All About Leprechauns

That time of year is fast approaching.  Do you love having a little leprechaun fun in your classroom? I do!!! Every March, my classroom has been visited by a leprechaun.  This is how it starts...

I read this little book that comes with this plush leprechaun.  This book is so fun because would you believe it, that leprechaun is real?! Every morning for about a week, the students discover that the leprechaun has moved to a new spot in the classroom (always somewhere out of reach).  The night before St. Patrick's Day we set a trap for the leprechaun and try to catch him.  But alas, he is always too tricky for us.  Before he leaves our classroom for good he makes a memorable exit.  On St. Patrick's Day students walk into the classroom to find posters hung upside down, chairs turned over, table baskets on the wrong tables, and all sorts of leprechaun mischief.  Yes, it's wild when the students see what's happened to the classroom but it's one of the best days of the whole year.  Here is a link to the book at Barnes and Noble.

One fun thing that students can't get over is seeing leprechaun footprints all over the classroom tables.  Unfortunately I can't find a single picture of them, but I will tell you how I make them.  

1. Clench your fist and dip the pinky side of your fist into green tempura paint.

2. Stamp your fist where you want the foot prints.

3. Dip a few of your fingers in the paint and stamp at the top of the footprint for toes.

Now you have leprechaun footprints! 

Sometimes the leprechaun will leave a note for the class and on lucky years (when I can find them) he will leave the students each a chocolate coin.  The last time I found them they were at Cost Plus World Market.

I always encourage students to wear green on St. Patrick's Day, but if they don't I'm ready to hand out green shamrock stickers! 

To help us get in the leprechaun spirit, we make leprechaun hats and beards.  This picture is from several years ago and doesn't do these justice.  They are adorably hilarious to see on the students and they have so much fun with them!

This year I decided to expand the leprechaun fun and put together an All About Leprechauns unit! The unit includes the directions and templates for the leprechaun hats and beards, an original book about leprechauns, leprechaun writing resources and more!  Click on the picture below to get a closer look.

Do leprechauns visit your classroom? I'd love to hear about it!  Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!