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St. Patrick's Day sensory table inspired by the city of Chicago, USA. Green and shamrock themed loose parts invite sensory play opportunities.

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This St. Patrick’s Day water play sensory table is inspired by the city of Chicago’s tradition of turning the river water green as part of their St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. 

The tradition of coloring the water vibrant green in Chicago became an annual event in 1962, but the origins of this practice started much earlier. A green substance was used to test the river water for pollution in the early 1900s and continued in the following years. People liked seeing the change in color, and in 1962 the practice was implemented for St. Patrick’s Day. In 1966 the powder used became a more environmentally friendly vegetable dye.

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How The Water Turns Green

Chicago Journeyman Plumbers Union 130 members turn the water bright green. The recipe is secret: an orange powder is spread on the water and mysteriously turns green when mixed in. The river water becomes fluorescent green for a stretch in the center of the city. Plumbers using a few boats carry out the procedure. One or more boats spread the powder on the water. Another boat mixes the powder in.

Bottles of orange powder, clear water and green water. It is a mystery how Chicago Journeyman Plumbers Union 130 use orange powder to turn the water green at the annual St. Patrick's Day festivities..

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Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Activities

The river water in Chicago is turned green to coincide with a large St. Patrick’s Day parade that is held on the Saturday closest to the holiday. Irish dancers and kilted musicians playing bagpipes are feature performers in the parade. Many spectators gather around the shore or on one of the downtown bridges to watch the parade and view the brilliant green water.

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Other events held in Chicago to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day:

  • Iconic buildings, monuments, and streets are lit in green.
  • Cruises are offered near the green river water.
  • Irish bands give performances.
  • Events are held featuring Irish music, dance, and storytelling.
  • Irish refreshments are served.
  • Chicago celebrates St. Patrick’s Day as an opportunity for people to get together to have a good time and to recognize what the Irish have done for their city.

For current St. Patrick’s Day activities in Chicago, click here.

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St. Patrick’s Day Water Table

Water table filled with green and gold St. Patrick's Day-themed loose parts.

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This St. Patrick’s Day-themed water table has plenty of green items and a few gold ones and will offer your early learner a variety of sensory and sorting experiences.

Items in the sensory table include:

  • green and gold coins
  • marbles and buttons
  • ping pong balls
  • large plastic shamrocks
  • foam shamrocks
  • ice cube shamrocks
  • bracelets
  • small drinking glasses
  • leprechaun hats
  • cut necklace pieces
  • foam dice
  • storage containers
  • trays
  • scoops

Some of the above items can be exchanged for sailors and boats.

Toy boats on green water filled with St. Patrick's Day-themed loose parts offer a rich sensory play experience.

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As an alternative, skip the green food coloring and add bubbles for your early learner to experience some foamy play.

St. Patrick's day themed water table featuring green and gold items with bubbles added.

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Build A Christmas Tree STEAM Activity

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Invitation to build a Christmas tree from clear plastic serving trays, plates, and cups, A family STEAM activity with many opportunities for learning.

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This “Build A Christmas Tree” STEAM activity offers a unique opportunity to incorporate construction, lights, and Christmas decorations in an engaging way. Materials needed are readily available and easy to collect. In the process of building a tree and decorating it, young children progress in many areas of development.

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Supplies To Collect

  • clear plastic plates, cups, and serving trays
  • clear plastic lids (if needed to complete the size range)
  • Individual lights
  • nonbreakable Christmas decorations
  • picture/template of the completed project

The serving trays and plates should be of different sizes. I added one clear plastic lid because I could not find the size needed in a plate or tray.

Plastic serving trays, plates, lid and cups to use as a Christmas tower tree building prompt. A family STEAM activity with many possibilities for learning.

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Christmas bell decorations and garland add sensory appeal to this activity.

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Stage the “Build A Christmas Tree” Activity

Set out the construction materials and Christmas decorations on a table with ample space.

Display a picture of the completed project. (A picture can be downloaded further down the post.)

Challenge children to build a tree and decorate it. Offer help as requested or needed.

A snack tray works well as the largest and bottom piece, as decorations can be stored on it.

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“Build A Christmas Tree” STEAM Learning Possibilities

Building a stacked tree offers many opportunities for learning. Here is a list of developmental areas and growth possibilities for each one using this construction activity.

Math

  • Practice ordering sizes from smallest to largest.
  • Match sizes and shapes.
  • Learn about height, length, measurement, symmetry, and balance.
  • Count layers on the tree.

Science

  • Learn cause and effect when putting heavier and lighter decorations on higher or lower parts of the tree.
  • See the results of adding lights to different parts of the tree.

Fine And Gross Motor Control

  • Develop eye-hand coordination in placing decorations in just the right spot.

Language Development

  • Name objects.
  • Describe decorations as heavy, light, hard, soft, fluffy, metallic, bright red, rough, or smooth.

Creative Development

  • Create a unique tree by choosing from many kinds of trimmings and lights.

Sensory Exploration

  • Feel different textures and notice smells.
  • Observe seasonal colors and shapes.
  • Hear the jingling sound of bells.

Social Development

  • Learn to co-operate when building the tree with other children.
  • Enhance friendships when working together as a team.

Self Esteem Enhancement

  • Gain a sense of satisfaction in building and decorating a unique tree by oneself or with friends.
  • Opportunity to make choices.

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Learning Possibilities Download

Download this list of learning possibilities to use as a handout for teachers, caregivers or parents.

Build-A-Tree-Learning-PossibilitiesDownload

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A decorated tower tree using clear plastic plates, serving trays, and cups. A STEAM activity for young learners.

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This activity is perfect for an adult and children to work on. The stacked tree is challenging to make, and early learners may appreciate some grown-up assistance. And adults can offer decorating challenges to extend the learning experience, ie.

  • Can you make a tree shape with these circles and cups?
  • Can you put all the pompoms on?
  • Can you find a spot for the acorns?
  • Can you put two bells on the tree?
  • Can you put heavier pieces on the bottom tray?
  • Can you put a pom pom on each side of a circle shape?

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Reproducing A Design From A Template Or Photo

Studies show that reproducing a design from a template or photo enhances mathematical skills and brain development. This is a more structured kind of construction play. However, it’s perfectly okay to offer these materials in two ways:

  1. Challenge children to build a tree similar to a template or photo, and offer the materials in an open-ended way another day.
  2. Offer materials in an open-ended way first, and challenge children to build a template design as a follow-up activity.
Model of a tower themed Christmas tree for children to use as a template. Free printable for download.

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Download a picture to use as a pattern here.

Christmas Tree ModelDownload

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This “Build A Christmas Tree” STEAM activity can be offered on a tabletop, or placed on a light table. It can be set in the room at different places over a period of days or moved around by the children. The accessories can be saved for other light/light table activities.

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For more Christmas tree-building ideas, view a post on the website Left Brain Craft Brain.

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St. Patrick’s Day Activities

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St. Patrick's Day activities for the early childhood classroom. Sensory tray, writing center, and dramatic play center ideas included.

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It’s March, but there is still lots of snow outside in Edmonton.  St. Patrick’s Day activities and the green color they surround us with are so welcome.  Here are three centers my class is currently playing in.

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St. Patrick’s Day Sensory Tray

Items included in this sensory tray:

  • spinach rice vermicelli noodles (broken up)
  • green bowls, sieves, and scoops
  • green buttons, beads, and bead garland
  • shamrock and leprechaun shaped erasers
  • green coins
  • leprechaun mini hats
  • shamrock ice cubes
St. Patrick's Day rice noodle tray with leprechaun hats, green sieves, utensils and loose parts.

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The green vermicelli noodles are a great find, as they are “ready-made” for this activity.

Green rice vermicelli noodles for sensory play.

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St. Patrick’s Day Play Kitchen

Pretend play is hands down one of children’s favorite activities to do.  When effort is put into adding details to a play kitchen, children respond with delight.

St. Patrick's Day house center dramatic play accessories. Tableware, play food, jewelry, coins, and decorations are included.

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St. Patrick’s Day pretend play items:

  • St. Patrick’s Day themed plates and napkins
  • shamrock felt decorations (to use as cookies)
  • shamrock felt garland (taken apart to be “pretzels”)
  • green and yellow pom-poms (play food)
  • green and white flowers
  • shamrock-shaped tray
  • green serving utensils and ice cube tray
  • shamrock table scatter
  • bead necklace
  • gold coins

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St. Patrick’s Day Creating And Writing Center

St. Patrick's Day writing center with office supplies. Themed tracers, stickers rulers, rubber stamps, erasers, hole punches, and writing papers are included.

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The items in this creating and writing center are:

  • felt pens in varying shades of green
  • shamrock ink stampers
  • shamrock paper punch
  • leprechaun hat and shamrock tracers
  • St. Patrick’s Day erasers
  • St. Patrick’s Day stickers
  • sticky note pad
  • green stencil rulers
  • paper and pencil
  • gold coins
  • St. Patrick’s Day glasses
  • flowers and Irish blessing for decoration

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All these activities are stocked with accessories easily found at Dollar stores or party stores. They are versatile pieces and can be used in the same or different ways in upcoming years.

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