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16 magical St. Patrick’s Day activities for kids

Unlike Christmas, Hanukkah, Easter and Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day, at least in the American sense, tends to be one of those adult-favored holidays. (Blame it on the green-dyed beer and Irish pub crawls.) But if you’re simply donning your kid in all green and hoping they won’t get pinched on March 17 (but truly, maybe it’s time to skip that painful tradition), you’re missing out on a trove of fun, colorful, magical activities that coincide with some of the holiday’s major themes, including the power of family, good fortune and making your own luck. 

From recipes for sweet treats to lesson-learning books to magical, leprechaun-laden movies, here are 16 of our favorite ways for families to enjoy St. Patrick’s Day with kids. 

Best St. Patrick’s Day food for kids

1. St. Patrick’s Day snack board 

This healthy veggie and fruit snackboard from Eating by Elaine depicts all the usual holiday symbols — from a colorful rainbow to 4-leaf clovers — just trade candies, cookies and frosting for strawberries, kiwis, grapes, flatbread and hummus. 

2. St. Patrick’s Day brownie bites  

Scoop up some brownie bites, chocolate frosting, gold confetti sugar and rainbow sour tape candy from your local grocer for this semi-homemade recipe from Design by Dazzle. The best part of all (aside from the super-minimal ingredient list) is that kids can easily create on their own — with your supervision, of course.

3. Edible gold Oreos 

Another St. Patrick’s Day recipe even the youngest of kiddos can partake in (with just two ingredients!), these shimmery Oreos from Simply Being Mommy make for the perfect pot-of-gold filling.

4. St. Patrick’s Day punch

A win for time-strapped parents or caregivers, this three-ingredient recipe from The Diary of a Real Housewife is super simple for kids to whip up under the supervision of an adult. Top ginger ale and lime sherbet scoops with whipped cream and an assortment of gold and green sprinkles, and you’ve got a tasty, refreshing drink to cheers to. (Don’t be surprised when the adults in the room trade their green-dyed beers for a cold glass!)

Best St. Patrick’s Day family activities 

1. Attend a St. Patrick’s Day parade or city event 

From a 5th Avenue festival in New York City to a green-dyed river in Chicago, if you live near a fairly populated area, there’s a good chance your city (or nearby cities) will be organizing some type of St. Patrick’s Day festival. Check your city council website to see what activities will be happening throughout the month of March. 

2. Do crafts at home

With rainbow colors, the promise of spring, and magical pots of gold to guide you, St. Patrick’s Day is the perfect time to whip up fun, festive crafts as a family. Check out these St. Paddy̵7;s craft ideas to try, from rolled paper four-leaf clovers to rainbows made from Froot Loops. 

3. Plant shamrocks 

The familiar four-leaf (well, if you’re in luck!) plant goes officially by oxalis acetosella and is native to Ireland. And according to the Farmer’s Almanac, it can be grown fairly easily on its own. Aim to fertilize the plant every two to three weeks with a basic houseplant fertilizer and store in damp, but well-drained, soil. Try to keep the plant in an area with plenty of sunlight and a 70- to 75-degree temperature (at night, it can dip 10 degrees lower). 

4. Learn about St. Patrick’s Day history 

While green sweet treats and magical leprechauns make St. Patrick’s Day a festive time for families, understanding why the holiday stands can help give kids some context behind the celebrations. As History.com states, March 17 honors the death of Saint Patrick, a man credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. It’s believed that he explained the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) using a three-leaf clover, which Celtic priests used later on as symbols for good luck. (They believed the clovers would ward off evil spirits.) 

Here’s a quick explainer on the holiday for kids from PBS. 

Best St. Patrick’s Day books to read together 

1. “The Night Before St. Patrick’s Day” by Natasha Wing

Stir up excitement for March 17 with your preschool-age little ones by cracking open this picture book that follows Tim and Maureen as they set up leprechaun traps the evening before the big holiday. Semi-spoiler alert: The siblings actually do catch a magical being. What will they do with him? 

2. “The Magic Tree House Merlin Mission: Leprechaun in Late Winter” by Mary Pope Osborne

The beloved chapter book series, Magic Tree House (a favorite for imaginative 3rd through 5th graders), spotlights St. Patrick’s Day in this particular edition. Follow Jack and Annie as they learn about Irish heritage, pride, legends and folklore. 

3. “Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato” by Tomie DePaola

Irish farmer Jamie O’Rourke (due mostly to laziness) has a particularly underwhelming set of crops. A magical leprechaun steps in to help Jamie grow an enormous potato, but does that magical being have a few tricks up his sleeve? Get ready for some laughs (and lesson-learning) with this book based on an Irish folktale geared towards 2nd through 4th graders.  

4. “Fiona’s Luck” by Teresa Bateman, illustrated by Kelly Murphy

Another trickster is afoot in this illustrated book for 2nd through 4th graders. Based on an Irish folktale, the Leprechaun King has hidden away all of Ireland’s good fortune. Enter: Fiona, a clever, spunky lass determined to outsmart the sneaky King and bring good fortune back to her homeland. 

Best St. Patrick’s Day movies to watch as a family 

1. “Darby O’Gill and the Little People”

Those darn leprechauns are at it again. This time, Darby O’Gill (played by Albert Sharpe) has slipped through a portal to a magical land. And, much to his surprise, he accidentally brings a leprechaun home with him –– the king leprechaun, in fact. Naturally, chaos (and lesson-learning) ensues. Stay on the lookout for a young Sean Connery in this 1959 Disney classic. Rated G. 

Watch: “Darby O’Gill and the Little People” on Disney+

2. “Luck of the Irish”

In this made-for-TV Disney Channel movie, a teenage boy loses his good luck charm, only to learn he’s actually a leprechaun. What’s worse, now, he must get back that charm so his family won’t be controlled by another leprechaun (who’s pretty evil). Classic, right? Rated G. 

Watch: “Luck of the Irish” on Disney+

3. “Riverdance: The Animated Adventure”

If you’ve had your fill of evil leprechauns (raises hand), look no further than this gorgeously animated feature from Netflix. Follow Keegan, a young boy coping with the loss of his grandfather through music, dance, culture, folklore and all-things-Irish-beauty. Rated Y-7. 

Watch: “Riverdance: The Animated Adventure” on Netflix

4. “The Secret of Kells”

In this critically hailed (it has a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes) Irish mythological fantasy, a medieval monk enters an enchanted forest to perform a series of magic tasks. Adults will awe at the striking animation, and while the movie is unrated, some of the imagery might be too harsh for younger kids. 

Watch: “The Secret of Kells” on Amazon Prime