Leaping Leprechauns
I created this leprechaun on a shamrock to display on top of the students' cubbies. I painted the wooden shamrock (craft store purchase) and hotglued the leprechaun (dollar store purchase) atop it.
BULLETIN BOARDS:
1."We're Turning the Scene Green!"
2. "More Precious Than Gold"-Each child cuts out a coin pattern and glues a photo of himself in center of it. Display coins in a large pot of gold.
3. "Welcome to Leprechaun Land"- Each child decorates a leprechaun's mushroom house and leprechaun. Add scenery such as shamrock "trees", roads, flowers, etc.
Books:
Leprechaun Gold by Teresa Bateman
St. Patrick's Day by Carmen Bredeson
St. Patrick's Day in the Morning by Eve Bunting
Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato
by Tomie dePaola
St. Patrick's Day by Gail Gibbons
It's St. Patrick's Day by Rebecca Gomez
Hooray for St. Patrick's Day! by Joan Holab
Jack and the Leprechaun by Ivan Robertson
Let's Celebrate St. Patrick's Day
by Peter and Connie Roop
Clever Tom and the Leprechaun by Linda Shute
Poems and Songs:
I’m a Little Leprechaun
By Vicki Claybrook
I’m a little leprechaun
Dressed in green.
The tiniest man
That you have ever seen.
If you ever catch me, so it’s told,
I’ll give you my pot of gold!
Five Little Leprechauns
Author Unknown
Five little leprechauns scurrying by my door,
One jumped away, then there were four.
Four little leprechauns, climbing in my tree,
One hid in the green leaves, then there were three.
Three little leprechauns, just a busy few,
One went for a pot of gold, then there were two.
Two little leprechauns, having lots of fun,
One hopped over the rainbow, then there was one.
One little leprechaun, with all his work down.
He slipped off for a nap, then there were none.
There was a Little Leprechaun 
There was a little leprechaun
Whose home was in a tree.
He met a giant in the park
And asked him home for tea.
They walked inside the tiny house.
The giant broke the door!
He stood tall and smashed the roof!
His feet crashed through the floor!
The giant stopped.
"Oh, what a mess! I'm very sorry," he cried.
"That's quite all right," said the leprechaun.
"We'll have our tea outside."
This Little Leprechaun
This little leprechaun slid down the rainbow.
(Lift thumb.)
This little leprechaun stayed at home.
(Lift index finger.)
This little leprechaun picked a shamrock.
(Lift middle finger.)
This little leprechaun found some gold.
(Lift ring finger.)
This little leprechaun cried,
"See if you can catch me!"
(Lift pinky.)
As he ran home.
(Wiggle pinky.)
Writing:
1.Before students arrive I move classroom items around, turn some chairs over, and make a trail of leprechaun "gold" (play coins spray painted gold) to a letter from "Liam the Leprechaun":
Hello, my Kindergarten friends!
Now, what do you think?
I was here and gone
As quick as a wink!
I've hidden some treasure,
Some high and some low.
To find it
On your mark, get set,
and GO!
After reading the letter, we look for Liam's treasure (candy) and write a response letter.
2. Journals-
"If I were a leprechaun I would hide my gold..."
" At the end of the rainbow there is..."
Songs:
Paddy is His Name-O
(Bingo tune)
I know a tiny little man
Who dresses all in green clothes.
He is a leprechaun;
He is a leprechaun;
He is a leprechaun;
And Paddy is his name-o.
He lives across the ocean wide;
He's rarely ever seen;
He is a leprechaun;
He is a leprechaun;
He is a leprechaun;
And Paddy is his name-o.
Do Your Ears Point Up?
(Do Your Ears Hang Low? tune)
Do your ears point up?
(point up)
Do you have a lot of luck?
(cross fingers)
Can you dance an Irish jig?
(dance)
For a pot of gold you'll dig?
(pretend to dig)
Can you toss gold over your shoulder?
(pretend to toss)
Like a giant throws a boulder?
(pretend to throw heavy object)
Do your ears point up?
(point up)
"The Leprechaun"
("The Muffin Man" tune)
Oh, have you seen a leprechaun,
A leprechaun, a leprechaun?
Oh, have you seen a leprechaun
Who comes form Ireland?
Among the shamrocks he may hide,
He may hide, he may hide.
Among the shamrocks he may hide
So catch him if you can.
"I'm a Little Shamrock"
( "I'm a Little Teapot" tune)
I'm a little shamrock.
See my leaves.
Count my petals
If you please.
If you give me water
And lots of sun,
I'll bring you good luck and lots of fun!
MATH:
1. Pot of Gold Estimation- Guess how many coins are the pot.
2. Shamrock Number Sequencing- Put shamrocks, programed with numbers, in numerical order.
3. Lucky Charms Graph- Graph how many of each shape marshmallow is in a box of Lucky Charms cereal.
4. Pot of Gold Counting- Place the correct amount of coins on each pot of gold according to the number written on it.
5. Lucky Charms Addition- Students solve addition equations using Lucky Charms cereal as counters.
SCIENCE:
1. Examine a shamrock. (I was lucky enough to find a four leaf clover in a clear rock in an Irish store.)
2. Mix colors to discover what 2 colors make green.
3. Make leprechaun punch by mixing food coloring in lemonade.
4. Make leprechaun pudding by mixing food coloring in vanilla pudding.
ART:
1. Leprechaun Puppet- Children cut out hats and glue on paper bag. Add facial features and clothes.
2. Shiny Shamrocks- Cut out shamrock pattern. Cover pattern with tissue paper. Lightly paint over tissue paper with a mix of diluted glue and green glitter.
3. Rickrack Shamrock- Cut green paper into rickrack strips. Cut out shamrock pattern. Glue rickrack strips and sequence on to it.
4. Shamrock Buddy and Shamrock Dog 
