March is finally here, and with it comes a wave of Irish pride as we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day! People all over the world are celebrating their Irish heritage with parties and parades, drinking a pint (or two, or three!), and of course, wearing green to avoid getting pinched. Although this year the holiday lands on a weekday, for those with young kids we have a couple sweet after-school activities to continue the St. Paddy’s Day fun!
- Go to a parade! For decades, many cities have commemorated March 17th with crazy traditions (case in point, Chicago’s famous green-dyed river). What better way to celebrate than attending a giant St. Patrick’s Day festival in the streets of your hometown—complete with Irish dancers, bagpipers, and floats! Make it fun by dressing up in green, painting your kids’ faces with the colors of the Irish flag, and catching candy like chocolate gold coins!
- Look for luck. One common St. Patrick’s Day ritual is searching for 4 leaf clovers, which are rare to find. Each leaf symbolizes a trait: love, faith, hope, and luck! Explore the outdoors together as a family to double your luck. Plus, turn it into a friendly competition for the kids by inventing a holiday scavenger hunt! Rewards could include a hatful of scrumptious goodies.
- Make it GREEN. There a so many tasty green treats to eat or drink. It can be as simple as adding food coloring to a cake or making a shamrock shake with mint chocolate chip ice cream. For cute finishing touches, craft some matching themed decorations, like an emerald leprechaun hat, green paper chain garlands, or shamrock toppers.
- Ditch the pub. Teach your kids about the history of the holiday and whip up a few traditional dishes at home to taste test! Try a classic Irish dessert recipe, like soda bread or something more unusual, like potato-apple bread pudding. (For the adults, use Guinness or other Irish beers to enhance desserts and raise a toast.) If the kids crave something sweeter, don’t worry – we’ve got one more trick up our sleeve.
- Order a cookie bouquet! Our Patrick’s Day cookies are shamrockin’ and ready to go! Save some time as you prep for your party by ordering a bouquet of buttercream-frosted clovers that everyone can appreciate. Or maybe get a charming cookie box or basket with assorted flavors delivered to satisfy your kids’ sweet tooth and spread the luck of the Irish. Our Pot O’ Gold cookie bouquet even comes with a wee little friend!
No matter how you celebrate this March, the luckiest thing we’re given is the ability to spend quality time together with family. Next best thing? At the end of an action-packed St. Paddy’s Day, sit back, relax, and treat yourself to a well-deserved cookie.
