When you find a rainbow with your kids, do you:
a) explain to them how light refracts when it hits tiny water droplets in the sky, allowing you to see a spectrum of color?
b) tell them all about Leprechauns and their pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?
If your answer was B, you’ll love today’s craft! According to legend, if you manage to trap a Leprechaun he’ll have to give you three wishes–or his pot of gold–to regain his freedom.
But you have to be VERY careful–Leprechauns are tricky little dudes!
Should you Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a trap?
I know, I know. You’ve got more than enough fairy tale creatures visiting your house, what with Santa, the Tooth Fairy and Easter Bunny. But hear me out,…celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with a leprechaun trap is pretty harmless. It’s a one day event. Make a trap, set it up and see if it works.
(That part is totally up to you mom!)
I’m not sure who started the whole Leprechaun trap thing–it wasn’t around when I was a kid, or even something we did for my oldest son. The idea is this: you set up some kind of trap and the kid comes back to an empty box because Leprechauns are super crafty and always get away.
Some parents go as far as messing up their house with “Leprechaun shenanigans” a la Elf on the Shelf. Mitch happened to remember seeing Leprechaun footprints in his kindergarten classroom, but honestly, it’s not something we’ve done at home.
A Leprechaun Fairy Tale
In one classic fairy tale, a man forces a Leprechaun he captured to turn over his gold in exchange for freedom. Because Leprechauns are clever, they generally make a fool of humans trying steal their precious treasure.
In this case, the Leprechaun says his gold is buried under a tree. The human doesn’t have a shovel, so he marks the spot with his red garter–it’s old timey Ireland, dudes wore garters back then. He lets the Leprechaun go and returns with a shovel…only to find every tree in the forest marked with a red garter!
Use This Leprechaun House to Teach Kindness Instead
I have a couple problems celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with a Leprechaun trap. First, it’s just plain messy–especially if you go the whole Leprechaun prank route. Second…I’m not sure it’s a great idea to teach kids they can bully fairies out of their treasure.
So I’ve got a fun alternative! Build this super cute Leprechaun House from Personal Creations and set it up as a kind rest stop for busy Leprechauns traveling on St. Patrick’s Day!
Hide a tasty treat for the Leprechaun inside the house, and perhaps they’ll leave some “gold” as a thank you.
Now isn’t that nice?