Are you looking for a fun and engaging activity for your toddler this St. Patrick's Day? Look no further than our Leprechaun Printable Trap! This activity includes everything your little one needs to create a colorful and exciting trap to catch their very own leprechaun.

St. Patricks Day Sensory Table Decor

To start, simply print and cut out our rainbow, pot of gold, gold coins, three St. Patrick's Day gnomes, rainbow bridge, green ladder, and top hat tube. These elements are designed to be easy to cut out and assemble, making it a perfect activity for even the youngest children.

Green awning
Rainbow tunnel bows
Green Leprechaun house
3 Green gnomes
1 Pot of Gold
1 Rainbow
4 Gold coins
1 Leprechaun ladder
1 Printable leprechaun hat tunnel
1 Feeling lucky flag
2 Leprechaun signs

St. Patricks Day Sensory Activity Bin Ideas

1 Build a Leprechaun Trap (Ages 3-4)

Building a little leprechaun trap is such a fun way to celebrate St. Patty’s day with kids.

Once you have all the pieces ready, it's time to start building your trap. Begin by laying out the rainbow bridge and attaching it to the green ladder using glue or tape. Then, place the pot of gold and gold coins at the end of the bridge, enticing the leprechaun to come closer.
Next, position the three St. Patrick's Day gnomes around the trap to act as lookouts. These adorable gnomes add a fun and festive touch to the activity and are sure to delight your little ones.
Finally, place the top hat tube at the end of the bridge. This is where the leprechaun will fall into the trap, so make sure it's securely attached.
Once everything is set up, it's time to sit back and wait for your leprechaun to arrive! Encourage your child to check the trap frequently and keep an eye out for any signs of the mischievous little creature.

Overall, our Leprechaun Printable Trap is a fun and educational activity that's perfect for toddlers. It encourages creativity and imaginative play, while also helping children develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. So what are you waiting for? Download our printable trap today and get ready for a St. Patrick's Day adventure your little ones will never forget!

2 Rainbow Chickpeas (Ages 1-2)

I love all of the fun rainbow decorations as part of St. Patricks Day. It’s such a fun and festive holiday. For a taste safe alternative, you can use a rainbow cereal like Fruity Pebbles, Fruit Loops, or Lucky Charms.

Making Rainbow Colored ChickPeas for Sensory play:

Get 6 freezer sized plastic bags
Get 3 bags of dried chickpeas from the store and divide them into 6 even piles
Put 3 squirts of pastel acrylic paint in each color (I did pink, orange, yellow, green, teal, and purple)
Add a squirt of hand sanitizer to help evenly distribute the paint
Shake the bag (toddlers can help with this too!) to distribute the paint
Lay out on a baking sheet covered with wax paper to dry

As an alternative, you can also buy a set of rainbow colored chickpeas from Curious Wren

Color sorting rain activity:

Pour the chickpeas or cereal into a Trofast bin
Have your toddler sort the cereal by color into a multi-tray bin. I used the Inspire My Play tray.

3 Learning about money (Ages 4+)

St. Patrick’s Day’s pot of gold is a great opportunity to talk and learn about money and coins. Learning to tell the difference between different coins and amounts is a great foundational skill to money management. Setting up a piggy bank, learning how to save money and purchase items is such an awesome skill.

For this activity, we used two different types of cereal from magic spoon which is a great taste-safe activity. We also used food-coloring dyed rice. We used sushi rice which has such a fun feel and is a short grain rice with a very different feel from a long grain rice like basmati rice. We made it in 3 different shades of green from light to dark so that we could stir and mix them together. We used our coin box from Lovevery and play coins from our Pottery Barn cash register to practice matching the coins to our GoodnightFox money flashcards. Then we put some in the box for savings and some in a bin for spending.

The Benefits of Sensory Play in the St. Patrick's Day Learning Theme

Sensory play provides young learners with a multitude of benefits, allowing them to engage and explore their environment in a hands-on and stimulating way. Incorporating sensory play into the St. Patrick's Day learning theme offers a unique opportunity for toddlers to immerse themselves in a playful and educational experience. Here are some of the benefits of sensory play during this festive learning theme:
1. Tactile Stimulation: Through sensory play, toddlers can experience various textures associated with St. Patrick's Day, such as smooth shamrocks, soft green felt, and glittery gold coins. This helps refine their tactile senses and promotes sensory exploration.
2. Fine Motor Skills: Manipulating small objects like tiny leprechaun hats or costume jewelry while engaging in sensory play helps enhance toddlers' fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
3. Visual Development: The vibrant colors and engaging visuals of St. Patrick's Day, like rainbow ribbons or colorful shamrock shapes, stimulate toddlers' visual senses, aiding in their visual perception and discrimination skills.
4. Language Development: Sensory play during the St. Patrick's Day theme encourages language development as toddlers explore and discuss the different textures, colors, and objects they encounter. This helps improve their vocabulary and communication skills.
5. Creativity and Imagination: Sensory play provides an avenue for toddlers to express their creativity. Through imaginative play with sensory materials like green playdough or glittery slime, they can role-play or create their own St. Patrick's Day stories, fostering their imagination.
6. Cognitive Development: Sensory play engages toddlers' cognitive abilities, as they manipulate sensory materials, sort different objects, and make connections between concepts related to St. Patrick's Day, like rainbows and pots of gold.
7. Emotional Regulation: Engaging in sensory play with calming materials, like sensory bottles filled with green glitter or soothing textures, can help toddlers regulate their emotions and calm themselves during the excitement of the St. Patrick's Day festivities.

List of 25 Vocabulary Words for Toddlers related to the St. Patrick's Day Theme:

1. Shamrock: A three-leaf clover, symbolizing luck and St. Patrick's Day.
2. Leprechaun: A mythical creature from Irish folklore, often associated with mischief.
3. Pot of Gold: A container filled with gold coins, believed to be at the end of a rainbow.
4. Rainbow: A band of colors seen in the sky after rain, consisting of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.
5. Four-leaf Clover: A rare type of clover with four leaves, thought to bring good luck.
6. Green: The color most associated with St. Patrick's Day.
7. Irish: Relating to Ireland or its people and culture.
8. March: The month in which St. Patrick's Day falls.
9. Lucky: Favored by chance or fortune.
10. Gold: A precious metal often associated with wealth and luxury.
11. Celtic: Relating to the ancient cultures of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
12. Folklore: Traditional stories, legends, and customs passed down through generations.
13. Clover: A small, usually three-leafed plant, often considered a symbol of luck.
14. Shepherd: A person who tends and herds sheep in rural areas.
15. Ireland: A country in Europe, the home of St. Patrick's Day.
16. Parade: A festive procession, usually with people marching, celebrating St. Patrick's Day.
17. Dance: To move rhythmically to music, like traditional Irish step dancing.
18. Charm: An object believed to bring good luck or ward off evil.
19. Tradition: The customs and beliefs passed down within a group or culture.
20. Horseshoe: A U-shaped metal object believed to bring good luck when hung with the ends pointing up.
21. Paddy: A colloquial term for an Irishman.
22. Jig: A lively Irish dance often performed at celebrations.
23. Green Beer: Beer dyed green for St. Patrick's Day celebrations.
24. Mischief: playful behavior causing annoyance or minor trouble.
25. Cabbage: A leafy green vegetable often associated with Irish cuisine.
By incorporating sensory play and introducing these vocabulary words, toddlers can have an engaging and enriching experience while learning about the St. Patrick's Day theme.