Every year around this time I get burnt out from holidays. There is one in every single month for us starting with October. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Andrew's birthday, Valentines Day... I'd seriously like to just forget St. Patrick's Day. It isn't one I celebrated growing up other than wearing green and having fun pinching people who weren't wearing green.
But I have to say, these days with Pinterest... you just can't ignore holidays, even small ones. Andrew wouldn't let me. He discovered on March 16 that the next day was "Leprechaun Day," as he calls it, and he talked about it the whole rest of the day and night. He kept asking me about setting a trap to catch the leprechaun and what we should leave out to entice him. Before rushing out the door the next morning he settled for a box, held up with a pencil and a few pennies and lucky charms. Whew. Nothing like waiting to the last minute.
Kerigan went to day care because they were having a fun St. Patty's Day party and making traps, too. So I couldn't just sit around and not make this holiday happen!
I got on Pinterest. Found this genius scavenger hunt idea I just knew Andrew would love. And bonus- the clue cards were free printables! I made a list and set out for Walmart!
It took me pretty much the whole day to organize everything, print out the cards, change a few of the clues and set this all up. But it was worth every second. The kids LOVED it! It started out with a letter from Lucky the Leprechaun that we found in the mailbox after I picked the kids up from school. In my old teaching stuff I dug through and found this creepy looking leprechaun and hung him on the door going into the house. Kerigan was a little freaked out, but Andrew loved it! Ha!
The envelope had a little note written backwards so you had to read it in a mirror. Andrew thought this was so neat! Clue #1 was also inside the envelope.
It led them to one of the toy baskets. Lucky had to use his special rainbow rope to climb up high... you know, since he's so short.
He used his rope to climb up and turn our milk green!
This was the favorite! Kerigan still hasn't stopped talking about the leprechaun leaving green pee in our toilet!
He took a nap on his green blanket in Andrew's bed!
Took a bath and shaved his green "glitter" whiskers in Kerigan's bathroom sink!
Such a messy leprechaun! The kids thought it was hilarious, though! And it was easy to clean up when Kerigan took a bath that night!
He read some little books and Andrew's Magic Tree House book about Leprechauns!
This is where I changed the scavenger hunt a little bit because the printable had said he took a spin in the van, and left something outside the front door, but since I had to pick the kids up in the van, I couldn't really hide a clue in it. Plus it was really cold and windy, so I kind of wanted to avoid outside. So he left the kids a note typed on the computer screen instead!
And left green fingerprints on the keyboard!
The last clue had them follow the shamrocks down the stairs...
Into the basement for their "pot of gold!" They were so excited! And bonus- all the St. Patrick's Day stuff was 50% off! There's a perk to waiting til the last minute for this stuff! The shamrock cutouts were in my old teaching stuff I dug out of a box in the basement!
They had so much fun doing this and I'm so glad I went to all the trouble! And it makes me feel not as guilty for forgetting about overlooking April Fools Day!
Kerigan's sweet little day care friends! Ashley took all their pictures and made this collage- so cute! They had fun at their party and making their own leprechaun traps! Too bad those little guys are too fast to catch!
