5 FUN WAYS TO CELEBRATE ST PATRICK’S DAY
Plan an Irish playlist
Music is a huge part of St Patrick’s Day, so an Irish playlist is essential for getting in the party mood. The kids will love a jig-along with B*Witched (or even learn a traditional Irish folk song) and for Mums, it’s an ideal time to revive old love affairs with Westlife and Boyzone.
Dress up in green
There’s an important reason why everyone opts for fancy dress on March the 17th and it's all about not being pinched. Folklore has it that wearing green makes you invisible to leprechauns – cheeky scamps who pinch anyone they see. The more green you wear, the less likely you are to get a tweak, so green hats, sunglasss and wigs are a must. Dad has to dress up too, or the kids are allowed to help the leprechauns in their tickling tomfoolery.
Organise a treasure hunt
When the leprechauns aren’t out searching for people to pinch, then they’re leaving little shamrock-shaped clues around the house for the kids to find. A St Patrick Day treasure hunt is a great way of keeping the kids entertained (both physically and mentally), just make sure you reward them with a little pot of gold (chocolate) for their clue solving.
Plant shamrocks
Another easy and fun activity on St Patrick’s Day is planting shamrocks. Little green pots are a must and even filling them with soil is good, messy fun. After planting the seeds, the first clover sprouts should poke through in about two weeks’ time, depending on growing conditions.
Turn the bath green
One of the craziest St Patrick’s Day traditions takes place in Chicago, where a quarter-mile stretch of the Chicago River is dyed shamrock green every year. The city’s plumbers pour huge amounts of environmentally-friendly dye into the river and with that in mind, it’s possible to turn bath time green too by adding a few drops of food colouring to the bathwater. And no, it won’t stain the kids (or the bath) as the dye’s heavily diluted.
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