We are so excited to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the kids at our preschool in Greenville! We’ve got food, crafts, and lots and lots of green going on to make the day a bit more special. If you’d like to make the day fun for your kids (in a stress-free way for you!), we’re sharing some ideas, tips, recipes, and more!
St. Patrick’s Day at Our Preschool in Greenville
At our day care center, we’re having a center-wide celebration! Parents are invited to join us for lunch where we will be serving cabbage, carrots, and potatoes, with a yummy shepherds pie! There will also be crafts and age-appropriate activities going on in the individual classrooms, and of course, everyone will be rocking the green!
St. Patrick’s Day Food to Serve at Dinner!
Food is a great way to explore and learn about different cultures and countries, or even just try something new. Try serving some of these St. Paddy’s Day favorites:
Corned beef
Cabbage
Shepherd’s Pie
Soda bread
Colcannon
What’s colcannon? It’s an Irish potato recipe that blends creamy mashed potatoes with cabbage (though some people prefer kale instead) that is both delicious and easy! We love this recipe, courtesy of Taste of Home:
Ingredients:
1 head of cabbage, shredded (or a large bunch of kale, shredded)
4 pounds of medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 cups whole milk
1 cup green onions, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1 teaspoon of parsley (garnish)
Bacon crumbles (garnish)
Melted butter
Instructions:
Simmer cabbage in two cups of water until it’s tender (about 10 minutes). Drain the cabbage, keeping the cooking liquid and transferring the cabbage in a separate dish.
Return the cooking liquid to the pot where you cooked the cabbage – add the potatoes and add a bit more water to make sure the potatoes are immersed. Boil until the potatoes are tender (about 15 – 20 minutes.) 15-20 minutes.
Place milk, green onions, salt and pepper in a small saucepan; bring just to a boil and remove from heat.
Drain potatoes; place in a large bowl and mash. Add milk mixture; beat just until blended. Stir in cabbage. To serve, drizzle with butter; top with parsley and bacon.
For dessert – try decorating sugar cookies with green frosting, or serve pistachio pudding or mint chocolate chip ice cream!
St. Patrick’s Day Books for Preschoolers
It’s always fun to match storytime to a holiday, and St. Patrick’s Day is no exception! Check out these books at the local library or buy them from Amazon:
How to Catch a Leprechaun – Adam Wallace
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Curious George – H. A. Rey
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover – Lucille Colandro
Pete the Cat: The Great Leprechaun Chase – James Dean
Simple Crafts for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Crafts are another fun way to celebrate holidays with kids, but so many require dozens of materials (that aren’t cheap!) and Mom or Dad end up doing more work than the kids! That’s not fun for anyone, so we’ve found some fun, simple St. Patrick’s Day crafts for toddlers and preschoolers!
Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow
With fruit ring cereal, construction paper, and a glue stick, your little leprechaun can make their own pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! Don’t have Fruit Loops – Use a pencil eraser to dot rainbow paint colors instead!
You’ll need:
Fruit ring cereal
Light blue or white card stock or construction paper
Black construction paper
Yellow construction paper (or yellow paint or a yellow marker) or gold glitter
Glue stick and safety scissors
To Do:
Cut a pot of gold shape out of black construction paper and glue it to the bottom left corner of the light blue paper.
Add coins or gold to the pot by cutting out little circles from yellow paper and gluing them on, add dots of yellow paint, or sprinkle gold glitter at the top of the pot.
Make the rainbow by gluing an arc of red fruit rings from the top right corner of the page to the pot of gold, followed by orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.
Leprechaun Hats
All you need for these little leprechaun hats is some elastic to create a band, and some construction paper and glue!
You’ll need:
Green, black, and yellow construction paper
Safety scissors and a glue stick
Elastic
Glue gun (for attaching elastic)
To-Do:
Hold the green construction paper long ways, and trim about 2 inches from one side. Turn it horizontal and glue it to the bottom of the remaining paper. This will make the hat’s “brim.”
Cut a 1.5-inch wide strip of black construction paper the length of the hat to make the band above the brim and glue it on.
Cut out a 2″ x 2″ square from the yellow square (you can also cut out a 1″ x 1″ square from the middle of the yellow to give it more of a “buckle” appearance) and glue it to the middle of the black band.
With the hat dry, measure a piece of elastic so it will comfortably fit on your child’s head, then use a glue gun to attach one end to each side of the brim of the hat.
Join the Fun at Our Preschool in Greenville
We strive to provide fun, educational experiences to the kids we care for in a loving, nurturing environment. From celebrating holidays to exploring the outdoors and gaining new skills, we take pride in our 5-star child care. To schedule a tour or learn more about our programs, reach out to us today at 252-756-8200 or fill out the contact form below!
My husband and I signed our daughter up for daycare at Children's Campus in a desperate need. We had the opportunity to tour the center which we instantly fell in love with everything about it. Since our daughter has been attending Children's Campus she has done nothing but flourish in development. All of her teachers that she had been with since being here have been the sweetest and most caring, and that does not stop with the teachers as all of the staff at this center share constant love for the children. This is all evident by always being greeted with cheerful smiles, as well as witnessing everyone else being treated the same.
Laura L., Greenville
By spending time in my children's classrooms, I have witnessed the teachers' dedication and passion for working with children. Each day provides a stimulating experience in an atmosphere that fosters learning, as well as development of social, emotional, and gross and fine motor skills, all of which helps boost self-esteem. Each day when I drop them off I am confident Children's Campus provides a loving, nurturing , and attentive environment where my kids can play, learn, grow, and thrive!
