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St. Patrick's Day STEM Ideas for Kids
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items Making Leprechaun Traps has become a beloved tradition for many families. Incorporate reading and engineering along with your family traditions this year. Step up your game to better Leprechaun traps and more intentional family time together!
Sections
3
STEM Books
Leprechaun Trap Supplies
Pre-Made Kits
STEM Books
These books are all great for frontloading information before building Leprechaun traps. I suggest reading at LEAST one of these before starting the tradition of leaving Leprechaun traps on the eve of St. Patrick's Day.
#1 Pick due to diverse characters, having every step of the Engineer Design Process (including redesigning), and the themes of perseverance and overcoming challenges in the book. I would pick this over the more classic “How to Catch a Leprechaun” any...
How to Trap a Leprechaun
#2 Pick: This book is more of a how-to where you follow instructions and blueprints on how to make a trap than my #1 pick which is more open ended. It is still AMAZING and the skill of learning to build models and follow blueprints is important so th...
How to Build a Leprechaun Trap: STEM Activity Book
#3 Pick: Using items around their home, two siblings create leprechaun traps. This is the most “organic” story of my picks-it is a story of kids discovering on their own whereas the other books on this list include stories of adults telling kids how ...
The Night Before St. Patrick's Day
#4 Pick: My son LOVES this series, as most kids do. The rhyme pattern is quirky and it's silly and funny. This is a great option to read before building leprechaun traps or even just before the holiday in general.
How to Catch a Leprechaun: St. Patrick's Day Book
#5 Pick: When my son was a baby, we enjoyed looking at this together but I knew that he wasn't really “learning” about photosynthesis. For me, I just liked that he was being exposed to diagrams and pictures of plants at a young age and I would make c...
Baby Loves Photosynthesis (Baby Loves Science)
Leprechaun Trap Supplies
You can buy a “kit' but that is just not the same as having true discover and exploration. In addition to these supplies, I strongly recommend using recycled and repurposed goods and ”trash" from around your home.
Gold coins to fill your pot-o-gold
St. Patrick's Pirate Gold Coins Party Favors (50)
More vibrant and durable for this project than construction paper
Astrobrights Colored Cardstock, 25-Color, 75 Sheets
These have the spring to make them pop back open if you have kids still learning to cut that will make it so much easier for them to learn the motion.
LovesTown Preschool Training Safety Scissors, 4Pcs
Game changer for cutting boxes!!
CANARY Corrugated Cardboard Scissors, Blue
Foam stickers are perfect for this because they are 3-D and make your project “pop” but you don't have to worry about messy glue to stick them on.
Fovths 500 St. Patrick's Day Foam Stickers
For making “clouds” for your rainbow. Almost all trap designs incorporate these.
Amazon Basics Cotton Balls, 200 Count
These can be used in place of dowel rods for holding traps open as well as general decoration.
Caydo 200 PCS Multi-Color Chenille Stems 12x6mm
Save yourself from glue messes. This is worth every penny. Slap it on a bottle of Elmer's glue and you will find your glue lasts much longer and you have wayyyyy less messes to clean up. It helps learn control and precision with gluing as well.
Tap N Glue Reusable Cap, Fits 4-8 Oz Bottle
Pre-Made Kits
I love homemade, but if you simply don't have the time but you still want to create lasting memories with your kids these could be good choices!
Good option if you don't want to take some of the work out of gathering supplies.
St Patricks Day DIY Leprechaun Trap Craft Kit
For after the leprechaun “visits”
400Pcs Leprechaun Footprint Stickers St. Patrick's
Great for upper elementary and up. Detect if a leprechaun visited or not using a variety of experiments.
Tinsl- Little Leprechaun Tracking Kit
Leave some “evidence” behind.
RattanView St. Patrick's Day Footprint Stencils