Planning a Class Party for St. Patrick’s Day
By MARISSA DESPINS Updated April 05, 2024
St. Patrick’s Day is closely approaching, and with it plenty of fun learning opportunities to build upon the engagement that the holiday naturally brings. I mean, who doesn’t love leprechauns, rainbows, and pots of gold? Today, I’m excited to share a range of enjoyable activities aimed at infusing the holiday spirit into your classroom, all while keeping learning at the forefront. Additionally, I’ll provide some helpful pointers for orchestrating a memorable class party for St. Patrick’s Day.
For some no-prep resources that you can download and use in your classroom, click on the image or button below to see all of the St. Patrick’s Day activities available in my TPT shop! They are great for helping you plan your next class party for St. Patrick’s Day!
Planning a Class Party for St. Patrick’s Day
Read on for some of my favorite ideas for planning a class party for St. Patrick’s Day!
Fun Read Alouds
No time spent planning for a class party for St. Patrick’s Day is complete without sharing some fun read alouds. Click here or on the image below to check out my previous post with a list of engaging St. Patrick’s Day read alouds – so many fun choices!
For more lists of great picture books, check out our favorite stories for September 11, diverse and inclusive picture books, and favorite growth mindset stories!
Movement Breaks
With all the excitement that class parties bring, I find it is always a good idea to build in some movement breaks. A quick YouTube search brings up a ton of silly St. Patrick’s Day songs and dance moves, that are sure to get the wiggles out! I have linked one of our class favorites below. Can you ever go wrong with a leprechaun themed freeze dance yoga party?
Green Party Food for St. Patrick’s Day
When planning a class party for St. Patrick’s Day, you can’t forget the green treats! This is a great opportunity to ask parent volunteers to bring in some snacks to share!
Looking for some fun ideas for green treats? Check out these Pot of Gold Donut Holes from Just is a Four Letter Word, or these Green Cake Mix Cookies from Dessert on a Dime – so fun!
For more party food ideas, check out our post on planning a Valentine’s Day party!
St. Patrick’s Day Green Taste Test Activity
Looking to steer away from sugary treats? Another fun food related activity that I have done with my learners during our class party for St. Patrick’s Day is host a “Green Taste Test“.
I start by sending a quick note home to families requesting students to bring in a healthy green food item to share with the class (if they are able). These can include things like broccoli, snap peas, pumpkin seeds, green apples, kiwi, pickles… the possibilities are endless!
On the day of the party, I decorate the class with green table cloths, green balloons, and these fun Green Taste Test posters! I also cut out “Official Green Taste Tester” badges for the kids to wear – so fun!
Next, I have students taste test the different foods. We then vote on class favorites, and graph our results. Who knew there were so many broccoli fans out there!?
Finally, we reflect back on the activity by illustrating and writing about our personal favorites/least favorites.
If you are interested in grabbing this activity for your learners, you can snag a copy here.
St. Patrick’s Day themed reading activities
This close reading activity is a favorite of mine, as it talks all about the history of the holiday. Many were surprised to discover that it actually has nothing to do with leprechauns!
Close reading is a strategy that we often work through in the classroom, as I find it incredibly valuable. Repeated readings and annotation of complex text helps to deepen student understanding and allows students to make real life connections to what they are reading. Instead of rushing through text, as my students often do, students learn that some texts require multiple readings to fully understand. When we read something for the first time, we may notice some things, but not all; sometimes texts require a second or third look to really grasp what is going on. It is so important to show students that certain texts are worthy of that level of attention.
Looking for information on Close Reading? You can check out my previous post here.
I love these passages, as they come with a detailed annotation guide to make things easy for young learners, as well as space right on the page to add their annotations.
Integrated Art Activities
When we are done reading and annotating the text, students work through some questions to further aid comprehension. When done, we color up our templates, and glue them together to make these fun St. Patrick’s Day pennants. I love how this activity integrates a little bit of art into our reading curriculum. They make great classroom displays to showcase learning, or can be a fun take home to share with parents after the party.
Interested in trying this activity out with your learners? Click here or on the image below to check it out in my TpT shop. The Close Reading Activity and Pennant Project are included in this resource!
For additional information on close reading, check out our complete guide!
Math activities for St. Patrick’s Day
Want to add a little holiday excitement to your math lessons? Check out these fun multiplication clover puzzles from Hojo’s Teaching Adventures!
These math puzzles are a great alternative to the typical coloring sheet, and would make a great shamrock themed math center to review multiplication facts! Alternately, you can divide your class up into groups, and challenge them to see what group can complete the puzzle the fastest.
Want to try these puzzles out with your leaners? Grab your own set by clicking here or on the image above.
Take Home Treats
Looking for some fun treats to send home with your learners after the party? I’ve got you covered!
You can grab these St. Patrick’s Day tags (along with several other varieties!) for FREE in my TpT shop!
You can click here on the image above to download! Simply print them out on card stock (green paper works great if you don’t want to color them!), hole punch, and attach to a small bag of chocolate coins.
These St. Patrick’s Day Reading Strategy Bookmarks are another great treat to send home with your learners. Simply print them out on cardstock, and let the kids color them up. The best part? The bookmarks contain information on a variety of reading strategies that students can use alongside any book they are reading! The even better part? You can download a set for FREE! Click HERE or on the image below to download a set for your class.
Looking for more fun St. Patrick’s Day activities for Elementary?
Check out some of these fun activities from my TpT shop. Simply click on the image below to go directly to my shop!
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