11 St. Patricks Day Activities for Kids
STEM, literacy and math ideas
March in the classroom brings a special kind of energy. Between leprechaun excitement, rainbows, and a little bit of springtime wiggles, students are ready for hands-on learning that feels playful and meaningful.
If you’re looking for simple ways to keep little learners engaged while still building important early skills, these St. Patrick’s Day activities for Preschool and Kindergarten combine science, math, literacy, and creative exploration into one festive collection.
From fizzy rainbow experiments to treasure hunt math centers and movement-based adventures, each idea is designed to support purposeful play while making your St. Patrick’s Day plans feel easy and fun.
St. Patrick's Day Science Experiments
#1: Exploding Rainbow Science Experiment
Watch as a simple baking soda and vinegar reaction transforms into an exciting, colorful St. Patrick’s Day science experience.
Students design their own rainbow bags, make predictions, and observe the exciting moment when their “gold” comes to life.
Best For: science centers, small groups, STEM exploration
#2: Rainbow Skittles Science Experiment
This classic rainbow science activity is always a classroom favorite.
As students place rainbow-colored Skittles around a plate and add warm water, they watch bright rainbow patterns slowly spread and blend.
It’s a simple way to introduce early observation skills, color mixing, and scientific curiosity while creating a magical St. Patrick’s Day moment that feels both playful and magical.
Best For: science lesson, whole group demonstrations, class party activity, class reward activity
#3 Grow a Rainbow Science Experiment
Watch your students’ excitement grow right along with their rainbow as the rainbow slowly travels and blends together in this simple hands-on science activity.
Using basic materials and a little patience, children observe how liquids move and mix, making this experiment a wonderful introduction to early STEM concepts while still feeling magical and seasonal.
Best For: science lesson, whole group demonstrations, class party activity, class reward activity
#4 Rainbow Volcano Science Experiment
Bring a burst of colorful excitement to your St. Patrick’s Day plans with rainbow volcanoes that fizz, bubble, and overflow with bright layers of color.
Students love watching the reaction unfold while exploring early science concepts like cause and effect, making this activity a high-energy way to introduce STEM learning through hands-on play.
Best For: science lesson, whole group demonstrations, class party activity, class reward activity
#5 Fizzing Pots of Gold Science Experiment
Add a little leprechaun-inspired excitement to science time with fizzing pots of gold that bubble and sparkle as students explore a classic baking soda and vinegar reaction.
This festive experiment is simple to set up but full of visual fun, making it perfect for introducing early STEM concepts while keeping your St. Patrick’s Day theme front and center.
Best For: science lesson, whole group demonstrations, class party activity, class reward activity
St. Patrick's Day STEM Activities
#6 St. Patrick's Day Counting Cards
Turn early math practice into a festive treasure hunt with these St. Patrick’s Day Counting Cards.
Students choose a task card, count out rainbows, gold coins, shamrocks, or horseshoes, and place their treasures into a bucket as they practice number recognition and one-to-one correspondence in a playful way.
Best For: math centers, early finishers, small group number practice
#7 St. Patricks' Day Themed STEM Cards
Invite students to think like little engineers as they build festive St. Patrick’s Day designs using hands-on STEM challenge cards.
From creating lucky shapes to constructing themed designs, these cards encourage creativity, problem-solving, and spatial thinking while keeping kids fully engaged in purposeful play.
Best For: STEM bins, morning bins, math centers, small group activity, partner activity
Creative & Literacy St. Patrick’s Day Activities
#8 Rainbow Shamrocks Craft
This colorful art activity invites students to create beautiful rainbow shamrocks using bleeding tissue paper and water.
As the colors blend and spread, children explore creativity, color mixing, and fine motor skills while making a festive St. Patrick’s Day craft that looks stunning on classroom displays.
Best For: art centers, small or whole group art projects, St. Patrick’s Day party activity
#9 How to Catch a Leprechaun Book Study
Bring literacy to life with a playful book study that pairs perfectly with the popular How to Catch a Leprechaun read-aloud.
These no-prep activities help students build comprehension, sequencing, and early writing skills while connecting the story to hands-on learning.
It’s an easy way to add purposeful literacy practice to your St. Patrick’s Day plans without extra prep time.
Best For: literacy centers, read-aloud extensions, small group discussion
Movement-Based St. Patrick’s Day Activities
#10 St. Patrick's Day Write the Room
Invite students to move around the classroom as they search for festive St. Patrick’s Day word cards.
This literacy-rich activity blends movement with reading and writing practice, helping children strengthen letter recognition, handwriting, and early vocabulary skills while staying actively engaged.
Best For: movement-based literacy, center rotations, high-energy days. St. Patricks’ Day party activity
#11 Leprechaun Scavenger Hunt
Turn your classroom into a leprechaun adventure as students follow clues, search for hidden surprises, and work together to complete a festive scavenger hunt.
This activity encourages teamwork, problem-solving, and movement while keeping the St. Patrick’s Day excitement alive from start to finish.
Best For: special whole group fun, class party activity, class reward activity
Ready to Bring a Little St. Patrick’s Day Magic to Your Classroom?
From colorful science experiments to hands-on math centers and movement-filled adventures, these St. Patrick’s Day activities make it easy to keep little learners engaged while building essential skills through purposeful play.
Whether you’re planning a full themed week or just looking for one or two festive ideas to sprinkle into your routine, each activity is designed to be simple, engaging, and fun for Preschool and Kindergarten students.
Save your favorites, explore the tutorials, and enjoy turning March into a season of rainbow-filled learning and leprechaun-inspired fun!
