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 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.