By TMoM Team Member Sydney D. Richardson, Ph.D.
St. Patrick’s Day might have come and gone, but it’s fun to celebrate all month long. This keeps the crafting and learning going! March is a great time for this. That’s right! You don’t have limit the history of St. Patrick’s Day to one day, even though March 17th is the day its typically celebrated.
For the month, engage the family in trying different recipes, crafts, desserts, and styles of music in honor of the special day. Search for four leaf clovers (if you can find them among the frost, rain, and possible snow) or take the enjoyment of green to a whole new level. Don’t forget to educate your family on who St. Patrick was and even consider having a fun quiz about this person. Whatever you do, there are many ways to learn more about the special holiday that is celebrated by many.
Fun Ideas for the Entire Family This March
St. Patrick’s Day Slime
My children love slime and my daughter is always making new types of slime. There’s glitter slime, butter slime, play-doh slime, and more types. Therefore, St. Patrick’s Day green slime is a must if you have a creative child on your hands. Watch out… there are some slime recipes that are extremely complex, requiring many ingredients (some dangerous). However, the recipe below is simple, easy to make, and provides a safe cleanup. Be sure to make this in the kitchen or dining room and not in an area with carpet.
Ingredients
- 8 ounce bottle of white Elmer’s Glue
- Green food coloring
- 2 tablespoons of slime activator or eye contact lens saline solution
- 1 tablespoon of baking soda
Directions
Pour the glue, along with the activator or contact lens solution, and baking soda into a plastic container. Stir the ingredients until they form in a slimy consistency. It will begin to feel a bit tough if you stir for too long. This will take a few minutes. Next, add the food coloring and continue stirring. You are now ready to handle the slime and work with it a bit more. For this part, children may work with slime after putting on rubber gloves.
With their hands, have the kids form the slime by stretching it and bringing it back together in their hands. Have them do this for a few minutes until it reaches the desired consistency. The result is a green glob of slime that is flexible and fun for various ages!
Virtual Tour of Ireland
Another activity that children will love is traveling. Now, not everyone can travel to Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day (or any day), but what about taking a virtual tour of Ireland? A quick Google search will reveal a multitude of videos, but if you want an educational spin to the tour, try National Geographic for Kids. Not only will the site give you fun facts of Ireland, the culture, and St. Patrick’s Day, but there are a lot of short videos providing a glimpse of the beautiful country. Children will learn a great deal of information, plus they will have fun “traveling” as well.
There you have it. Slime and a tour of Ireland to make for an unusual month of celebrating St. Patrick.
Enjoy!
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