In the days leading up to St. Patrick’s Day, why not inject some Leprechaun mischief into your family’s routine? It’s a great way to break up the monotony of winter and illicit some laughs.
I printed out this cute leprechaun, colored him and cut him out. You might need several, especially if you have more than one person you’re planning to surprise. Cover him with clear contact paper or laminate him for added durability. I’ll leave him at the site of his “mischief”, so there’s no mistaking that there are leprechauns around.
Here’s a list of some of the things I’ve done in the past. There are ideas for family members of all ages:
1. Cereal Swap: Buy a box of Lucky Charms, take the wax paper bag out of the box and open it. Substitute it for a bag of ‘healthy’ cereal (like Cheerios). Imagine the reaction of when the unsuspecting recipient pours out Lucky Charms instead of Corn Flakes! I put the Leprechaun inside the box too (but only if he is laminated)
2. Soap Swap: change out the bar of soap in the shower or the sink to Irish Spring, pin the leprechaun to a towel.
3. Tint the water in the toilet bowl green; tape the leprechaun to the inside of the lid.
4. Pack a loved one a ‘green’ lunch. Include foods like green grapes, cucumbers, green peppers, green Apple Jacks cereal, green Jell-o Jigglers, guacamole and tortilla chips, lettuce, spinach leaves, a spinach tortilla wrapped around a variety of green fillings, fresh green beans, broccoli crowns and pea pods with ranch dressing for dipping, frozen peas, green apples, kiwi slices, pickle slices/spears/gherkins and green olives. Don’t forget to put the leprechaun into the lunch box / bag.
5. Change the first song of someone’s play list to something more “appropriate” for the holiday. This also works well for the ringtone of someone’s phone. Think “Danny Boy”, or “When Irish Eyes are Smiling” for a traditional take, or go contemporary with something from U2 or the Dropkick Murphy’s. The Unicorn Song is great for little ones.
6. Leave a bottle (or 6) of Irish beer in the fridge. Anything Guinness, Sam Adams Irish Red, Killian’s Irish Red or even O’Doul’s for those that prefers a non-alcoholic beverage. I tape some green ribbon around the back of the leprechaun and hang it on the bottle.
7. Tint any white or light colored food green. Mashed potatoes, milk, rice, and vanilla pudding are all things I’ve done in the past. Tape a leprechaun to a toothpick and he’s good to go.
8. Serve a Rainbow cake or Rainbow cupcakes. Directions can be found here . It’s a lot of work, so save this one for a weekend. Frost with white frosting or Cool Whip and stick the Leprechaun onto a bamboo skewer in the center.
9. Have a scavenger hunt. Hide gold foil covered chocolate coins around and let the kids search for them. Make sure you write down where you hide them or else you’ll be finding melted chocolate coins in May. An alternate plan would be to write out clues for children to follow. Leave a container for collecting them along with the leprechaun. If you don’t want to hide chocolates, you could cut out shamrocks from green construction paper and hide them.
10. For older kids, slip a bunch of chocolate coins in the pockets of their coats, or sweatshirt, anywhere where they’re sure to be found!
11. Fill people’s shoes with green treats. Green gum, spearmint leaves, green and /or gold hair accessories, green and gold nail polish, anything in a green package or container would do.
Are you feeling inspired? I hope so. Have fun with it, and you’re bound to make some lasting memories.
