Materials
- Map of Ireland
- Copy machine
- Green construction paper
- Glue
- St. Patrick's Day stickers
- Laminate or clear contact paper
- Small copper pot with lid
- Rainbow confetti
- Play coins and acorns, optional
- Gold spray paint, optional
What to do
1. Make photocopies of a map of Ireland. If necessary, draw a map.
2. Give each child a map and a piece of large green construction paper. Encourage the children to glue the map in the center of the green paper to make a placemat.
3. The children can use St. Patrick's Day stickers to decorate the placemat.
4. Laminate the placemats or cover them with clear contact paper. These make great party placemats for the children to eat their party foods on (see More to do).
5. Make "A Bit o' Rainbow Dust." Before the children arrive, put confetti into a small copper pot. If desired, spray paint play coins and acorns using gold paint and add them to the pot.
6. Go outside to the playground and select a spot to put the tiny copper pot, with the lid off. Sprinkle a bit of the confetti around it.
7. At recess, lead the children to the pot of rainbow dust and tell them the following story:
At dawn on St. Patrick's Day, if the leprechauns find the gold at the end of the rainbow (as they always do), they collect every last coin and nugget and put it into tiny copper pots and carry it to their underground fortress. But leprechauns are greedy. Even when they see that they can't get it all into their hole before it closes up until the next St. Patrick's Day, they still try to squeeze every last copper pot through. But there is never enough time. One small copper pot is always left behind with gold that comes from the end of the rainbow inside of it along with a wee bit o' rainbow dust. (Story by Penni Smith)
More to do
Make "Keep from Getting Pinched Pins": Cut out shamrock shapes from green felt. Give one to each child and encourage him or her to glue gold and green sequins onto it. Use gold safety pins to pin the shamrocks onto the child's clothing.
Snack: Make a St. Patrick's Day snack. Bake shamrock-shaped cookies and decorate them with green icing. Mix lime sherbet and ginger ale to make green punch. The children can eat their snack on their Ireland placemats.
Original song
Sing the following song to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell."
A leprechaun found some gold
A leprechaun found some gold
Heigh-ho the Blarney stone
A leprechaun found some gold.
He found it by the stream.
He found it by the stream.
Heigh-ho the Blarney stone
He found it by the stream.
It twinkles bright and gold
It twinkles bright and gold
Heigh-ho the Blarney stone
It twinkles bright and gold.
He took it home in bags
He took it home in bags
Heigh-ho the Blarney stone
He took it home in bags.
He danced an Irish jig
He danced an Irish jig
Heigh-ho the Blarney stone
He danced an Irish jig
Original fingerplay
Five little leprechauns lookin' for a rainbow
The first one said, "It's down the road of gold!"
The second one said, "Ah, no, it's where secrets are told."
The third one said, "It's by the waterfall."
The fourth one said, "You're all wrong. It's by the castle tall."
And the fifth one knew exactly where to look and he found it
Gold and all!
-Penni L. Smith, Riverside, CA
Instructions
1. Help children "knead" playdough to form a flat pizza dough shape.
2. Mix red paint with glue.
3. Ask children to spoon the red paint mixture onto the "crust" for sauce.
4. Pre-cut or help children cut yarn into small pieces to resemble shredded
cheese. Add it to the pizza.
5. Pre-cut or help children cut out other toppings, such as green peppers,
mushrooms, and pepperoni to add to the pizza.
More to do
Dramatic Play: Set up a pizza parlor in the classroom. Provide aprons, pizza
pans, spatulas, fake pizza, and other props.
Snack: Make individual pizzas using English muffins as the base.
