Leprechaun Trap {with leprechaun bait}

Each year my boys build a leprechaun trap the night before St.Patrick's Day. They spend a lot of time designing and creating their traps, and today I am sharing their 2016 version.

My boys decided that last year's design wasn't tall enough, so they made this one extra tall by stacking boxes. They cut holes in the top of the bottom box, the bottom of the top box, and the top of the top box. Then, they covered the top hole with tissue paper. When the leprechaun steps on it, he'll fall right through!

Of course, the leprechaun will need stairs, so my boys built one set from Lego and another set from pipe cleaners. To set the trap, they used leprechaun bait.

Here is a close up of their final trap.

We have our fingers crossed for success this year... but even if our leprechaun manages to escape, I'm confident he'll leave some gold behind!

Do you set a leprechaun trap for St. Patrick's Day? If you catch one, take a picture and send it to me so I can show my boys.

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

***Update***

We didn't catch a leprechaun, but the tricky little guy dropped some gold while he was trying to escape. Maybe next year!

St.Patrick's Day Breakfast (Rainbow Seeds)

I don't usually buy sugary cereals, but I do make an exception on St. Patrick's Day. My boys always look forward to a special breakfast on March 17th, and this year I will be serving RAINBOW SEEDS.

I bought some little green bowls at the dollar store, filled the bowls with Froot Loops, popped the bowls in clear party favour bags, and attached adorable "RAINBOW SEEDS" tags that I designed. Cute, right?

To download the tags I designed (for free): right click on the picture below, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4X6 photo.

I am planning to serve my rainbow seeds with some green milk (which is regular milk with a drop or two of green food colouring). I am also going to place a few Froot Loops on a straw for an extra touch of fun!

My boys always enjoy their special St.Patrick's Day breakfast, and this year they are going to be delighted with the "rainbow seeds" I will be serving. Do you have a special St.Patrick's Day meal planned?

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Simple Leprechaun Trap

One of our favorite Saint Patrick's Day traditions is setting a leprechaun trap.  We have been doing it for years, and we have never caught one, but we keep trying.  Leprechauns are tricky, but one of these years, I know we are going to get lucky.  Here's the leprechaun trap we built (from LEGO) last year.

Last year, the boys thought they had designed a fool-proof trap, but the leprechaun managed to escape.  According to my middle son... when the leprechaun fell in the trap, he grabbed the ladder as he was falling, and used it to get out.  Luckily, the tricky leprechaun dropped a bunch of his chocolate gold coins while he was trying to escape.

We always use Lucky Charms as leprechaun bait, and my boys like to package it up and share it with their friends.  You can check out the adorable free printable tags here.

This year, my boys will design a new trap, and I will enjoy watching them do it.  You never know... this might be the year we catch a leprechaun, he will give us his gold, and we can take a super-fun family vacation.  Fingers crossed!

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Shamrock Crafts

Holidays are fun, and perfect for crafting! How cute is this Shamrock headband that my 5 year old made for St. Patrick's Day?

My boys and I recently crafted three different types of Shamrocks. You can find all the fun details over at CBC Parents here.

Check them out and let me know which one is your favorite.

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Leprechaun Bait {with free printable tags}

Every year, my boys build a leprechaun trap in the hopes of catching a leprechaun (and his treasure) on St. Patrick's Day.  It is a fun tradition that my boys like to share with their friends, so each year, we make little packages of leprechaun bait for them to take to school to give to their classmates.

This year, I designed this adorable little tag that you can download for free.  To download the tag: right-click on the picture below, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4X6 photo.

Add these tags to little bags of "Lucky Charms" cereal, and you have adorable packages of leprechaun bait.

Aren't these bags of leprechaun bait sweet?  They are fantastic class treats, and they make fun St. Patrick's Day party favors too! 

Good luck catching a leprechaun!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Leprechaun Paper Doll {free template}

I am so excited about today's post.  I designed an adorable leprechaun paper doll, and I am sharing it with you for free! It's an adorable craft, and it's perfect for St. Patrick's Day.

To make your own leprechaun paper doll (with changeable shirts):

1) Download the printable template here, and print it onto white card stock.

2) Cut out all the pieces (being careful not to cut off the "tabs" on the shirts).

3) Decorate the leprechaun and shirts.

3) Tape a popsicle to the back if you want your leprechaun to be a puppet.

That's it!  Isn't this leprechaun paper doll puppet adorable? The fact that you can change the shirts really ups the "cute factor", don't you think?  Happy St. Patrick's Day!

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (You can find 10 more EASY and INEXPENSIVE St. Patrick's Day ideas here.)

St.Patrick's Day Fun

Just wanted to take a minute to wish you all a very Happy St. Patrick's Day... and fill you in how we are celebrating today.

Last night, before we went to bed, the boys set their leprechaun trap.  We do this annually, and every year they come up with a new plan.  (It is serious business trying to catch a leprechaun!)

Then, this morning they checked the trap.  They didn't catch a leprechaun, but they came really close.  The leprechaun was in such a panic to escape that he dropped lots of gold bars and coins. 

Fun, right?  I also set the table (last night) for a special St.Patrick's Day breakfast this morning.

It was an exciting morning, but the older boys are now at school.  When they get home, we'll make some rainbow necklaces and have shamrock pancakes for supper.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  How are you celebrating?

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Simple St.Patrick's Day Decor and Treat

I don't go overboard for St. Patrick's Day, but our family does like to do a few simple things to celebrate.  Today I am sharing the easy rainbow cupcakes I made with my boys last week.  I am also sharing my fun rainbow streamer St. Patrick's Day decor.

To make the cupcakes, my four year added frosting, marshmallow clouds, and candy rainbows (from the dollar store).  Aren't they adorable?

Then, after we made the cupcakes, the older boys and I made a fun "rainbow" garland for our kitchen window.  My six year old cut all the streamers, and I tied them at the top.  I just love how cheerful it is!

Do you do anything fun to celebrate St.Patrick's Day?  We still have time for a project or two, so I'd love to hear your ideas.

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (In case you are new to my blog... click here for some of my favorite St. Patrick's ideas from last year.)

Edible St.Patrick's Day Craft {Rainbow Necklace}

I don't go overboard when it comes to celebrating St. Patrick's Day, but my boys always like to do a few simple crafts and activities.  One of our favorites is this edible rainbow necklace.

Isn't it cute?  I never buy sugary cereal, so this is an extra special treat for my boys.  (It is great fine motor skills practice too.)

All you need is shoe string liquorice and a box of Froot Loops. Tie a knot in one end of the liquorice, and then have your child string the Froot loops onto it.  We did ours in a rainbow pattern (minus the purple), but you can do it however you want.

You can also use cording (instead of liquorice), and/or you can add a chocolate coin charm by gluing a bit of pipe cleaner to the coin.

This is a fun project, and it is 100% edible. Would your little ones enjoy this simple craft?  I think it is a perfect activity for a St. Patrick's Day party.

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Leprechaun Trap

Every year my boys put their heads together, make a plan, and build a leprechaun trap for St. Patrick's Day.  Thus far they have been unsuccessful in their attempts to catch a leprechaun, but maybe this is our lucky year.  Here is our lastest version... a "Lego" Leprechaun Trap.

Seriously... what leprechaun could resist this adorable creation? 

The boys used green painting tape to cover a box, I helped them cut out a hole, and they built a Lego staircase.  Pretty clever, aren't they?

All we need to do is add some leprechaun bait (which you can read all about here). 

I think we have a good chance of catching one.  And if we don't... perhaps he'll drop some gold chocolate coins like he did last year.

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

You can find more St.Patrick's Day ideas here.

Simple St.Patrick's Day Cupcakes

My boys love decorating cupcakes with holiday themes, so this year we decorated cupcakes three ways for St. Patrick's Day.

Aren't they cute?  We made vanilla cupcakes, frosted them with buttercream icing, and decorated them with:

1)  Froot Loops

2)  Lucky Charms

3)  Shamrock Sprinkles.

I never buy sugary cereals, so my boys think they hit the jackpot with these cupcake toppings!  :-)

Are you making any St.Patrick's Day treats this year?

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

* You can find me on facebook here.

10 Quick and Easy St. Patrick's Day Ideas

St.Patrick's Day isn't a major holiday, but the boys and I like to celebrate March 17 by doing a few things that are fun and easy. Check out this collection of 10 simple ideas that are guaranteed to delight your little leprechaun.

1) Lucky Penny {to share with friends} - Click here for free "lucky penny" printable postcards.  This is a really fun St. Patrick's Day treat to share with friends.

2) Dollar Store Frame - This St. Patrick's Day frame is a great way to get low cost St. Patrick's Day decor.  Click here for a full tutorial and free printable.

3) St. Patrick's Day Penny Banner - This charming banner is easy to make using things you likely already have lying around the house.  Click here for a full step by step tutorial.

4) Treasure to Share - Click here for a free printable bag topper.  Your little leprechauns will love sharing a St. Patrick's Day treasure with their friends.

5) Leprechaun Trap - Click here to find out how easy and fun it is to try to catch a leprechaun.  They are tough to trap, but it sure is fun to try.  :-)

6) Shamrock Hat - This easy craft is simple and lots of fun for kids.  Click here for the step by step tutorial.

7)  Shamrock Pancakes and Green Milk - A few drops of green food coloring, some pancake batter, and a shamrock cookie cutter are all you need to make these adorable pancakes.  Don't forget to add a few drops to some milk too.

Rainbow Seeds make a fun breakfast too! Get the FREE downloadable tag here.

8)  Rainbow Necklaces - String some Froot Loops onto some braiding cord, yarn, or shoestring liquorice to create these edible rainbow necklaces.  Your little leprechaun will love making and wearing this festive piece of jewellery.

9)  St.Patrick's Day Treats - Little ones will love decorating St. Patrick's Day cookies or cupcakes.  Make sure you have plenty of green icing, sprinkles and colorful candies on hand.

10) Leprechaun Bait - This a great way to share St. Patrick's Day fun with classmates, and it's a fun St. Patrick's Day party favor too. Click here for a free printable Leprechaun Bait bag topper, or here for free printable Leprechaun Bait tags.

Bonus 

11) Leprechaun Paper Dolls - This little craft is as fun to play with as it is to make.  Click here for a free printable leprechaun puppet.

What do you do to celebrate St. Patrick's Day? Will you try one of the easy St.Patrick's Day ideas?

♥ 

Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)