10 Kid Friendly St. Patrick's Day Crafts

St. Patrick's Day is always a fun holiday to celebrate with children even if it is one of the less popular ones. They enjoy seeing things turn green and keeping an eye out for signs there's a leprechaun nearby. Why not try some of these festive crafts with your little ones this March?

1) Pot of Gold Paper Plate Craft from The Simple Parent
It's hard to believe this pot of gold is made out of painted paper plates and buttons! I love the finished look and kids will really enjoy putting this one together. You can always buy black paper plates from the party aisle to save on clean-up time. I won't tell the kids you skipped the messy part!

2) Leprechaun Handprint Craft from Simple Everyday Mom
Handprint crafts are the holy grail of kids' keepsakes. This project puts a fun St. Paddy's Day twist on the common craft and would be perfect for a Pre-K or lower elementary classroom. The kids will love personalizing their own leprechauns.

3) Rainbow Rain Stick from The Kindergarten Connection
I love this craft for many reasons. First of all, it's bright and colorful. Second, it can be made with recycled materials you probably already have at the house. Third, it's so unique! There are a lot of holiday crafts out there, but I cannot say I run into rain sticks often. My sister has an authentic rain stick and I know my niece loves swinging it around and listening to the "rain." This will surely be played with until it falls apart!

4) St. Patrick's Day Slime from Emily Enchanted
It wouldn't be a craft post if there wasn't any slime! You know kids love it and they'll enjoy this version with gold glitter and leprechaun confetti. It lasts for a long time if stored in an airtight container so make it early and kids can play with it the entire month of March!

5) Torn Paper Leprechaun from I Heart Crafty Things
This leprechaun is made using glue and paper. It doesn't get any easier (or cuter) than that! This would be another great project for elementary school children.

6) Rainbow Shamrock from Housing a Forest
I've said it before and I'll say it again- I love tissue paper projects! They're easy to make with children and they always turn out so pretty! This shamrock is a great stand-alone project, but it can also be used to decorate other St. Patrick's Day crafts, like a homemade card. You could also try using a hole-punch and some string to make a rainbow shamrock mobile. The possibilities are endless!

7) End of the Rainbow Twirler from Crafty Morning
Paper plates and paint are all  you need to create this adorable rainbow twirler with the kids. A little pot of gold at the end makes the craft complete. These could be made at school and hung from the ceiling for easy St. Patrick's Day party decor!

8) Mosaic Paper Shamrocks from Happiness is Homemade
Different types and designs of paper are all you need to create these adorable mosaic shamrocks. This is a great craft that is easy for kids to do themselves using their own safety scissors and glue sticks. If you're already a crafter, you probably have a bunch of patterned paper sitting in a drawer somewhere like me. If you don't, ask the scrapbookers in your life. I bet they've got a stockpile you could use for this craft to keep it as cheap as possible!

9) St. Patrick's Day Play Dough from Plain Vanilla Mom
This recipe for homemade Play Dough calls for lime Jell-O and gel food coloring to get a deep, vibrant green. Add sparkles and you've got a toy that will entertain your little leprechauns for hours!

10) Rainbow & Pot of Gold Chain Necklace from Crafty Morning
Remember those paper chains you'd make as a kid to count down to important days like Christmas or your birthday? Well they're back and this time mini-versions are made into a St. Patrick's Day necklace. I love how these look! They would make a great craftivity for elementary school kids on March 17th, for sure!

May the luck of the Irish shine on you this year! Happy St. Paddy's Day!

10 Kid Friendly Dr. Seuss Inspired Treats

You know him. You love him. That's right- I'm talking about the one and only Dr. Seuss! Beloved author of zany kids' stories like The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and The Lorax (just to name a few) celebrated his birthday on March 2nd.  His birthday also coincides with Read Across America Week in many schools, which is very fitting! Here are some delicious Dr. Seuss inspired treats that you and your little ones can make in honor of such a talented man!

1) Green Eggs and Ham Pretzel Bites by That's What Che Said...
You won't have to bribe your kiddos to partake in this adorable snack. I guarantee they'll eat them in a boat, in a house, or in a car! Super simple and affordable!

2) Dr. Seuss Rainbow Cookies by Deliciously Declassified
Dr. Seuss's stories were always filled with vibrant colors. You could definitely enjoy these beautiful lollipop-looking cookies for many different occasions, but they'd be very festive on Dr. Seuss day because they look like rainbow truffula trees. Store-bought cookie dough is an easy time-saver in this recipe!

3) Dr. Seuss 'The Lorax' Rice Krispies Pops by Mommy Musings
While it's difficult to choose, The Lorax is hands-down one of my favorite Dr. Seuss books of all time. He's such a cute little guy, even when he's fired up and speaking for the trees! Kids will love turning a classic treat into these Lorax pops and they are sure to impress at any class party.

4) Dr. Seuss 'Put Me in the Zoo' Chocolate Bark by Easy Family Recipe Ideas
I often include bark recipes in my kid-friendly treat lists because they are so easy to make and can be easily adapted to suit your needs. Simply use yellow chocolate melts and M&Ms candies to create a look that goes along perfectly with the book 'Put Me in the Zoo.'

5) Lorax Cake from Diamonds for Dessert
If you really want to WOW for a Dr. Seuss-themed party, then this is the cake for you! The site provides you with all the templates and lots of photos to walk you through the more complicated parts. It still screams The Lorax even if you don't have the time or skills to do the title decorations on the cake. I love the truffula trees made out of cotton candy!

6) Thing 1 and Thing 2 Candy Apples from Kara's Party Ideas
Everybody loves candied apples! Usually a favorite fall treat, you can easily spruce these up to represent Thing 1 and Thing 2 from The Cat in the Hat. A striped stick and blue bow complete the look that will surely impress any party guest!

7) Oh the Places You'll Go Cupcakes by the Inspiration Edit
These cupcakes are darling and go perfectly with Dr. Seuss's beloved Oh the Places You'll Go. This would be a great theme for a graduation party. I know some parents who secretly sneak a copy of this book into their child's teacher at the end of the year for him or her to sign and write a little something. Then, when they graduate, the book with all their teachers' notes is presented to them as a gift. How sweet would it be if these cupcakes accompanied that gift?

8) Grinch Fudge by How to Make Easy Fudge
Try turning fudge green and adding a little candy sprinkle to celebrate the Grinch's classic tale. This would be a great holiday spin on the typical fudge given during the holiday season. Very simple and festive!

9) Barbaloot Snacks by Surviving a Teacher's Salary
These adorable snacks would be perfect as part of a classroom celebration for Dr. Seuss or Read Across America week. Not only would kids love eating these teddy grahams and marshmallows while they listen to the teacher read The Lorax, but they are easy on the teacher's wallet, too!

10) Dr. Seuss 'Cat in the Hat' Cupcakes by Tasty Kitchen
I love how simple these cupcakes are to create! Make your typical chocolate cupcakes and top them with Oreo cookies, vanilla frosting, and gummy lifesavers to recreate the cat's hat! Kids will love
this simple dessert idea.

Happy birthday, Dr. Seuss! Thanks for sharing your talent with the world.

10 Kid Friendly St. Patrick's Day Treats

What are your plans for March 17th? If your calendar is open, I suggest spending some time with your little leprechauns by whipping up these yummy St. Paddy's Day themed treats.

1) Shamrock Fudge from Love and Confections
Who doesn't love fudge? This fudge is deliciously green and decorated with green sprinkles and shamrocks. If this doesn't scream St. Patrick's Day, I don't know what does!

2) Peek-A-Boo St. Patrick's Day Cake from Mom Loves Baking
Kids and adults alike will be impressed with this gorgeous cake! Green frosting and sprinkles make it pretty on the outside, but that doesn't even compare to the hidden rainbow shamrock on the inside! Definitely a time-consuming treat, but well worth it for the look of awe you'll get when cutting it into slices.

3) Luck of the Irish Cake Balls from The Good Stuff
Cake balls are the perfect treat! They're small enough to curb any cravings you might be having without overindulging. Not to mention they're so dang cute. These are perfectly sized for little hands and kids will love seeing the green cake when they bite into one!

4) Leprechaun Hat S'mores from The Cake Blog
These little hats are absolutely adorable and delicious! Kids love s'mores and they'll be thrilled they can have a favorite treat like this outside of the summer months. I've made a similar treat for Thanksgiving that used peanut butter cups in place of the marshmallow for a pilgrim's hat.

5) Mint Chocolate M&M's Cookies from Not Quite Susie Homemaker
Creating a St. Patrick's Day treat doesn't have to be time-consuming or complicated. These cookies show a relatively simple way to sneak some festive fun into an ordinary treat. By adding green, mint-flavored M&M's, you create a cookie that everyone will love. Can't find mint M&M's? Mint chips from the baking aisle will work just as well!

6) Pots o' Gold Pretzel Bites from The Typical Mom
Not only is this treat visually appealing, but it's created with kids' favorite snacks! Airhead Extreme candies, Rolos, pretzel snaps, and gold sugar are used to create a fun St. Patrick's Day treat. I love that it looks complicated, but is actually quite simple and quick to make.

7) Leprechaun Cookies from Oh My Creative
How adorable are these leprechaun cookies?! A Nutter Butter cookie is used as the base and then dipped in melted chocolates to create the yummiest little leprechaun treats. Kids will love snatching these up. (Beware of peanut allergies if serving to a large group of kids, of course.)

8) St. Patrick's Day White Chocolate Bark from Celeb Baby Laundry
If you've never made white chocolate bark before, you really need to try it! It's so simple and versatile. Adding green M&Ms and shamrock sprinkles make this perfect for St. Paddy's Day. You could also add a flavor twist by adding mint chips in place of or in addition to the chocolate candies!

9) Shamrock Shake from Dinner at the Zoo
Everyone knows that St. Patrick's Day isn't complete without a shamrock shake! A certain fast-food chain is known for their version of this shake and it's crazy popular for a reason. While the drive-thru might be the first place you think of going for this minty treat, it's always a good idea to know how to make your own in case your luck is like mine and "the shake machine is broken." Every. Single. Time.

10) St. Patrick's Day Sugar Cookies from Baked in Arizona
These cookies are just as described-heavenly! Green frosting and shamrock sprinkles make these appropriate for March 17th, but you could easily switch up the food colors to celebrate any holiday. A good sugar cookie should never be underappreciated!

I hope you have a very happy St. Patrick's Day! Each a few of these treats for me.