Free St. Patrick's Day Printables

Aren't these just the cutest St. Patrick's Day Flags?!?



I found them here.
All you have to do is download the file and then print them out!

I printed them on heavy cardstock and at a printer because I wanted the printing to be top quality and I want them to last for a few years.

You just have to cut them out, fold on the marked line and then glue the tab over.  I used my trusty glue gun and then fed a thin red ribbon through.
Easy peasy and so cute and festive!

I also found this awesome St. Patrick's Day subway art printable here.

I printed this in a 8x10 size and framed it in an inexpensive frame.

It looks so cute!

 

Finally, for our 2 Irish Dancers in the house, I printed out this smaller 5x7 printable I found here.
The girls love it and have been 'jigging' all around.

Everyone's Irish on St. Patrick's Day, right?

I realize I've posted these St. Patrick's day freebies a little late, but I just found them this weekend.  For the next holiday I'll be sure to get any free printables I find out early so that you can print them out and enjoy them too!

Shamrock Pretzels

Here is a popular

St. Patrick's Day Snack!

White chocolate dipped Shamrocks!

It's so simple. 

Start with some pretzels......

......and dip in melted chocolate!

Add some extra chocolate into the middle of the shamrock to hold them together.

 Sprinkle with any green or St. Patrick's Day themed sprinkles you may have and pop in the fridge to set.

So easy and so yummy!

I dipped these pretzels very lightly in the chocolate {to try to minimize the sugar content} but it made them look a little transparent.  Next time, I think I would buy some yogurt covered pretzels and 'glue' them together with the melted white chocolate.

Enjoy!

Horton Hatches the Egg

We started this craft on Dr. Seuss' birthday - but since its paper mache it takes a while!

I had never read the book 'Horton Hatches the Egg'.  It's really cute!  The kids enjoyed it and learned the value of holding to your word, just like Horton.

"I meant what I said

And I said what I meant....

An elephant's faithful

One hundred per cent!"

So we made the egg that Horton so faithfully tended too.

I mixed up water and flour to a goopy consistency and helped the kids apply strips of gooped up paper to their balloons.  Matthew did not want to do this craft.  He did not like the feel of the mixture and thought it was all together too messy.  Jillian enjoyed the mess!

They took a few days to really dry, then we painted them red.  We waited another day for that to dry and then added the white spots.

As soon as the eggs were complete the kids wanted to CRACK them open - they knew that I had stuffed some treats for them inside the balloons before I blew them up.  The eggs had no chance to survive knowing there was candy inside.

To me, it seemed sad to see the eggs destroyed as soon as they were finished - but it's the experience right?

Linking up to Sun Scholars

Leprechaun Hats

These HATS have turned out to be a very versatile snack!

You start with Oreos and marshmallows and then use your imagination.

They were Snowmen Hats in this post.

They were Abe Lincoln's tall top hat in this post.

{switched the marshmallow for banana}

And now with St. Patrick's Day coming up they are

Leprechaun Hats!

I melted white chocolate chips and poured the melted chocolate over the marshmallows and Oreos, then sprinkled them with Lucky Shamrock Sprinkles.

I wonder what they will turn into next?

Linking up to Sun Scholars

Linking up to Passionately Artistic

Crystal Rainbows and Shamrocks

We needed some St. Patrick's Day decorations in the house so I thought we could make some borax crystal shamrocks!

Click here for my original post with instructions on how to make borax crystals.

For the shamrocks I took one green pipecleaner and bent it into a shamrock shape.

After 24 hours in the borax solution they looked like this!

The rainbow was a little tricky.  I molded the pipecleaners into a rainbow shape and twisted them together at the ends {in no organized fashion as you can see}.  Then I got a big 8 cup batter bowl and used the ends of the pipecleaners as hooks to hold the rainbow upside down in the solution.

I put in 2 full scoops of borax {with the provided scoop}. 

Then I glued on some extra large cotton balls onto the ends of the rainbow to cover up the twisted ends of the pipecleaners.  I strung it with some green ribbon and hung it up on our mantle.

So pretty!

I bet you think I will be making little crystal bunnies, eggs and flowers next...........yup I probably will!

Have fun!

Linking up to Tip Junkie Tues,  Sugar Bee,  Funky Polka Dot Giraffe,  Today's Creative Blog

Linking up to Be Different....Act Normal,  Saturday Mornings,  Bubbly Nature Creations

Linking up to Marvelously Messy,  Skip to My Lou,  Make and Takes, Sugar and Dots, Sun Scholars

Make your own Stickers with Jello!

The kids can color, cut, paint, lick and stick all in one fun and yummy St. Patrick's Day activity!

First, I found some St. Patrick's Day pictures on line.  The kids colored the shamrocks, rainbows, and pots of gold.

Then I mixed 2 tbsp boiling water with 1 tbsp of the Jello powder and had the kids paint the back of their 'sticker' paper with the mixture.

Once dry they cut out their stickers!

 Then lick, lick, lick {yummy}

and

stick, stick stick {fun}.

We made a bowl of Jello with the remainder of the powder.  They had fun looking through it.

Check out their distorted alien faces!

Idea from Superheros and Princesses.

The Iditarod Race

The Iditarod Race started in Alaska yesterday, March 5.  I showed the kids the Iditarod web site and some YouTube videos of dog sled racing and they were really interested.  After watching the videos the kids went off to make their own dog teams.

This was the first attempt.

Yes - that is Matthew being pulled on his 'sled' by a team consisting of a stuffed dog and two Zhu Zhu pets.  I think they really thought that once they turned the Zhu Zhu pets on that Matthew and his sled would move - so funny! 

Sarah also came up with a sled for her American Girl pulled by her AG husky.

A great book and/or movie to go along with learning about the Iditarod is Balto.

Here is some info from Wikepedia about Balto and the 1925 serum run to Nome, Alaska.  This run is commemorated by the Iditarod.

You can also find a statue of Balto in New York City's Central Park.

Playing with Playdough

Since we had made all this wonderful Rainbow Kool-Aid Playdough it was time to play!

I had read a post on the Frugal Family Fun blog that recommended using your own baking items and things from around the house to play.  Jillian thought it was SO great that she was using the 'real' things that Mommy uses!

I set out mixing bowls, cookie cutters, a rolling pin, muffin tins, pastry blender, garlic press, juicer, mini scoop, plastic containers to use as molds, and candles.  The kids LOVED it.

I think the biggest hit were the candles.

  

 They played Bakery Shop for such a long time and really used their imaginations.

Have Fun!

Rainbow Kool-Aid Playdough

A Rainbow of Kool-Aid Playdough!

I have always followed a homemade playdough recipe that uses the stovetop and been quite happy with the results.  This recipe, however, uses boiling water and is super easy.  I will not go back to using the stovetop to make playdough again!  Adding the Kool-Aid makes the playdough smell soooo yummy and colors the dough without having to fiddle with food coloring.

This is our new favorite homemade playdough recipe.

You have to try it out!!!

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup salt

1 pkg Kool-Aid Unsweetened Drink Mix, any flavor

1 Tbsp Cream of Tartar

1 cup boiling water

1 1/2 Tbsp oil

wax or parchment paper

Directions

Mix the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Add oil to the boiling water in a measuring cup and then pour into the dry ingredients.  Stir with a fork until most of the dry ingredients have been combined, then mix with your hands.

Put your playdough onto the wax paper and knead, knead, knead until it has become smooth and well blended - then start playing!

Store in a plastic bag or airtight container in the refrigerator.

There was a lot of smelling going on while making the dough!

The kids loved watching the colors come out when we added the boiling water.

{of course be super careful when using the hot water around the kiddos!}

Here is the result!

A rainbow of Kool-Aid playdough!

As you can see, the yellow didn't really turn out yellow and the green package of Kool-Aid really makes a pink strawberry-kiwi blend, oops!

The flavors that continued to smell the best and the strongest after a few days of play were the basics - cherry, orange, lemon and grape.

The only 'complaints' I would have with this recipe is that it is a tad 'oily'.  Perhaps cutting back on the oil would prevent some oil marks left on the counters after play.  But, the oil may be what makes this dough so smooth so I would be hesitant to cut it back.  Also, Cream of Tartar is a rather expensive item to buy at our local supermarket - oh how I miss the great prices of the Candian store 'The Bulk Barn'.  I will have to stock up on crafting and baking supplies our next trip north of the border.  I have seen a similar recipe that omits the Cream of Tartar.....I wonder how that would turn out?  I will have to try that the next time.

Idea from Meet the Dubiens.

Dr. Seuss Day

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

  

Matthew and I had some more Dr. Seuss fun today while Nathan slept away in his favorite sleeping spot - the swing.

Ten Apples up on Top

This activity is pretty self explanatory.....I traced Matthew on a long sheet of paper (which he thought was great) and colored him in.  Then I cut an apple in half and we stamped the apple onto the paper with red paint.

The FOOT Book

 We also read The FOOT Book and then made a FOOT Book for Matthew!

You just need a long piece of paper and lots of paint.  Oh - and a wash up sink near by!

Left foot.  Right foot.

Feet.  Feet.  Feet.

Oh, how many feet you meet!

Matthew's Foot Book!

Have fun!

Linking up to ABC and 123

Linking up to My Delicious Ambiguity



Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss

Tomorrow is Dr. Seuss's Birthday!

Sarah has been coming home with lots of Dr. Seuss stuff from school.  Yesterday she only wanted to read Dr. Seuss and tomorrow she is to wear red and white in honor of his birthday.  I thought that I would run with all her enthusiasm and print out some Dr. Seuss activities and worksheets for all of us to do.

The Cat in the Hat

I printed out the famous RED and WHITE striped hat so the kids could turn themselves into the Cat.

Here are their self portraits.

Matthew as the Cat in the Hat     Jillian as the Cat in the Hat

I love how Jillian saw the cat's bowtie and immediately said that her bowtie would be a hairbow.

Sarah saw Jillian's hairbow and wanted to do that too.

There's a Wocket in My Pocket

Then we read There's a Wocket in my Pocket.  I had the kids draw and cut out what was in their pockets.  Matthew had a 'shlocket' and Jillian had a 'clocket' - to which she also had to add a baby 'clocket'.

I found a whole unit on Dr. Seuss at What the Teacher Wants.  This is where I found the printables for the Hat and the Pocket.  The unit also has a bunch of fun Dr. Seuss worksheets.

I know I'm a day early on this post but wanted to get some ideas out there in case any readers want to have a Dr. Seuss day too!

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!