5 Little  Leprechauns

Five little leprechauns scurrying by my door,
One jumped away, then there were 4.
Four little leprechauns climbing in my tree,
One hid in the green leaves, then there were 3.
Three little leprechauns, just a busy few,
One went for a pot of gold, then there were 2.
Two little leprechauns, having lots of fun,
One hopped over the rainbow, then there was 1.
One little leprechaun, with all his work done.
He slipped off for a nap, then there were none.
Author Unknown
 

Five Green Shamrocks
Place 5 paper shamrocks, with a child's name printed on each one in the middle of the circle. As you recite following verse, children find their names and take the shamrock. Continue until everyone has a turn.

5 little shamrocks growing outside my door,
(child's name) picked one, and then there were 4.
4 little shamrocks, green as green could be,
(child's name) picked one, and then there were 3.
3 little shamrocks, sitting by my shoe,
(child's name) picked one, and then there were 2.
2 little shamrocks, nodding in the sun,
(child's name) picked one and that left 1.
1 little shamrock for Saint Patrick's Day fun,
(child's name) picked it, and that left none.
 

"Pot of Gold" Shape Game:  Place different laminated paper shapes in a black plastic cauldron type pot … as in “pot of gold.”  The pot is passed around the circle to each child, who pulls out a shape and says, "Do you know what I've been told? A (name shape) is in the pot of gold."
 

Saint Patrick's Day
(tune: Do Your Ears Hang Low)

Do your ears point up? (pull on top of ears)
Do you have a lot of luck? (cross fingers on both hands)
Can you dance an Irish jig? (dance)
For a pot of gold you'd dig. (pretend to dig)
Can you toss gold over your shoulder (pretend to toss over shoulder)
Like a giant throws a boulder? (pretend to throw heavy object)
Do your ears point up? (pull on top of ears)
Author Unknown

Shamrock Sequencing:  Divide a piece of white construction paper into 6 equal size boxes (any excess can be cut off later).  Copy or draw a shamrock inside each box.  The shamrock should be close to the size of the box.  Photocopy onto green construction paper.  Program the shamrocks with numbers 1 – 10 or however many you’d like for your students to sequence.  Whenever I make activities of this sort, I always make at least 2 sets; one for the classroom and one to send home in a Homework Tote.  Laminate; cut out cards on the lines (not around the shamrocks).  The students will sequence the numbers in the correct order.  They can sequence them in a pocketchart, on a clothesline, on the floor, or on a countertop.

Alphabetical Order: The shamrock cards would also work great for practicing putting alphabetical order.  Program each card with a word, then the students can alphabetize the words in a pocketchart (up to 10 words vertically) or elsewhere.  You could also use theme based words for alphabetizing:  elf, shamrock, gold, pot, rainbow, green, tiny, magic, etc. 

This is a great activity for practicing alphabetizing because the students can physically maneuver the words until they get them in alphabetical order.  It cuts out a lot of the frustration of having to write and erase the words repeatedly.

*Note:  The Mailbox or The Mailbox Companion.com are both good places to find clip art to use when making these types of activities.  To make the next activity I used an enlarged copy of a “cauldron/pot” from The Mailbox Companion.com and removed the “gold” before enlarging it.  (And when I say “I”, I mean I come with the ideas for these activities, but my TA usually does all the work.  :) )

Math Mats:  Photocopy large pots onto black construction paper; cut out and mount onto green construction paper.  Program the pots with numbers using a white paint pen or white/yellow numbers from die-cuts.  Laminate.   The students count out pieces of “gold” onto each mat to match the number on the pot.  I’m using Mardi Gras doubloons for gold.  You could use gold painted rocks/beans as gold “nuggets”, or use chocolate gold coins if you can find them.

You could change the look of this whole activity by mounting pots of gold onto green construction paper and programming them with numbers.  Instead of counting out gold to match the numbers, the students could add mini-eraser shamrocks to the Math Mats. 

Saint Patrick's Day Song
(tune: Mary Had a Little Lamb)

I'm looking for a leprechaun, leprechaun, leprechaun,
I'm looking for a leprechaun
Do you know where's he gone?
He wears a suit that's made of green,
Made of green, made of green,
He wears a suit that's made of green,
Do you know where he is?
He lives by a rainbow and hides his gold,
Hides his gold, hides his gold.
He lives by a rainbow and hides his gold,
Do you know where he's gone?
If you see a leprechaun, leprechaun, leprechaun,
If you see a leprechaun,
Please tell me where he's gone.
Author Unknown
 

I'm a Little Leprechaun 
(tune: I'm a Little Teapot)

I'm a little leprechaun
Dressed in green
The tiniest man that you have ever seen.
If you ever catch me,
So it's told,
I'll give to you my pot of gold.
Author Unknown
 

I Saw a Leprechaun 
(tune: If You're Happy and You Know it)

I saw a leprechaun yesterday
I saw a leprechaun yesterday
Yes, I saw him yesterday
Going on his merry way
With a twinkle in his eye,
He said, "Good Day."
Author Unknown

Paddy is His Name-O 
(tune: Bingo)

I know a tiny little man who dresses all in green clothes.
He is a leprechaun;
He is a leprechaun;
He is a leprechaun;
And Paddy is his name-o.
He lives across the ocean wide;
He's rarely ever seen so... 
He is a leprechaun;
He is a leprechaun;
He is a leprechaun;
And Paddy is his name-o.
Author Unknown
 

Use Ellison die-cut shamrocks to make matching games.  You can program the shamrocks for many different activities:  matching capital to lowercase letters, matching numbers to dots, matching rhyming words, matching opposites, matching synonyms, matching words to form compound words, matching contractions to words that make up the contractions, matching addition/subtraction facts to the correct answer, etc.
 

Saint Patrick's Day
(tune: If You're Happy and You Know It).

On Saint Patrick's Day, you might see a leprechaun. (x2)
If you close your eyes and wish, and pretend you are Irish,
On Saint Patrick's Day, you might see a leprechaun.
On Saint Patrick's Day you might see a rainbow bright (x2)
If you close your eyes and wish, and pretend you are Irish,
On Saint Patrick's Day you might see a rainbow bright.
On Saint Patrick's Day you might see a pot of gold (x2)
If you close your eyes and wish, and pretend you are Irish,
On Saint Patrick's Day you might see a pot of gold.
On Saint Patrick's Day you might see a shamrock green (x2)
If you close your eyes and wish and pretend you are Irish,
On Saint Patrick's Day you might see a shamrock green.
Author Unknown

The marshmallows in Lucky Charms cereal (or something similar) can be used for graphing.  Check out the following websites for printable graphs; however, make sure the graph you choose meets the cereal that you use.  Some of the marshmallow pieces have changed over the years and your graph may not match up to your cereal.

www.boxtops4education.com/collateral/worksheets/math/math_k1_

3.pdf

Magic Good Luck Powder:  Watch the surprise on your students' faces as you add milk to the magic, good luck powder left by your friendly, local leprechaun.  Don't forget to read this poem to them that the leprechaun left for them as well:

Leprechauns, leprechauns,
Never seen...
Magic powder,
Green, green, green!

~Author Unknown

The magic powder left by the leprechaun is really pistachio pudding.  It's white before adding milk .. then it turns green.  :)

Websites:
 

St. Patrick's Day

http://www.gigglepotz.com/isaintpat.htm
 

Happy St. Patrick's Day Related Websites

http://123greetings.com/links/events/saint_patricks_day/wishes/

St. Patty's Children Section

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/7134/Green/grchild.htm

KD Craft Exchange - Pot of Gold game

http://www.kidsdomain.com/craft/potgoldgame.html

Hodge Podge of Ideas

http://www.geocities.com/athens/thebes/9893/compiledstpatty.html

St. Patrick's Day Crafts

http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/stpatricksdaycrafts.cfm

Luck o' the Irish Shamrock Cap

http://family.go.com/crafts/sew/craft/famf_craft_shamcap/

Readers Theatre Script: St. Patrick's Day

http://www.mrsmcgowan.com/march/script.htm

Leprechaun Poop

http://holidayorganizer.com/gifts/stuffers/leprpoop.html

St. Patrick's Rainbow Mobile

http://www.zoomschool.com/crafts/stpatrick/Rainbow.shtml

Leprechaun Erase-A-Rhyme (scroll down)

http://www.jmeacham.com/lessons.htm