Books
Ten Lucky Leprechauns by Kathryn Heling (toddler storytime only)
Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Lucky Tucker by Leslie McGuirk
The Night Before St. Patrick’s Day by Natasha Wing (family storytime only)
Songs
“If You’re Wearing Green Today” (from Sunflower Storytime)
(Tune: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)
If you’re wearing green today, dance a jig,
If you’re wearing green today, dance a jig,
If you’re wearing green today,
Dance a jig, then smile and say,
“Have a very Happy St. Patrick’s Day”
Additional verses:
If you’re wearing green today, clap your hands….
If you’re wearing green today, spin around….
If you’re wearing green today, shout “Hurray!”….
If you’re wearing green today, stamp your feet….
“Michael Finnegan” (my condensed version)
There was an old man Named Michael Finnegan
He had whiskers On his chin-ne-gan
The wind blew them off And blew them on again
Poor old Michael Finnegan, Begin Again
There once was a man named Michael Finnegan,
He kicked up an awful dinnigin
Because they said he must not sing ag’in,
Poor old Michael Finnegan (begin ag’in)
There was an old man Named Michael Finnegan
Heard this song And began to sing again
Hurt my ears So don’t begin again
And that’s the end of Michael Finnegan!
And that’s the end of Michael Finnegan!
“Eensy Weensy Leprechaun” (from SurLaLune Storytime)
(Tune: “Eensy Weensy Spider”)
An eensy, weensy leprechaun
came out St. Patrick’s Day
to look for the gold
That was hidden far away.
Over the rainbow
was where he was told
so, with the wink of his green eye,
He ran for the gold.
Activities
1. St. Patrick’s Day Slime – I made two kinds of slime gold glitter slime and clear slime with St. Patrick’s Day confetti. Most of the children loved it, and those who did absolutely adored blowing slime bubbles. My recommendation for the glue/liquid starch slime is to slowly add the starch in. I found that I needed slightly less starch than glue (a 1 to 3/4 ratio). Additives like liquid watercolor or shimmer changed the ratio slightly.
2. Spin Art Shamrocks (from Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas) – I bought a bunch of salad spinners from IKEA for $4 each, made some shamrock templates, and had the children give them a whirl in the spinner.
