Last year my students had a BLAST with The Naughty Leprechaun. If you've never heard of it, you can read my post from last year HERE.
The Naughty Leprechaun is a cute book that comes with a gold coin (that all of your students will be obsessed with). The coin allows students to choose who will visit the classroom each night--Liam or Leyland. (It totally brings the fun back into the classroom that the students miss when the 'Elf on the Shelf' leaves). One leprechaun leaves a small treasure as a reward for students doing their best. However, the other leprechaun creates mischief and plays pranks!!
If students are good throughout the day then they get to choose which leprechaun will come to visit. I know my kids very well and I know they are going to choose the leprechaun that leaves treasure! So I went to the store and bought some cute edible rainbows and clouds to make cookies or cupcakes for a reward. I also bought some gold coins and treat bags that I can use for something!
Then, I made some cute Photo Booth props that I thought the leprechaun could bring one day as well! I could probably swing these as a mischief or a treasure depending on what the kids choose and depending on how I present it ;) But I am looking forward to other 'mischiefs' like dying the toilet water green or making a mess in the classroom!
The Naughty Leprechaun book explains the story behind the two brothers and at the end it explains how on the night before St. Patrick's Day both brothers will visit the classroom. They will even leave a small (hidden) prize! The kids love this! Overall, the story makes St. Patricks day a blast in the classroom, but it also provides a valuable lesson to use throughout the year. It helps explain to children that all of their choices have consequences and nothing beats hard work!
I don't have many traditions yet, but I would love to do some of the cute ideas I've seen on Pinterest with the leprechaun traps and mischief! :)
ReplyDeleteWe make traps every year then they set the traps up, go to lunch and the room is trashed with tables and chairs turned over, glitter everywhere, and feet print, but no one caught the leperchaun :)
ReplyDeleteJulie
Sounds like a really cute story! My classes loved the elf. I am sure they would love this too!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a really cute story! My classes loved the elf. I am sure they would love this too!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite thing to do an St. Pat's Day is watch my daughter march in the parade then go drink green beer with my friends! AND LAUGH!
ReplyDeleteStudent's bring in traps and we try and catch a leprechaun. We've come close.
ReplyDeleteOne fun thing to do with them is to have the little mischief makers do things around the school....and the children have to figure out whst is going on
ReplyDeleteWe follow the leprechaun's trail of green glitter throughout the school back to our classroom where we find treats that he left us!
ReplyDeleteMy students love to use the gold or green coins in multiple activities and wear green to celebrate the day!
ReplyDeleteLast year was actually the first year I had leprechauns visit the classroom, but I have always enjoyed students' responses to writing what they would do if they caught a leprechaun, as well as reading the story "Leprechauns Never Lie", with a fairly decent Irish brogue;) I just love the magic and whimsy of this holiday!
ReplyDeleteI love the whole leprechaun trap deal:) The week before the families submit a trap. Then, the day before, the students explain how their trap works. Then, of course, the leprechaun visits and disrupts all the traps, but leaves chocolate gold coins everywhere! St. Patty's Day is even better now that my little boy's birthday is that same day:)
ReplyDeleteRainbow crafts!
ReplyDeleteWe usually have a leprechaun visit the room and he leaves his green footprints everywhere! He spills glitter, turns over chairs, and usually turns the toilet water green! I would love to read this book!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
We leave a decorated box the night before and look for it when the children arrive. There are green footprints etc. So much fun!
ReplyDeleteWe make masks and I take their photos as leprechauns. Then they write about what mischief they would cause.
ReplyDeleteWe leave a letter and surprises. The leprechauns also create a bit of mess in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteSuper cute! Our Leprechaun is a trickster and leaves us daily clues of what is to come...
ReplyDeleteI don't have many traditions, just themed literacy and math stations!
ReplyDeleteI like doing the Lucky Charms sort and graph.
ReplyDeleteI usually do some pranks in my room. I usually tie chairs together with yarn and spray silly string. I do things throughout the day and the kids love finding all the things the leprechaun did. It's a fun day.
ReplyDeleteHave green things and a "mess" around the room for the kids to figure out what happened.
ReplyDeleteMegan
mhorman@north-cedarstu.org
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ReplyDeleteThis sounds like so much fun! Each year on St. Patrick's Day a leprechaun visits our room. He usually messes some things up and leaves green footprints everywhere. He also leaves a treat for the kids.
ReplyDeletenice photos and I want to try your things.
ReplyDeletetop photography in the Philippines
I have always had a leprechaun sneak in to the classroom and be naughty and if we found his pot of gold (which we always did) the gold was gone but a treat would be in its place. But, I love adding the choices with consequences or treasures!! The story looks adorable, I think I will purchase even if I don't win!
ReplyDeleteI like to mess up the room and hide chocolate gold. I also love to read my leprechaun books.
ReplyDeleteI have never done much with Leprechauns, but I have seen a bunch of posts about this book and it is peeking my interest! Maybe this year and nice leprechaun will have to visit! Where did you find the rainbows and clouds????
ReplyDeleteI am feeling like the bad leprechaun. I've never done much other than read a few picture books. Looks like I should join the fun! Maria
ReplyDeleteI remember you posting about this book last year. I'll have to actually "do it" this year!
ReplyDeleteI would love to win this... My kinderkids would LOVE it! :)
ReplyDeleteI love pretending a leprechaun visited our classroom over night and having the kids come into a messy room with notes and chocolate coins left around the room!
ReplyDeletecroesler1587@yahoo.com
I love having my students make a Leprechaun Trap and wait to see when the Leprechaun will visit.
ReplyDeleteMTC580@gmail.com
I love messing up the classroom and playing little tricks on my kiddos.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a cute book. I love the rainbows and coins!
ReplyDeleteLove the edible rainbows!
ReplyDeleteMessing up the classroom for when they arrive in the morning. It gets the students excited and they hunt for the leprechaun that did it all day.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like such a cute book! My kids adored our Elf On the Shelf so I think they'd love this too.
ReplyDeleteVery cute! This is alot like one my good friends ideas. The kids love it!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to use this in my classroom!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to add excitement and fun into the classroom!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite thing to do with my students on St. Patrick's Day is checking to see if we caught a leprechaun.
ReplyDeleteI love messing up the classroom and seeing the kids faces in the morning. It is priceless!
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ReplyDeleteI can't wait to bring The Naughty Leprechaun book and idea into my classroom! I know the kids are going to absolutely LOVE it! Thank you :)
ReplyDeleteThis is my first year teaching kindergarten yet I've taught third and fourth for years. We have always made the leprechaun traps, but I thought I'd have to scrap it this year b/c it was kindergarten....but one of your comments said that she has her students do this as a family project....so I'm going to give it a try. This book would really come in handy for prepping them for this project....thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteStephanie Ann
Sparkling in Kindergarten
Make as many green things as possible!
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing giveaway! I take this time to teach my children how lucky/blessed I am to be their teacher! Then I send home a family project where they have to tell me why they feel lucky or even blessed! And of course we make all kinds of green things and go on a leprechaun hunt:)
ReplyDeleteI love going to the Snake Saturday Parade. It's a local small parade for families. I also love having the students go on e treasure hunt.
ReplyDeleteLooks like fun. We usually go on a treasure hunt left by our visiting leprechaun.
ReplyDeleteThis year I want to have a leprechaun that torments the kids all week before St. Patty's Day and avoids all there traps.
ReplyDeleteI like to put green food coloring in the toilet and leave little green footprints on the lid. They totally freak out! jkroske@gmail.com
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