St Patricks Day Play Dough Activities

Making your own St. Patrick Day play-dough is easy and you can customize it in anyway you wish. It’s also a great St. Patrick’s Day activity to help kids understand some basic facts about the country of Ireland through guided play!

I used what I think is the best homemade play dough recipe to make the basic dough.

• Then I used a lime green food dye and dark green food dye to make 3 distinct shades of green.
• I added peppermint oil to give the playdough a fun smell (we associate peppermint Shamrock shakes with St. Paddy’s Day at our house!)
• Last I separated the 3 shades of green and added a different color glitter to each one. I used glitter in the colors of the Irish Flag.

Some St. Patrick Day Playdough Activities:

 

Shades of Green Activity: One of the most visually stunning things about the Irish landscape is the many plots of green land that make aerial photos look like a green patchwork!

• We rolled the varying shades of green play dough flat and cut them into shapes resembling the Irish land from above.
• We talked about what causes the various shades of green. Short and long grass, different crops planted, hay covering, different plots belonging to different farmers …ect
• We used small pebbles we found outside to build stone fences just as they do in Ireland, and we talked about how farmers can let cattle or themselves in and out of fields by taking some stones away, and stepping into the field and then replacing them.

Flag of Ireland Activity: As you add the 3 glitters to the play dough you can discuss how each represents a color in the flag of Ireland.

• The national flag of Ireland – is a vertical tricolour of green , white, and orange.

• Wikipedia says the Irish government has described the symbolism behind each color of the flag as being that of green representing the Gaelic tradition of Ireland, orange representing the followers of William of Orange in Ireland, and white representing the aspiration for peace between them. If you have older children this would be a great time to talk about “The Troubles” &  the Good Friday Agreement that was signed in 1998 in an effort to foster peace and unity in Ireland.

Looking for more St. Patrick’s Day fun? What about a Corn Beef and cabbage recipe for dinner?

What other St. Patrick’s Day Activities have you done at your house? Leave me a link in the comments and I’ll come visit!