February 16, 2024|Holidays
Teachers and homeschool parents alike know the importance of capitalizing on holidays. Children love holidays and their interest in learning sky rockets if leprechauns are involved. How do we take this ball and run as far as we can with it? Plan ahead and add a few activities each week prior to the big day. Suddenly math, writing, history, reading, and science are simply strategies to achieve the main goal; to catch a leprechaun.
Let’s explore some of the best St. Patricks Day activities to inspire your child.
How to Catch a Leprechaun by Adam Wallace is a best selling children’s picture book that will enliven imaginations and inspire children to create the winning trap.
After reading, your child will be ready to put his engineering skills to work to make a fail proof trap. Make sure to have recyclables and craft supplies ready that can be repurposed for engineering.
If you start early, your child will have ample time to try out multiple engineering designs and perform tests to see if they work. Discussing the scientific method will help your child use the steps when designing a trap.
Encourage your child to record questions, predictions, plans, observations, and a final conclusion on whether the trap will catch the leprechaun.
Now it is time to draw it out and record all the materials necessary for creating a leprechaun trap. Measurement is a critical element to trap designs. Make sure you have a ruler ready so your child can measure his design in order to keep enough space for the leprechaun to get in the trap. How about angles? Can you child measure angles? Break out the protractor and show him how to measure the angles of his trap. Should the angles be larger or smaller?
Reading, science, writing, design, measurement, and engineering have been employed in this process so far, but the fun is just getting started. It is time to try out some designs and see how they work. Encourage your child to try to trouble shoot design problems to improve the design. Your child could repeat this process several times before getting it just right.
Only once her imagination for traps is out of juice and all engineering has been exhausted, ask what she will do once the leprechaun is caught. Encourage a story plan to imagine what if she catches that leprechaun.
Now it is time to start the writing process and write a story about what happens if she catches the leprechaun. Utilize all the writers workshop strategies in helping your child to not just draft, but edit and revise a unique story.
Ask your child if she knows why Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated, and encourage her to read and discuss the history of the special day. After reading, maybe inspire her to research the spread of Christianity or the Irish Rebellion. Map out Ireland and trace Saint Patrick’s journey. This is the ideal opportunity to learn more about European history. Any time your child researches is the right time to teach her about internet safety and how find accurate resources.
We have covered reading, writing, research, science, measurement, and engineering. Let’s not forget to include ample art opportunities!
Art Hub for Kids and Art Projects for Kids are both great places to find drawing tutorials that your child will love to look through. Providing a variety of ideas and letting your child choose is the leading way to infuse excitement and passion.
If you need some leprechaun trap inspiration, here are a few creative websites that are full of ingenious leprechaun traps.
Remember…never let a holiday go to waste, and capitalize every chance you can on the learning events each provides. Education by design is our target, excitement of these special days gives us extra opportunity!
And most importantly…have fun!