A St. Patrick’s Day Party for the Wee Ones!

Leprechauns, rainbows, and a pot of gold – that’s what puts the twinkle in the eyes of the wee ones on St. Patrick’s Day. Throw a festive kid’s party for this holiday by hunting for gold-covered chocolate coins, skipping down a rainbow lollipop lane, and feasting on green ice cream sundaes!

A Trip to Leprechaun Land

Leprechauns are little, lucky, and mischievous…just like most kids I know! Create a fantasyland full of St. Patrick’s Day fun where lollipops, rainbows, and a bit’ o green set the party scene.

Rainbow Lollipop Lane

Invite all to enter Leprechaun Land by making a rainbow swirl lollipop lane.
Here’s how:

1. Purchase 6 big rainbow swirl lollipops on long sticks.
2. Create a 2-foot wide lane using 3 lollipops along each side of the lane.
3. For each side, insert 3 lollipop sticks into the ground. Set sticks about 18 inches apart in a row.
4. Tie a wide green satin ribbon bow on each stick. Use ribbon to attach the lollipops together and create a walkway.
5. Use more lollipops to accent areas of your yard.

Enliven the party space with a Leaping Leprechaun Scene Setter that you can put on an outdoor wall or a sliding glass door. Give the rest of your yard a St. Paddy’s Day flair by hanging shamrock decorations from the trees or roof eaves.

Scatter colorful ecofetti, biodegradable confetti, around your lawn to create a magical atmosphere and make winding pathways to party areas like the food buffet or the Shoemaker’s Workshop.

Shoemaker’s Workshop

Did you know that leprechauns are shoemakers by trade? Legend tells us that the trick to catching a leprechaun is to listen for the tinkering of his tiny cobbler’s hammer. If caught, he must tell you where he’s hidden his pot of gold.

Set up your Shoemaker’s Workshop with green flip-flops and craft items to decorate them. Michaels Arts and Crafts Stores has a whole section devoted to jazzing up flip-flops with holiday accents, ribbon, and snap-on charms. If you prefer to shop online, check out Oriental Trading’s flip-flop frills, and other party items like shamrock jewel stickers and metallic green shamrock leis. Make a Shoemaker’s Workshop sign to let guests know that this is the place to tinker!

End of the Rainbow Depot

Find a wee corner of the yard and designate it as the End of the Rainbow Depot with a fun sign! Purchase a bouquet of helium balloons in rainbow colors or build an easy arch with Link-O-Loons, a balloon decorating system. Link-O-Loon balloons look like regular round balloons with a “neck” where you blow it up and a little rubber tail on the opposite side. This design allows you to tie the balloons together, end to end.

Here’s a picture of linked balloons that resemble a rainbow and a photo gallery of ideas to inspire you. Don’t forget an empty black pot at the end of the rainbow and little favor pots that guests can use to collect their chocolate treasure hunt coins.

Leprechaun’s Gold Treasure Hunt

Keep the kids entertained with a treasure hunt! About 30 minutes before guests arrive, hide gold foil-covered chocolate coins around the yard. Be sure to keep a few on hand to give to the tots who won’t be able to gather as many as the bigger kids.

Ask everyone go to the End of the Rainbow Depot to get their empty pots and let the games begin!

St. Paddy’s Party Table

Dress up the party table in emerald green and shimmering gold with these festive ideas:

• Purchase a length of green satin to use as a tablecloth or overlay.

• Create a table runner of fake gold coins.

• Embed St. Paddy’s Flower Pots in the gold coins.

• Use gold-painted terra cotta pots lined with a napkin to hold guests utensils.

Green Party Food

No green leafy veggies allowed on this holiday table, but spuds are a must! Igourmet.com sells Oh Ryan’s Irish Potatoes, which are cinnamon dusted candies made from coconut cream fondant and shaped like little potatoes. This traditional Irish American confection is the perfect St. Patrick's Day treat.

Along with the food ideas suggested below, browse you grocery store aisles for any and everything green to put the old St. Pat’s spirit into your buffet table.

St. Patrick’s Day is my favorite holiday! For an elegant party with a grown-up guest list, see my video for making shamrock coasters and tabletop decor. Share your holiday party ideas and imaginative green food finds with the Celebrations Community! You’ll find more Irish inspiration on our St. Paddy’s Day page, and, as always, I’m happy to answer questions in my forum, Ask Jeanne.