Tips and Ideas for Throwing a St. Patrick’s Day Party
Watch out for the wee folk—little leprechauns, that is! It’s time for
“the wearing o’ the green” as we celebrate everything Irish. Host a
St. Patty’s Day party with festive four-leafed invitations, Emerald
Isle food and Lucky Leprechaun games. It’s easy being green on St.
Patrick’s Day!
Decorations
Go green! Use a Balloon Time Helium Balloon Kit to inflate a bunch of
green balloons with helium, tie them off with green ribbon and gather
them in bunches of three to form floating “shamrocks.” Include one
“lucky” four-balloon cluster and award a prize to any guest who
“finds” it. Have the guests take “wearin’ o’ the green” literally and ask them to
dress in as many green articles of clothing as possible. Award a green
prize to the one who wears the most green. For added fun, greet the
guests dressed as a leprechaun, in a green top hat, green shorts and
green striped socks!
Cut out a bunch of giant shamrocks from green construction paper and
tape them to the walls or use them as place mats. Create a giant
rainbow using sheets of colored construction paper taped to a wall in
the shape of an arch. Set a “pot of gold” – a gold foil-covered bowl
filled with chocolate gold coins – at both ends of the rainbow.
Sprinkle clovers and gold coins on the table. Play Irish music in the
background.
Games & Activities
Check out the following fun ideas for entertainment at your St. Patty’s Day shindig!
Hot Potato
This fast-moving game is hot – but won’t really burn
anybody’s fingers. Have players stand in a circle about an arm’s
length from each other. Give the “hot” potato to one player and have
him or her toss it to any other player as quickly as possible. Keep
the potato moving until a player drops the potato or holds it longer
than three seconds – then that player is out. Continue until there’s
only one player left. For added fun, have players take a step back
each time the potato hits the ground.
Pot o’ Gold
Set out a large, green leprechaun hat upside down, (or
use a bowl). Give the players equal handfuls of chocolate gold coins
and have them take turns tossing them into the pot from a short
distance. Let the players keep the coins that land in the pot.
Four-Leaf Clover
Separate the bunches of green balloons you inflated
for decoration and let them float on the ceiling. At the word “Green!”
have the kids try to gather four balloons together to form a lucky
shamrock. The first to complete the task wins the game.
Gold Coin Hunt
Hide chocolate gold coins around the party room. Tie
a green helium balloon near the hidden coins, and then have the
players search for the hidden coins using the helium balloons as
clues.
Leprechaun Glasses
Watch the world turn green when you put on these
magic glasses! Have the kids cut round or shamrock-shaped eyeglass
frames from green posterboard. Cut out the center of the frames for
eyeholes. Cut green cellophane into circles and glue them over the
back of the eyeholes. (If you can’t find green cellophane, color clear
cellophane or plastic wrap with green permanent markers.) Poke holes
on each side of the glasses frames, insert pipe cleaners to each side
and secure them. Decorate the glasses with stickers, and then put them
on and start seeing green!
Leprechaun Footprints
Have the kids make their own leprechaun
footprints by rolling out refrigerator cookie dough. Cut out cookies
using a footprint cookie cutter and bake according to directions. Let
the kids frost the footprints with green icing and decorate them with
green sprinkles.
Refreshments
No party is complete without some festive food and drink to serve and enjoy.
Pot o’ Gold Potatoes
Along with traditional food like corned beef
and cabbage, offer a potato bar. Set out a selection of baked potato
toppings, such as grated cheese, bacon bits, ground beef, cubed ham,
cooked peas, chili, beef stroganoff, pizza toppings, Mexican
seasoning, sour cream and butter – and let the kids choose what they
want to put on their potatoes.
Shamrock Shake
Serve this refreshing mint-flavored shake with the
hot baked potato. For each guest, put 2 cups milk, 1 banana, ½ cup
mint ice cream in blender and blend until smooth and creamy, about
30-45 seconds. Pour into clear glasses.
Leprechaun Lunch
Make sandwiches from green-tinted bread (the bakery
can do this), and cut them out in clover shapes. Serve with a glass of
green-tinted milk.
Shamrock Cake
Bake three heart-shaped cakes and join them together
at their tips to form a shamrock (or bake four cakes to make a lucky
four-leaf clover). Frost with green-tinted icing and top with green
sprinkles and chocolate gold coins.
Favors
What would a party be without a little something to remember the day by? Send the wee ones home with a green leprechaun hat, a little
leprechaun figure, some chocolate gold coins, a green three-balloon
bouquet, a rainbow of color crayons or a box of Lucky Charms.
About the Author
Penny Warner has more than 25 years of experience as an author and
party planner. She has published more than 50 books, including 16
specific to parties. Additionally, Warner writes a weekly newspaper
column on family life, penned a column for Sesame Street Parents
magazine and has appeared on several regional and national TV morning
programs. Her latest book, LADIES’ NIGHT, will be out in November 2008
from Adams-Media. Balloon Time is the leading brand of consumer helium balloon kits in
North America. Balloon Time kits feature a helium-filled tank, latex
or foil balloons and ribbon, and are available at national retail
chains, party goods and grocery stores nationwide. For more
information, visit BalloonTime.com.
