St. Patrick's Day the Toddler Way

Children love party games. Gladden suggests having a Leprechaun treasure hunt. "Cut out several pictures of the leprechaun from the Lucky Charms cereal box, or use any leprechaun image of your choice," she says. "On the back of each one, write a clue to where the next leprechaun is hiding. Hide them around the house. Help the children follow the clues and have a pot filled with gold chocolate coins or individual treat bags at the end of the treasure hunt." Pin The Hat on the Leprechaun is another fun game. Draw and color a large leprechaun on a piece of poster board and cut out. Cut hats out of black construction paper and let each child try stick the hat on top of the leprechaun's head—blindfolded, of course!

Match Game

You'll need:

• Index cards
• Crayons or markers
• Scissors

Help your child draw a picture of a shamrock on one of the index cards. Have him copy as close as he can the same exact picture on another index card. Repeat this process, but use different things such as a pot of gold, leprechaun, a green square, four-leaf clover, etc.

To play:
Place the cards face down in straight rows on a table. Have each child turn over two cards. If the cards do not match, they must turn them both back over. The child take turns until all the cards are matched up. The one with the most matches wins.

Let's Sing!

Gather all the children in a circle and teach them a classic Irish song. Print out the words so they can be taken home in their party bags.

Red Is The Rose

Come over the hills, my bonnie Irish lass
Come over the hills to your darling.
You choose the rose, love, and I'll make the vow
And I'll be your true love forever.

Chorus:
Red is the rose that in yonder garden grows
Fair is the lily of the valley.
Clear is the water that flows from the Boyne
But my love is fairer than any.

'Twas down by Killarney's green woods that we strayed
When the moon and the stars they were shining.
The moon shone its rays on her locks of golden hair
And she swore she'd be my love forever.

Chorus:
It's not for the parting that my sister pains
It's not for the grief of my mother.
'Tis all for the loss of my bonny Irish lass
That my heart is breaking forever.