Guilford County Schools ACES Program
Weekly Theme: Blarney and Shenanigans – Other Activities
Coffee Filter Shamrock
Materials:
coffee filter
2 baby food jars
water
scissors
blue and yellow food coloring
q-tips
Instructions:
Cut Coffee filter in the shape of a shamrock. Put water in two baby food jars. Add yellow food
color in one jar and blue in the other. Give the children q-tips and let them mix the colors on the
coffee filter. You end up with a very interesting green shamrock.
Sparkle Shamrocks
Materials:
cereal box cardboard
pinto beans
green paint
paint brushes
scissors
glue
glitter
Instructions:
1. Cut a large shamrock shape out of your cardboard
2. Glue the pinto beans onto the shamrock
3. Let dry overnight
4. Paint green & sprinkle with glitter
Shamrock Wands
Materials:
green construction paper
scissors
glue
stapler
gold glitter
green straw
thin ribbon in both green and gold
Instructions:
1. Cut three heart shapes from the green paper. Glue the tips of the three shapes together to
form a shamrock.
2. Staple the center of the shamrock to the end of the straw to make a handle
3. Decorate the shamrock with gold glitter
4. Cut three or more 3 foot ribbons. Hold the ribbons together and staple them to the back of the
shamrock at the center so that the ends hang down from the shamrock wand.
5 Cut several tiny shamrocks and staple them along the ribbons.
Maybe your magic wand will help you catch a leprechaun!!
July 2008
1
Activity ideas obtained from ACES staff and public domain materials
Guilford County Schools ACES Program
Shamrock People
Materials:
construction paper
scissors
Instructions:
Cut large shamrock shape out of green paper. Fold white paper accordion style for arms and
legs. Cut small shamrocks for hands and feet. Glue at ends of accordion arms and legs.
Decorate large shamrock as a face.
Green on Green Art
What You Need:
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Green Construction Paper
Green crayons or oil pastels
White tempera paint
Paintbrushes
Water and water containers
A covered work area
Paint shirts or smocks for the little ones
What You Do:
1. Draw a design or picture on the green construction paper using green crayon --- this can
get a bit tricky because it’s sometimes hard to see what it is you are drawing.
Remember, this is supposed to be fun. If you can't draw a detailed image, just do some
fun designs.
2. Press hard with the crayon so it’s nice and thick.
3. When the picture is drawn, brush some white tempera paint (not too thick) over the
paper.
4. Like magic, lines will appear from out of nowhere!
5. Sign and display your work.
Pot O’ Gold
What You Need:
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play dough or modeling clay
small paper cup
paint
chocolate coins
What You Do:
1. Cut about 1/2 inch off the top of a small paper cup.
2. Give each child one cup with play dough.
3. Have them cover the cup outside only with play dough to make a pot for "gold coins" to
fit inside.
4. Once this is done, your students can paint their pot with bright colors.
5. Once dry, fill the "pots" with gold paper covered chocolate coins so it looks like a pot of
gold.
July 2008
2
Activity ideas obtained from ACES staff and public domain materials
Guilford County Schools ACES Program
Pot of Gold Craft
What You Need:
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8-10 iridescent yellow pom poms
yellow curling ribbon
green tissue paper
small baby food jar
white craft glue
water
scissors
paint brush or sponge applicator
What You Do:
1. Thoroughly wash and dry small baby food jar and lid. Mix 4 tablespoons of white craft glue
with enough water to bring it to painting consistency.
2. Have children cut tissue paper into squares. Starting with small sections, apply glue mixture
with paint brush or sponge applicator to jar. Stick tissue paper onto glue mixture and
continue all the way around the jar. Apply glue mixture over the top of tissue paper layer.
Apply a second layer of tissue paper and allow to dry completely.
3. While jar is drying, apply glue around the outer edge of the jar lid. Adhere the ribbon around
the lid lip and tie in a knot. Curl the ribbon by sliding the flat edge of the blade from a pair of
scissors along the ribbon. (Adult may need to do this). Glue pom poms to the top of the lid
and allow to dry.
Shamrock Painting
What You Need:
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shamrock patterns
green and white paint
paper
bubble wrap (large or small)
rubber bands
paper plates (for palettes)
gold glitter
What You Do:
1. Have your students mix three different shades of green paint on the paper plates.
(Remind them that they should add green to white OR add white to green to create
different tints of green).
2. Take the bubble wrap and make a dabber with it - place rubber band over it to keep it in
place.
3. Have the children cut shamrocks from white paper.
4. Have them paint the shamrocks using the bubble wrap - dabbing the bubble wrap into
paint and then onto the paper.
5. Sprinkle with gold glitter before the paint dries.
July 2008
3
Activity ideas obtained from ACES staff and public domain materials
Guilford County Schools ACES Program
July 2008
4
Activity ideas obtained from ACES staff and public domain materials