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Are you looking for a St. Patrick's Day activity or two to do with the family this year? With the world slowly but surely opening back up, many of us are finally ready to get back out in the world. If this sounds like your family, here are some St. Patrick's Day activity ideas you can do with the kids to celebrate the big day on March 17. But first, what is St. Patrick's Day about, really?
What is St. Patrick's Day about?
St. Patrick's Day history began in 1631 as a feast day and was held on the anniversary of the death of Ireland's patron saint. In Ireland, it is regarded as a Christian holy day. Saint Patrick's Day finally became a public holiday in Ireland in 1904. However, St. Patrick's Day as we know it today in the United States is celebrated with parades and parties mainly. But whether you're Irish or not, March is a great month to consider adding a St. Patrick's Day activity or two to your family fun!
St. Patrick's Day crafts for the whole family
One way to get the whole family involved during St. Patrick's Day is with food and crafting. Whether it's a craft you can eat, like these adorable shamrock pretzels from the Drugstore Divas website, or consumable St. Patrick's Day crafts that serve a purpose and won't add clutter, gathering together to make memories is the perfect way to spend any holiday.
Mom of four, Bobbie, who has what she calls "craft hesitation," recently made eco-friendly beeswax wraps with her daughter. The project "brought her daughter joy, and bonus, there's a tangible useful result at the end," she wrote on her Instagram page, Reclaiming Wonders.
Another idea that both the littles and big kids will enjoy is hand-rolling beeswax candles, and then using green or rainbow colors to decorate your St. Patrick's Day table. If you are set on doing paper crafts with your toddler, this thumbprint St. Patrick's Day card makes the perfect memento.
One final thing to be mindful of when planning St. Patrick's Day crafts and activities for the kids is that it's easy to tread into the territory of appropriation with cultural activities. And while St. Patrick's Day kids' activities are not something we routinely associate with cultural appropriation, it's important to be aware of how we're showing up for our kids.
Trinity Kirk, a student of St. Thomas University and a descendant of Irish ancestry, feels as though non-Irish people celebrating St. Patrick’s Day perpetuates Irish stereotypes.
“I think that the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day globally could be considered cultural appropriation, as it takes the stereotypes of the Irish and magnifies into what people therefore celebrate,” Kirk told The Aquinian. “I see it as wildly inappropriate to use St. Patrick’s Day to be blackout drunk, and use Irishness as a justification for it.
St. Patrick's Day food to try this year
New England Boiled Dinner was always on the menu in my own family on St. Patrick’s Day. My grandmother, who was of Italian-Irish ancestry, always made it with the requisite potatoes, cabbage, and carrots, of course, but she'd use ham instead of corned beef or fresh brisket. Each are equally delicious, so if you haven't tried this St. Patrick's Day food staple already, this Instant Pot Corned Beef recipe comes together quickly.
And don't forget the Irish soda bread. "I grew up eating this Irish soda bread that has been passed down from my gram," Michelle Price told Mom.com. "We can't have a St. Patrick's Day without it any more than we can skip the corned beef and cabbage. But the memories of this bread go beyond just that. This is our comfort food. Whenever someone had a bad day, my mom would make this for us to enjoy and stick a second loaf in the freezer to save for later."
Colcannon is another St. Patrick's Day food, traditionally made with mashed potatoes and kale or cabbage. Also, for those watching their carbs — or on a keto diet to shape up for summer — colcannon is a great substitute for the potatoes or soda bread when it's prepared with mashed cauliflower, like this variation from KetoKitchen.
Fun family activity ideas to help celebrate St. Paddy's Day
We have all likely heard a St. Patrick's Day song or two in our time, but what about family-friendly songs you listen to with the kids? There are some great kid-friendly songs out there, so while you're crafting and cooking, play some Irish music in the background. Ellen over at In Our Spare Time has a great list of Irish songs for kids and family activity ideas to make for a great celebration.
Family game nights are fun, especially when centered around a holiday. Try a friendly game of St. Patrick's Day Bingo with these free printables from Lindsay at Artsy-Fartsy Mama.
If you need a little fresh air and vitamin D, St. Patrick's Day parades take place in cities and towns across the U.S. New York City hosts the largest and oldest St. Paddy's Day parade in the world, which, if you're not local, you can catch streaming live on NBC New York at 11 a.m. on Thursday, March 17, 2022.
Despite lifted COVID-19 mandates, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has extended the mask mandate for public transportation through April 18, so if you're heading out to watch a St. Patrick's Day parade or attend a festival, don't forget your mask! And finally, whether you're celebrating at home or out in the community, be sure you're wearing green on St. Patrick's Day.
