St. Patty's Day and Catch a Leprechaun Activity

With St. Patrick's Day approaching I've been reflecting back on what I have done with my students the past few years and looking to this week. Since this is my second year in K and last year I was in survival mode, this year I've been working on stepping things up and making new centers. I created a word wall game for my kindergarten class called "Catch a Leprechaun" and thought I should share with the blogging world! Enjoy!!

I come from a big family that loves St. Patrick's Day so I love to entertain my students with my fun and crazy family activities. The majority of my family are Irish Catholics (my immediate family are the oddballs as the Presbyterians) but pretty much everyone lives for St. Patrick's Day and lives in the area. And when I mean a big family, I mean big. My Aunt is one of 10 kids each of which has at least 3 children plus grandchildren now! We're described as a little bit nutty because how many families do you know that have their own float in the Washington, DC St. Patrick's Day Parade?

Marching down Constitution Ave.

Usually we have a showing of 50-75 family members for the parade every year rain or shine. I'm posting photos from the parade two years ago, last year it was rainy so I didn't take any photos. So one of my family traditions is as we
pass the judging booth we sing, "The Unicorn Song" by The Irish Rovers and everyone participates in the dance to the chorus from adults and grandparents down to our "stroller brigade" we have following the float. It's a big hit and we've won our section of the parade quite a few times! So the part I teach my kids is the chorus, during the rest of the song they Irish dance around the room. I do teach them a few Irish dance steps but they take it from there!

My cousins and I on the float.

Here's the chorus with the movement:
"There was green alligators (clap your arms together)
and long-necked geese (hold 1 arm up to the sky)
Some humpty backed camels (hands over head making humps)
and some chimpanzees (hands scratching under arm pits)
Some cats (use finger to make cat ears)
and rats (fingers to make rat teeth) and elephants (long arm out in front swinging back and forth),
but as sure as you're born
The loveliest of all was the unicorn" (one finger up on top of head)

The Leprechaun always comes to visit at school! Last year I left little green footprints using a stamp I bought at a craft store plus glitter all over the room and chairs and things all out of place. The Leprecaun then hid a box of gold coins (beans spray painted gold) and a bag of gold nuggets (Rolos candy) for the kids to find. I was lucky last year because I had a student who was taking Irish Dancing classes so he came in and led the kids in a dance.

We also made Leprechaun Hats and frosted cookies with sprinkles.
To make the hats cut paper with the dimensions below:

• Green rectangle 9"x 24"
• Black rectangle 4"x 24"
• Yellow buckle 4"x 5"
• Black buckle 3"x 4"
• Dicut 1 dark green shamrock

~Lindsey