Parenting: Seven ways to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a toddler in lockdown

by Lucy Moore | 17 March 2021

Today is St. Patrick’s Day and as we are still in lockdown, it’s the perfect excuse for another celebration even if you don’t normally do anything to mark the day. Guinness and Irish whiskey usually make an appearance on this day, however when you have a toddler, the hangover simply isn’t worth it, so here are some things you can do that are little one friendly instead.

Credit: MCT/SIPA USA/PA Images

Throw on some Irish music: You could spend a bit of time today making a playlist- or if you are busy, simply look up playlists on Spotify or YouTube and they are bound to deliver. Dance around your living room with your little one and maybe even teach them to do an Irish jig!
Green treasure hunt: Now you’ve set the scene, turn the music down a little and encourage your toddler to find anything green around your home and put it in a big pile in your main room. The more they can find the better the prize will be and their reward is up to you!
Colouring and crafting: Take a look online and print off some four leaf clovers, rainbows or leprechauns, pull out their crafting supplies and encourage them to make a green masterpiece for the fridge or wall!
Wear green: Single out all of your green clothes and your toddler’s green pieces and wear as many as you can or alternate outfits and take pictures of you together sporting the colour of St. Patrick! If you happen to be out and about and there are still some outfits left in your local supermarket, grab a last minute buy and dress up your child so you will have pictures to treasure on subsequent St. Patrick’s Days!
Green drinks and snacks: Try to only eat and drink green things today- make a green smoothie, cut up some cucumber and green peppers and dip them in guacamole, slice up some apples and kiwi fruit, quarter some green grapes, steam some asparagus, broccoli, green beans or peas for some healthy finger foods or whip up some green pesto pasta. There are some many green options to serve your little one today so embrace the colour with every bite!
Toss coins in a pot of gold: If you have a plastic pot lying around and some gold paint, you can make this even more authentic, however if not, all you need is a bowl and some chocolate pennies (you probably have some left over from Christmas) and take it in turns to throw them into the bowl. Whoever gets the most can eat some of the coins!
Get baking: If you have a shamrock cookie cutter from last year, bake some cookies, make a rainbow cake together or simply add some green food colouring to a basic mix if you only have the essentials in at home.