Libraries are more than books. Some kids need a little direction to get the creative juices flowing. I gleaned the following from PUBYAC contributors. If you’re a member, check out the archives for 2-2011. Please add YOUR comments. Your colleagues would appreciate hearing what works, and what didn't!

Luck of the Irish

For more offerings, see: Storytime-St. Patrick's Day; St. Patrick's Day

INVITATIONS:

• Shamrocks
• Pot of Gold

REFRESHMENTS:

I know food crafts can be a problem these days with so many dairy, nut and wheat allergies. But if you do food crafts, here are a couple ideas:

• Make green cream cheese and use to fill celery. Use yellow raisins for"gold" to put on the log.
• Use green frosting on cupcakes and let the children decorate their own cupcakes with golden raisins, or with white and orange sprinkles.
• Shamrock cut-out sugar cookies
• Cookie Houses see: Recipes for Storytime

FAVORS/CRAFTS:

• Bookmarks
• Shamrock headbands--Just a long strip of green paper to go around the child's head. 2 pipe cleaners (any color or green to match) that are attached to the headband (I just wrap the cleaners around the band). 2 shamrocks to attach to the other end of the pipe cleaners. They are super cute and the kids love them. Easy, too!
• Leprechaun houses made out of natural materials? Twigs, stones, moss.
• Leprechaun Traps--white paper lunch bags, and put out leftover stickers and decorative pieces.
• Draw rainbows on the inside. I flipped around the program and had them do craft first (instead of last). When their traps were finished I had the kids hide them in the children's room. We went back into

                    the story room for books and I had a coworker put a chocolate coin in each.

• Decorating whole uncooked potatoes?  Have some supplies on hand to use for decorating, like crepe paper, markers, stick on eyes. You could make little clothes and a Leprechaun hat!
• Shamrock Tree--http://www.dltk-holidays.com/patrick/mshamrocktree.htm
• Rainbow windsocks with paper plates and streamers.  Just take a paperplate, cut a hole in the middle (5 inch diameter)  on one end glue pre-cut streamers in rainbow colors, punch a hole in the other end and tie a string

          through it (for hanging)  The kids ran around with these for days, most didn't even hang them up! 

GAMES:

• PIN—leprechaun on the rainbow
  
• TOSS—gold coins into cauldron
  
• FLOOR—
• RELAY—

PROGRAM:

• Read a St. Patrick's Day Story
• Sing Irish songs
• Break children up for various craft stations
• Have a St. Patrick's day parade
• Back to the room, to eat 

VOLUNTEERS:

• Get teen or adult help to “serve”  

COST:

• Most supplies can be purchased in bargain bins at craft stores or Dollar Stores. 

TIME:

• About an hour-and-a-half should be sufficient. (Dependent on the number of children passing through; and how many stations are offered.)