Kids

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day!

Kaboose
St. Patrick's Day crafts, recipes, fun facts and more.

DLTK
Learn about St. Patrick's Day as well as printables, games, and more.

Enchanted Learning
Fun St. Patrick's Day crafts and activities.

Online game--Wallop
Play Wallop and help Larry the Leprechaun protect his pots of gold from the Sneaky Snakes!

Online game--Shamrock Streamer
Try to get to the end of the rainbow to find your pot of gold in Shamrock Streamer!

CELEBRATIONS

Dr. Seuss was born on March 2, 1904.
The official website of Seussville.


Lois Lowry was born on March 20, 1937.
The official website for the famous children's author.


Emily Osment was born on March 10, 1992.
The official website of the Hannah Montana star.

DID YOU KNOW

March 20 is the first day of spring.
A collection of spring crafts to help celebrate the season.

JUST FOR FUN

What is out on the lawn all summer and is Irish?
Paddy O'Furniture.


More kid-friendly St. Patrick's Day jokes and riddles here.

BOOKS AND BOOKLISTS

St. Patrick's Day and Irish-themed books for pre-schoolers and young readers.



St. Patrick's Day by Anne Rockwell
(Pre-K-K) The children in Mrs. Madoff's classroom are once again participating in holiday-related activities: wearing something green, writing reports, acting in a play, dancing a jig. Evan is lucky enough to be all Irish, and he shows a picture of himself on a visit to his grandparents in Ireland. At home, he continues to celebrate. Lizzy Rockwell's clear, vivid spreads evoke an active learning environment. This welcome addition to the series clearly outlines the importance of this day in March on which everyone is Irish.
(Review courtesy of School Library Journal)




A Fine St. Patrick's Day by Susan Wojciechowski
(Pre-K-K) The neighboring towns of Tralee and Tralah compete each year in a St. Patrick's Day decorating contest, and each year Tralee loses. This year, however, six-year-old Tralee resident Fiona Riley has an idea that may turn the town's luck around-she suggests that they paint the entire town green. As the two towns busy themselves with contest preparations, a stranger comes to Tralah, a small, pointy-eared man on a white horse who needs help getting his cows unstuck from the mud. The townspeople of Tralah can't be bothered to help him; they are cutting shamrocks out of cardboard to glue on all their trees. But the good folks of Tralee, led again by Fiona, agree to hang up their paintbrushes and help the cows. Despite their sacrifice, they win the contest; the stranger paints the town green while they are sleeping. Wojciechowski's charming tale is beautifully complemented by Curry's stylized depictions of green rolling hills and thatched-roof houses. Both text and art convey a sturdy feeling about community and charity, brushed with touch of whimsy.
(Review courtesy of Booklist)



Shannon and the World's Tallest Leprechaun by Sean Callahan
(Pre-K-Grade 2) A tale of leprechaun magic set in modern times. Shannon has been practicing hard for the Saint Patrick's Day step dance contest at the Irish-American Heritage Center, but she doesn't think she'll win because of her homemade dress and secondhand shoes. When she breaks a heel, she despairs, realizing that her parents cannot afford another pair of shoes. She remembers a family superstition and counts backward in Gaelic. To her amazement, a leprechaun-one who is almost six feet tall and garbed in a green suit and leather apron-materializes and offers to grant her three wishes. Liam fulfills her first request, for new dancing gear, by showing her how to take care of the things she already has and repairing the broken heel. He deals with her other wishes in equally roundabout ways, causing her to doubt his abilities, but, by contest time, Shannon has not only made a friend, but has also learned that passion and practice are much more important than appearances. Callahan's text is filled with amusing dialogue that keeps the story from becoming message-heavy. Kemly's vibrant pastels play up the surprise and humor of a very tall "wee man" and provide colorful backdrops for the action. A fresh choice for holiday programs or in communities where Irish dance is popular.
(Review courtesy of School Library Journal)



Look Out, Jeremy Bean by Alice Schertle
(Grades 1-3) Three short stories introduce Jeremy Bean. He is frustrated because he can't come up with a collection that no other kid has until his grandfather gives him inspiration, he tries to capture the elusive "dust bunnies" and ends up getting a real pet, and forgets to wear green on St. Patrick's Day. Jeremy tries to do his best but sometimes his best gets him into silly and not-so-silly situations, like being locked in the janitor's closet. Youngsters will empathize with the everyday occurrences in these funny, totally childlike tales. Slonim's black-and-white cartoon illustrations capture the flavor of the stories and feature a boy with wide eyes and freckles.
(Review courtesy of School Library Journal)



The St. Patrick's Day Shamrock Mystery by Marion Markham
(Grades 2-4) Another satisfying seasonal title for readers looking for transitional chapter books with substance. The Dixon twins are caught up in a mystery when they find a shamrock painted on their neighbor's door on St. Patrick's Day morning. They soon find that more green paint has been used to vandalize their clubhouse, but the worst news is that one of Miss Wink's new kittens is missing. The pace picks up as Kate and Mickey sort out the clues and try to size up the "Green Shamrock Gang." After interviewing the local grocery store owner, the girls make some deductions that lead them to a lonely new kid on the block. The mystery is happily resolved: the twins make a new friend, and Miss Wink's kitten is returned. Pen-and-ink drawings are scattered throughout.
(Review courtesy of School Library Journal)