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St. Patrick’s Day Songs for Kids

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I curated THE best St. Patrick's Day Songs for Kids! Enjoy the video and print off the lyrics for loads of St. Patrick's Day fun!

St. Patrick's Day Songs for Kids

I'M A LITTLE LEPRECHAUN SONG LYRICS

I'm a little leprechaun 
Dressed in green, 
The tiniest man 
That you have seen.
If you ever catch me,
so it's told,
I'll give you my big pot of gold.
I’m a little leprechaun
Imagine that
With my little green boots
And my big green hat
At the end of the rainbow
So, it’s told
You will find my pot of gold
I'm a little leprechaun 
Dressed in green, 
The tiniest man 
That you have seen.
If you ever catch me,
so it's told,
I'll give you my big pot of gold.

St. Patrick's Day Songs – History

The story of St Patrick's Day
Began so long ago
The lyrics in this song
Will tell you
All you need to know
The seventeenth of March
Is when this joyous holiday
Is celebrated happily
With colorful parades

Dee Lai Dee Dai Dee
Dai Dee Dai Dee
Lai Dee Dai Dee Dai
Hummm…Hummm…

Patrick was only sixteen when
The pirates captured him
They sold him to slavery
And took him to Ireland

He kept the faith
And made his escape
When he was twenty-two
And made it back to Britain
‘Twas the only home he knew

Patrick had a vision
To return to Ireland
And vowed to teach Christianity
Until the bitter end
Legend says that Patrick used
The shamrock to explain
That the Father, Son and Holy Ghost
Are all and one the same

On this day the Irish dress
In many shades of green
And some are feeling lucky
With the leprechauns, they've seen
It's music and fun for everyone
We'll party and we'll play
Come one, come all
Come join along
On this St. Paddy's Day!

St. Patrick's Day Songs – Math

Counting with a Leprechaun

Have you ever seen a leprechaun
Little green hat and boots so brown
Have you ever seen a leprechaun
Can you catch one sneakin' around

He's got a secret pot of gold
Hiding at the end of a rainbow
And you can try to find it but you'll never win
Get a four leaf clover and try again

Have you ever seen a leprechaun
Tiny little trickster from Ireland
Have you ever seen a leprechaun
Maybe just maybe you can make him your friend

St. Patrick's Day Songs – Movement

Dance, dance, leprechaun dance
Dance, dance, leprechaun dance
Dance, dance, leprechaun dance
Do a dance for me

Bow Bow Leprechaun bow
Bow Bow Leprechaun bow
Bow Bow Leprechaun bow
Do a bow for me

Clap clap leprechaun clap
Clap clap leprechaun clap
Clap clap leprechaun clap
Do a clap for me

Jump Jump leprechaun jump
Jump Jump leprechaun jump
Jump Jump leprechaun jump
Do a jump for me

G-R-E-E-N

There is a color
That I say
Represents St. Patrick's Day
G-R-E-E-N
G-R-E-E-N
G-R-E-E-N
And Green is that color

St. Patrick's Day Songs for Preschoolers – Rainbows

The Colors of the Rainbow
Larry the leprechaun found his gold at the end of the rainbow.
The colors of the rainbow are so beautiful to see
The colors of the rainbow, sing the colors along with me
Red, orange, yellow, green and blue, indigo and you know there's violet too
Red, orange, yellow, green and blue, indigo and you know there's violet too
The colors of the rainbow are so beautiful to see
The colors of the rainbow, sing the colors along with me
Red, orange, yellow, green and blue, indigo and you know there's violet too
Red, orange, yellow, green and blue, indigo and you know there's violet too
This is Larry the leprechaun, move with my friend, Jack to the colors of the rainbow.
Red- shake your head, shake it, shake it
Orange- make the shape of an orange, make the shape, make the shape
Yellow- jiggle like jello, jiggle, jiggle
Green- make your body lean, whoa
Blue- touch your shoe, down low, low
Indigo- move real slow, slow motion
Violet- fly like a jet, I'm flying, flying
The colors of the rainbow are so beautiful to see
The colors of the rainbow, sing the colors along with me

RAINBOW SONG

See the rainbow way up high,

Spreading colors in the sky.

Red and orange, yellow too

Green and purple hug some blue.

Watch it quickly, it won't last.

Rainbows can disappear fast!


Fun Facts about St. Patrick's Day

Five Little Leprechauns
The Story of Three Leprechauns

Montessori Monthly Themes: Amazing, Fun, & Easy to Do

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This page includes Montessori monthly themes for preschoolers including Montessori Activities by Season and Montessori Activities by Holiday. I hope this content helps you create amazing Montessori Monthly Lesson Plans! My goal is to add to this monthly content so that you have dozens of Montessori theme ideas for each month of the year!

Montessori Monthly Themes for Preschool

Montessori Month by Month Curriculum

The child's development follows a path of successive stages of independence, and our knowledge of this must guide us in our behaviour towards him. We have to help the child to act, will and think for himself. This is the art of serving the spirit, an art which can be practised to perfection only when working among children. – Dr. Maria Montessori

Montessori Winter Activities

It is the life of the crystal, the architect of the flake, the fire of the frost, the soul of the sunbeam. This crisp winter air is full of it. ~John Burroughs, “Winter Sunshine”

Montessori New Years Activities

Montessori Martin Luther King Jr. Activities

Montessori Valentine's Day Activities

Montessori St. Patrick's  Day Activities

Montessori Earth Day Activities

Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of each. – Henry David Thoreau

Montessori Spring Themed Activities

Nature gives to every time and season some beauties of its own. – Charles Dickens

Montessori Mother's Day Themed Activities

Montessori Memorial Day Themed Activities

Montessori Father's Day Themed Activities

Montessori Summer Themed Activities

Montessori July 4th Themed Activities

Montessori Fall Themed Activities

10 Fun & Thoughtful New Year Activities for Kids & Families

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This post contains ten fun and thoughtful new year activities for kids “Mama, how many days until Halloween?” my five-year-old asked me the day after Halloween. We were months away from a new year, let alone another Halloween.

There are days I feel time moves at lightening speed and then there are days, well, there are days that feel like Halloween.

Time does pass. That is a fact. I choose to celebrate the New Year. I don't make resolutions because inevitably I break those resolutions and end of feel crappy about myself.  There are a few things I do embrace each New Year.

Related Read: How to Make New Years Resolutions Stick

Let's be honest and totally cheesy for a moment, the new year celebration gives us a chance to reflect on the past year and to firmly plant a mindset for the coming year. It’s great to take some time with the family to reflect on the past year as well as the New Year that’s on the way.

10 family activities to Help you Reflect on the New Year

  1. Create a Traditional Family New Year Dinner – Everyone can vote on the dishes they want to include in the meal. Prepare the meal and cook it together. This is a great time to talk and share and just enjoy the time together as a family. It’s also a great way to build a tradition that you can repeat year after year, or maybe month after month, or week after week.
  2. Ask “Who is your family?” – We love conversation starters! This conversation starter is a great family bonding activity for New Years. It invites the family members to talk about who is part of his or her family, and what family really means to them. This is a great way to start a New Year with gratitude.
  3. Share your Favorite Family Activity – Have everyone share their favorite activity for the year and also talk about what they want to do together in the upcoming year.
  4. Play New Year Games – Pull out the good old board games and make it happen. There are a lot of fun games you can play like Guess the Resolution or Two Truths and a Lie. You can do a word guessing game, or a New Years take on charades.
  5. Go Outside – If you still have snow (or can travel to it), this could be a great time to play in the snow. Go skiing or snowboarding, or just run around and make snowmen or throw snowballs. This time of year will pass so quickly after New Year so now is a good time to appreciate it.
  6. Get Crafty – This can be a great time of year to work on some crafts. You can do seasonal crafts, or make an annual family scrapbook to reflect on your memories.
  7. Read Outloud – No matter how old or how young your children, reading aloud as a family is a magical experience.
  8. Scavenger Hunt – Create a year in review scavenger hunt, or planning for next year scavenger hunt. You can be as creative as you want with these and get all of the family members involved/
  9. Set Family Goals for the New Year – Most people enjoy making New Year Resolutions. You can do this together and share your goals for the New Year as a family.
  10. Dream together about the New Year – Talk about the things you hope to achieve in the New Year, what your number one goal is, things you want to do as a family and more. You might be surprised at some of the answers. It’s also a great way to bond.

I hope these ideas inspire you a bit. Let me know your New Year's traditions! This is all about your family so do what works for you.

Happy New Year!

Marnie

My Top Picks for Holiday Gifts for Montessori Teachers

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There was a year when I failed…I know, I know…it is the thought that counts, but I took the easy path.

You know what “they” say about the easy path? It'll make you week over time. Truth.

I will admit that I was pregnant with our third son and completely overwhelmed with “stuff” going on with out second son…but I take full ownership of the pathetic attempt at thanking my sons teachers for being nothing short of amazing (says the daughter of a teacher).

Are you ready for what I gave?

I am so embarassed…

…but I want to be honest.

Starbucks gift cards {lots of whimpering}.

Yup. I gave each teacher the envelop, my head bowed a bit, hugged each teacher, and bolted out of the school with my kids.

Every year since that time, I have made it a personal goal to involve my sons and to truly make time for giving a thoughtful, a meaningful gift to my sons teachers because, let's be honest, teachers are amazing human beings who not only educate our kids but they take care of our kids.

Boom.

With that off my chest, I am here to offer you the top picks for holiday gifts for school teachers.

The best holiday gift ideas for Montessori teachers

12 Top Holiday Gifts for Montessori Teachers

Personalized Stationary

Get to know your child's teacher by engaging him or her in conversation or asking your child about his teacher's specific interests (which is a great exercise!), then head on over to Minted, design, and order personalized stationary to his or her liking. The process takes ten minutes or less. I promise.

Unique Gift Cards

Forget about Starbucks, think hard about the teacher's habits. My mom was a teacher for nearly 4 decades and she was always buying supplies out of her own pocket. I know it isn't exciting but if it is all about the teacher and not because you're taking a short cut like I did 4 years ago, the you're good. Consider Amazon, Micheals, Montessori Services, or my printables shop!

Personalized Journals

Minted offers personalized journals and planners that are nothing short of gorgeous!

Share a Family Tradition

I like to include a tin of a baked item that reflects a family tradition. In our case, we could bake my grandmother's cowboy cookies and include the recipe (the original copy is a nice touch).

A Handwritten Letter

If I am feeling particularly reflective, I write a short letter to my sons' teachers. I like to include a note from my sons', too. The letters are handwritten.

Interview Your Child

This gift is so much fun! Interview your child about his or her teacher! The answers will make you laugh and make you cry! Present in a nice format to your teacher in card or small book and watch your child's teacher light up. I created these interview questions as a starting point for you.

Housecleaning Service

Who doesn't love a little pampering around the house? Give your child's teacher the gift of a clean home!  If you don't have a housecleaner in mind, ask around and you will be sure to get a great reference!

Wine of the Month or Tea of the Month Club

However, your child's teacher likes to relax and chill out after a long day with a classroom full of kids, a wine of the month or tea of the month club works wonders.  There are several “Wine of the Month” clubs including the cleverly named Wine of the Month Club. Cellars Club is another option. Teabox and PlumDeluxe are a great gift option for tea drinkers!

Monthly Flower Delivery

My husband and I really make an effort to have fresh flowers in our home. There is something about the smell and the oxygen the flowers delivered to the interior of the home that makes a huge difference in mood and ambiance. ProFlowers offers a monthly flower club. Check it out here!

Museum Membership

I love museum memberships! Such a blessing and a motivation to be able to visit a museum with all the conveniences of a membership. Challenge yourself and your child to consider a museum his or her teacher may appreciate the most.

The Gift of Meat

We love Snake River Farms and these guys have loads of holiday gift ideas!

For the One Who Love to Cook

Flirty Aprons is so much fun. I got lost on their site checking out all the cool aprons for adults and kids. You can even customize an apron! What a great gift idea for teachers!

On a final note…

I challenge you to get to know your child's teacher. Ask your child questions about favorite colors, what he or she likes to do during free time, engage in a conversation with your child's teacher about his or her LIFE.

I hope you enjoyed this list of holiday gifts for teachers!

Have fun!

Marnie

Related Reads:

How to Have Healthy Holidays So You Don’t Lose Your Mind

By Filed Under: Positive Parenting Tagged With: , , , This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

I woke up that morning to find all the Christmas presents sorted by person and then by size.

I found my son sound asleep on the floor with a pillow under his head slowly opened his eyes.

Groggily he admitted to me that he'd gotten up at 1am and ‘couldn't sleep'. So, he organized Santa's gifts for the family.

I closed my eyes and breathed deep into my lungs.

How to Have a Healthy Holiday

This post is sponsored by Culturelle. All opinions are 100% my own.

Holidays means something different in our home. Overstimulation, anxiety, and crappy food lead to stress and frustration.

We work hard to mitigate these circumstances.

How to Have a Healthy Holiday with Your Kids

5 Steps to a Making Our Holiday Healthy: Keep Your SOCKS on

Here is how we do it:

  1. Say no to a large family gathering. We recently canceled Christmas with our extended family to keep our home and holiday events calmer and more predictable.
  2. Offer a trade for treats. The holidays provide ample opportunity to eat a lot and eat poorly. Our bodies get out of whack. That's a technical term. To help us all keep our bodies in line, we offer the boys a small Lego set as a trade for all their candy.
  3. Create ground rules around food and treats starting at Halloween.
  4. Keep our bodies happy. Make certain we take our supplements including our multi-vitamins, probiotics, omega-3s, and Culturelle Kids Regularity Gentle-Go Formula to keep my kids' regular. Regularity issues are a reality for all of us, especially kids during the holidays. We also make sure to take care of our minds with yoga and some fun meditation activities for kids. Anxiety overwhelms at times amidst the joy and celebration.
  5. Stick to your daily routine. We have a visual chart that my particularly rigid son enjoys checking off as he completes his tasks.

Download Your FREE Morning Routine Chart

Regularity Tips for Your Holiday from Dr. Jen Trachtenberg*

  1. Ease up on the rice cereal: Rice cereal can be very binding.  Consider other iron-rich sources like meats, eggs, lentils, and sweet potatoes.
  2. Fiber is a regularity ringer: Fiber helps to keep children regular in three key areas, helping intestines move faster, cleaning the colon and keeping stool soft.
  3. Hydrate: Hydration is an important part of regularity. Offer water to quench thirst with meals and snacks. Remember you can also boost hydration with high water content foods like watermelon, oranges, grapes, and cucumbers.
  4. Pre- and probiotics combined become a digestive health powerhouse:* Culturelle® Kids Regularity Gentle-Go™ Formula, for instance, combines as much fiber as five prunes with the #1 most studied probiotic strain Lactobacillus GG.
  5. Get up and Go: Exercise is not just good for the heart but also helps to stimulate the natural contractions of the intestinal muscles. A family walk around the block after dinner can help your child have an easier time in the bathroom.
  6. Have the talk: Grown-ups know that everybody poops, but sometimes children avoid going because they become embarrassed. The longer they hold it in, the harder it will be to go. Make sure your child understands going to the bathroom is normal.
  7. Regularity is a routine thing: Creating a regular time to take your child to the bathroom, like right after a meal, is a great way to get their bodies on a schedule that will aid regularity.
  8. Be a tour guide: Children often resist going to the bathroom to continue playing with a desired toy or activity. Instead of asking if they need to use the bathroom, try escorting them by the hand to the bathroom while saying-“It’s time to use the toilet”–this will help eliminate their urge to hold it in too long which can make bowel movements more difficult to pass.
  9. Keep it balanced: A key to digestive health is making sure the bacteria in the gut is balanced. Culturelle® Kids Regularity Gentle-Go™ Formula was developed just for kids’ digestive system to promote balance and regularity.*
  10. Be patient: Stress has a way of creating digestive gridlock, stay positive and encouraging, the more relaxed you stay when they can’t go, the more relaxed they’ll be when trying.
  11. Reach for the Rainbow: Adding in brightly colored fruits and veggies for snacks will not only give your child the most nutrients but also added fiber. Remember it takes at least ten tries of a new food to incorporate into a child’s usual diet.

Knock the SOCKS off this year with a happy & healthy holiday with your kids. Stick to your routine, take care of your bodies, and keep it simple. Happy holidays, friends.

Marnie

More about Culturelle Kids Regularity Gentle-Go Formula*

  • Effectively restores the natural balance of good bacteria in the digestive tract and promotes daily regularity to help your child go easier
  • Regularity is a physical and emotional issue that takes a toll on both parent and child
  • Safely helps restore and maintain regularity and keeps kids’ digestive systems running smoothly*
  • Contains a blend of naturally-sourced ingredients developed just for kids’ digestive systems to help restore regularity*
  • Helps regulate digestive health and bowel functions
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
 
Culturelle® Kids Regularity Gentle-Go™ Formula is available at all major retailers, including Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid.
 

Why I Told My Family to Stay Away this Christmas

By Filed Under: Positive Parenting, Sensory Processing Disorder Tagged With: , , This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

It was a tough email to write.

My child needed me to write it.

Many of you are not going to like what I have to say in this post about surviving the holidays with a special needs child. The advice I offer does not come in the form of a top ten list of tactics to manage the insanity that is holidays with an SPD child.

In theory, joy and warmth fill a home during the holidays. My childhood memories remind me of these feelings. I can practically hear my grandmother's laugh from the other room. I smell the turkey and hear the beaters getting all the lumps out from the mashed potatoes.

The “joyful holiday” was my reality growing up. The magical moments of writing a letter to Santa, leaving out carrots for reindeer, waking up on a frigid December morning, and hours with extended family eating turkey and stuffing. We laughed so hard, played games, and had snowball fights.

That scene, bustling with noise and activity, was full of happiness and fun. That is what I knew in my childhood.

Why I Canceled Christmas: What You Need to Know about Surviving Holidays

So when that joy didn't fill my home with my children during the holiday season, I found myself devastated and resentful. I wanted to solve the “problem”. I wanted to break the barrier blocking my immediate family from complete euphoria during the holidays. I wanted a band-aid to make everything feel better.

I fought and fought for years. I struggled with family members offering advice on how to handle our SPD child. I looked emotions of inadequacy and failure straight in the eye.  Sadness and anxiety suffocated me during the holidays.  I continued to push myself and my family into these uncomfortable, unhappy, and joyless family holiday gatherings. My child always challenged these days even though I knew and I embraced that if he could behave well, he would, that his greatest obstacle in life is also his greatest gift.

What You Need to Know about Surviving Holidays

I don't have a top 10 list on how to survive the holidays with your SPD child.  I tried that approach. Here is what I have to offer you:

When I opened my laptop I felt warm air on my toes coming from a floor vent. I took a deep breath, my eyes filled with tears, and I began to type:

Hey,

T and I were discussing Christmas plans. We realize that it is the year of gathering at our home.  Alas, it isn't a good time for us. As you well know W has been struggling for a variety of reasons for a while now. We have a plan in place that unfortunately does not include a large family gathering at the holidays.

It pains me to write this email and the decision did not come lightly.

We appreciate your understanding.

I closed my laptop. I canceled Christmas. I felt a wave of despair but that emotion rushed out of my body. My world suddenly felt lighter.  I could see clearly. Making the right decision is not always easy but when you do make it happen, you know it. The decision to cancel Christmas was 100% for my son and my immediate. The decision was not for anyone else; it couldn't be.

 Click Here to Download Your Stress-Free Holiday Checklist

So, you see, I had to write the email not for me but for my son. Being the parent of a child with special needs is a challenge in many respects. Being on all the time, hardly taking your guard down in a desperate attempt to keep everything “normal”, or at least moving forward. However, I cannot project my childhood onto my children. They are different. We are different. Our memories will be joyful and warm but will come to us in a different form without the bustle.
Decide what you need to do for your child and have conviction about the action. You will find greater joy in embracing the facts of the matter. You will find greater warmth in embracing your child in silence and in calm on a beautiful holiday morning. Only then will the true magic of the holidays enter your world.
How to Survive the Holidays

Your Next Steps for Surviving Holidays >>

If you are in a similar position, come up with a plan that works best for your SPD family. Maybe no lights? Maybe no sugar? Added a bit of relaxing music? Come up with a list of ways to ease the anxiety.
Marnie

Read More Posts Like this One

This post is part of the Parenting Children with Special Needs Series. If you're interested in reading more surviving the holidays with special needs children, be sure to visit the links below.