Since we're all Irish on St. Patrick's Day, here's a wee bit of history about our patron saint. St. Patrick was a Christian missionary credited with converting Ireland from paganism to Christianity. He lived at the end of the 4th century, and because that was so long ago, it is often difficult to separate St. Patrick facts from legends. Learn more about St. Patrick, leprechauns, and lucky shamrocks at the following St. Patrick's Day picks.
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For St. Patrick's Day craft ideas and printable worksheets, Enchanted Learning is a must see. Some of the best clicks are only for paying members, but among the free pages are instructions on making a kissable Blarney Stone, a template for cutting out a tiny leprechaun hat, an Ireland map and quiz, and my personal favorite Green Things. Green Things is an entire page devoted to all things green, from alligator to zucchini, including a green leprechaun marionette you can make from cardboard and paper connectors.
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Start your History Channel visit with the History of St. Patrick's Day video clip, then peruse the menu on the left-hand side. I had always wondered why St. Patrick's Day was celebrated with corned beef and cabbage. Under "History of the Holiday" I learned that around the turn of the century, Irish immigrants in New York learned about corned beef from their Jewish neighbors, and paired it with their traditional cabbage as a low-cost alternative to Irish bacon.
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With 264 Irish-themed images, the Ireland First clipart archive is a great find. All the art is "royalty free and may be saved/downloaded and printed/used freely by anyone in any way." Enjoy the shamrocks, leprechauns, pots of gold, rainbows, Irish hats, and page borders. The page also includes images of beer, so it is probably not classroom-friendly and parents and teachers will need to use discretion.
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Although I hate the auto-play video on this page, it is easy enough to hit the pause button and enjoy the rest of the St. Patrick's Day goodies. Visit for crafts, recipes, a wee bit of history and fun facts. "In Ireland on St. Patrick's Day, people traditionally wear a small bunch of shamrocks on their jackets or caps. Children wear orange, white and green badges, and women and girls wear green ribbons in their hair."
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For classroom or homeschool, Teachnology has a fabulous collection of printable St. Patrick's Day activities for elementary and middle-school students. They range from silly (such as words to "I'm a Little Leprechaun" sung to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot" ) to creative (prompts for writing exercises.) Some handouts are reserved for paying members, but don't let that stop you from visiting. For a good selection of St. Patrick's Day links (including lots of games) follow your mouse to St. Patrick's Day Teaching Themes.
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By Barbara J. Feldman. Originally written on Mar 13, 2012.
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Buy St. Patrick's Day Printable for $2.00 or try a FREE trial of the Printables Club
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Honorable Mentions
The following links are either new discoveries or sites that didn't make it into my newspaper column because of space constraints. Enjoy!
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