Printable St. Patrick’s Day Activities for Preschoolers

Let’s be real, what do we, as adults know about St. Patrick’s Day beyond the tradition of wearing green every year on March 17th? Who was St. Patrick and why am I getting pinched?

Being a researcher at heart, and a homeschool mom for over 19 years, I wanted to dig into the history of St. Patrick’s Day so I could help teach my granddaughter more about it as we baked St. Patrick’s Day cake mix cookies together.

How do you explain St Patrick’s Day to children?

For starters, St. Patrick was a bishop who set out to spread Christianity across Ireland during the 4th century A.D. He is known as the is the patron saint of Ireland.

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17th, the date that Saint Patrick died.

What is a shamrock?

We see green shamrocks often representing St. Patrick’s Day, but why?

For one, a shamrock is a three-leaf clover and is the national flower of Ireland.

St. Patrick used the shamrock as a symbol to help explain the concept of God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) to his fellow Irishman.

It has since become a symbol of the holiday named in his honor.

What is the difference between a shamrock and a four-leaf clover?

Shamrocks and four-leaf clovers both belong to the white clover plant family.

The most apparent visible difference between the two is that shamrocks have three leaves whereas four-leaf clovers have four.

Why is a four-leaf clover lucky?

Four-leaf clovers are lucky because they are incredibly hard to find. There are no clover plants that naturally produce four leaves, which is why four-leaf clovers are so rare.

The leaves of four-leaf clovers have become known to stand for faith, hope, love, and luck.

What is a leprechaun?

A leprechaun is a Celtic fairy-like creature in Irish mythology. Unlike Disney fairies, they are often depicted as old red-bearded men dressed in green, wearing pointed, buckled shoes, and a top hat.

They are known for living in the forest guarding their pots of gold, which are often said to be found at the end of the rainbow.

Why do we wear green on St. Patrick’s Day?

There are many thoughts on why we wear green on St. Patrick’s Day, so let’s list a few here:

• Ireland is known as “The Emerald Isle“
• Shamrocks, the national symbol of Ireland, are green
• Leprechauns, as stated above, are normally depicted as wearing green

Why do people pinch people on St Patrick Day?

Some people believed that wearing green made you invisible to leprechauns.

It was their favorite color, therefore, if you wore green, you would go untouched by their mischievous antics. In this case, pinching.

Those they could see, because they were not wearing green, would get pinched. Pinching served as a reminder that the leprechauns could sneak up and pinch them at any time for not wearing green.

What is an Irish blessing?

Irish blessings date far back to ancient Celtic times. Many have been translated and passed down for generations from the old Irish,

St, Patrick himself was known for using Irish blessings in his quest to spread Christianity across Ireland.

One of the most famous Irish blessings reads,

May the road rise to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

The rains fall soft upon your fields and,

Until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Irish blessing

St. Patrick’s Day Activities

As you can see, St. Patrick’s Day has become the day when people around the world celebrate Irish culture; whether they truly understand it or not.

Again, as a fan of both research and history, I enjoy knowing the “why” behind the holidays. Plus, it makes it easier to pass along.

Another way to teach preschoolers about St. Patrick’s Day is through printable worksheets and activities.

Printable St. Patrick’s Day Worksheets

This printable St. Patrick’s Day-themed activity worksheet pack offers 30 pages of coloring, cutting, sight word practice, and visual discrimination skills.

What ages groups are the printable St. Patrick’s Day worksheets for?

Although we use them for our preschool-aged granddaughter, the printable worksheets would also work for kindergarten and early elementary school children.

What’s included in the download?

• Matching worksheet
• I Spy St. Patrick’s Day
• 7 coloring pages
• 3 Color-by-Number
• Word Scramble
• Word Search
• Scissor Skills (x3)
• Dot-to-Dot
• Dot Markers (x3)
• Learn to Draw
• 2 Mazes
• Scavenger Hunt
• St. Patrick’s Day BINGO

What format are the printable worksheets?

Each worksheet is an 8.5″x11″ pdf Once downloaded, you can resize to print, as well as print as many as you need.

Do you offer a refund?

Due to the nature of these digital products, so we do not accept refunds. However, if you have a problem, please let us know! We absolutely want to make everything right for you.

Can I resell your Preschool St. Patrick’s Day Worksheets?

Although we’re flattered that you want to share, these files are for personal use only. They are not to be shared or resold in any way shape or form. We’d love for you to send your friends here to purchase. Thank you!