I Spy a Leprechaun

 Have you seen a leprechaun?

Toys: Mr. Potato Head, (New) Large floor puzzles (ABC) and pizza/birthday cake wooden puzzles, cars and village rug.

Snack: Celery,  Apple Jacks (orange and green), and organic fruit snacks.

Music: Celtic Music and Janeen Brady's song, "Wearing O' The Green."

Everyone wearing green!

Circle Time: Today we talked about Ireland and it's influence in America, like the holiday Saint Patrick's Day*. The Irish eat a lot of potatoes, had a famine and many people left Ireland and immigrated to America. There was a kind man of the church, Saint Patrick, who taught Irish children that the clover was a symbol of the Godhead: God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

Do you know what a shamrock is? A shamrock is a sprig of a three leaf (Old White) clover--the symbol of Ireland.

We talked about tricky Leprechauns (who are related to the Fae, or fairies). We enjoyed several stories about these wee folk and their gold.

Ms. Jessica hid shamrocks around the room. Each had a different number on the back. We put them in order in a number line, learning which numbers come before and after others.

* Even if you are not Irish, March is a great month to get to know one or two of your ancestors--like a Great grandfather or Grandmother, where they came from, what they looked and talked like, and a favorite recipe or tradition they did.

Outside Fun: with the Sand and Water Table.

How would you trick a Leprachaun?
Raegan: would get some toilet paper and ropes. She would hook the ropes to the roof and put some milk up there. When the leprechaun came, she would pull down on the ropes. 

Harris: would put them in a pot so they would disappear

Tanner: would put milk in a tree so they would get trapped

Lena: would put chocolate milk outside and then pull down on a string

Ben: would cook a warm pot and get them in

Lukas: get a gold crown and bike spikes so they get stuck

Anna: get a string of pee and he would dye the pee green

Zakai:pull on a rope that is on the roof

Dexter: put it in a bowl

Eva: put little pieces of chocolate on the floor so he would tiptoe

We colored our own Leprachaun!

And then had a surprise visit from a Leprauchaun!

Leprechaun Treasure Hunt: We had fun catching a Leprechaun! Timmy O'Clover, tapping with his little hammer. We followed him around the yard, keeping a close eye on him, to find his pots of gold for us to keep and take home.

Dexter's Birthday Celebration!
Question and Answer:
Ben: Favorite color? GREEN
Zakai: Favorite toy? STAR WARS LEGOs
Lena: Favorite lego? BATMAN
Raegan: Favorite movie? LEGO MOVIE
Eva: Animal? RED ANIMAL
Luke: Do you like jet packs? NO 

We learned all about Dexter today.  Dexter turned four.  He comes from California where his father attends the University of Malibu.  His mother has been very sick and so when they came up to Utah to visit family during the holidays, they ended up staying longer than planned.  Dexter loves the beach, shells, the sunshine and the sand.


The students loved the favor bags Dexter bought to celebrate with: sunglasses, bubbles, and fruit snacks--Our favorite things! Thank you, Grandma George.

St. Patrick's Day Books:
The Luckiest Leprechaun; A Tale-Wagging Tale of Friendship by Justine Korman, Ill. by Denise Brunkus
Clever Tom and the Leprechaun by Linda Shute
Tim O'Toole and the Wee Folk; An Irish Tale Told and Illustrated by Gerald McDermott
Leprachauns; Tale of the "Little People." (Pamphlet)