Preschool Activities and Lessons for St. Patrick's Day and Irish-American History Month
March is Irish-American history Month.For preschool teachers and daycare providers, this provides a great opportunity to teach children about different countries and cultures. I would begin with a simple lesson that about Irish history. You can take out a map or a globe and show kids the location of Ireland for starters. Talk about what the Irish flag looks like, discussing the colors of the flag and what each color represents.
Next, I suggest you explore and explain the significance of the color green. Discuss that green tends to symbolize hope and nature. Have the children name some things that are green in nature.
In conjunction with Irish-American history Month, you can include a lesson about St Patrick’s Day. Talk about the significance of the 4 leaf clover and leprechauns, and of course include a small history lesson about St. Patrick. Introduce the children to the national emblem of Ireland: the shamrock. Make sure to use plenty of visual aids when introducing new concepts to children.
Keep it simple in terms of activities. Read simple picture books about Irish history, let the children decorate your bulletin board with personalized shamrocks, present an “L is for Leprechaun letter activity”, or make an Irish flag of construction paper. Crafts for St. Patrick’s Day [Millbrook Press, 2000] by Kathy Ross has tons of ideas for simple crafts for preschoolers perfect for celebrating Irish history.
Dont overwhelm them with too much information. Keep it easy and fun! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
