GEM CITY FAMILY: Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with kids

St. Patrick’s Day is fast approaching and it’s always a fun holiday to celebrate. Gone are the days of green beer and parties for us, instead we have green milk and leprechaun traps.

We love celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with the kids in our life and I hope some new ideas and St. Patrick’s day facts will help make your day fun with the family.

Did you know:

St. Patrick’s day is celebrated on March 17 because that is the date St. Patrick died in the fifth century
In the 1700s, the holiday started to become more festive than religious. St. Patrick’s Day falls during Lent, so it gave religious observers the chance to break from their abstinence before Easter
Irish Immigrants increased in America in the 19th century and the celebration became more of a secular holiday than a religious one for many Americans
Most major cities have St. Patrick’s Day parades and Chicago has been dyeing its river green since 1962

Fun activities to do with the kids:

Wear green and decorate with shamrocks
Build a leprechaun trap with recycled materials
Dye the milk green while they are sleeping
Make a rainbow craft. Pinterest has plenty of ideas
List things you are lucky to have as a family
Do a scavenger hunt for gold coins. Use skittles for a prize at the end of the hunt
Make shamrock shaped food
Make Lucky Charms Cookies (see recipe)

Pamela Chandler is a local mom who writes the Gem City Family column for the Dayton Daily News. Reach out to her at thechandlercrew3@gmail.com.

Lucky Charm Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup Lucky Charms marshmallows (plus extra for the top)

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.