Everyone needs a stroke of good luck, right? With a stroke of their Shamrock Wands, your partygoers are sure to feel lucky when searching for the elusive four-leaf clover during our Four-Leaf Clover Hunt. Because this project needs a little time to dry, make it one of your first party activities.

• Green construction paper
• Glue
• Stapler
• Gold glitter or glitter glue
• Straws or rolled up craft paper to form wand "stem"
• Ribbon in green and gold

1. Before the party, cut three hearts from the green paper for each child.
2. Also before the party, cut two-foot long strips of green and gold ribbon; have at least two or three ribbons on hand for each child's project.
3. At the party, have a grown-up stationed at a craft table.
4. Ask children to overlap the tips of the hearts and glue them together to form a shamrock.
5. Have a grown-up staple the shamrock to a straw or paper stem.
6. Let children decorate their shamrock with glitter or glitter glue or any additional decorative items.
7. Take 2-3 ribbons, tie them together in a knot, and have a grown-up staple the knot to the back of the shamrock wand.
8. Allow to dry for approximately 30-45 minutes before using.

What could be at the end of that brilliant rainbow we see outside the Clubhouse? Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! It's gold coins and four-leaf clovers! Your party involves a little mystery and a few found treasures ... what better way to further the fun than a Magic Treasure Box kids decorate themselves?

• One small box for each child. Cigar boxes or shoe boxes with "hinged" lids are ideal. Optional: Cover the boxes in green or gold construction paper before the party.
• Decorative items, including printable decorations such as gold coins and four-leaf clovers. Other items could include stickers, plastic jewels, green pom-poms, and tissue paper in bright rainbow colors.
• Craft glue or glue sticks
• Markers and crayons
• Plastic table covering

1. Have a grown-up stationed at the craft table.
2. Give each child one box and show them the materials available with which to decorate it.

Preschoolers love the wonderment of things that appear "magic." Our easy science experiments are the perfect way to teach partygoers about colors and rainbows while playing up the charming magic of Shamrock Day.

Color Creations

• A table protected by plastic covering
• Plastic cups -- clear ones are ideal
• Several small plastic droppers or pipettes, found at craft or teacher supplies stores
• Liquid (not gel) food coloring
• White coffee filters -- enough for each child to have 2 or 3

1. Have a grown-up fill at least three clear plastic cups half-way with water; be ready to fill several more for children to conduct their own "experiments."
2. Gather children around your science table and demonstrate what happens when two colors are mixed; choose only one of the following combinations to start with:
   

   yellow + red = orange; yellow + blue = green; red + blue = purple

3. Once you demonstrate one "magic color creation," ask the children to anticipate what might happen when you mix another color combination.
4. Once children understand the process, allow them to break up into pairs or small groups and practice creating every color of the rainbow. You can also give your groups coffee filters, which absorb colored droplets in unique patterns that can resemble rainbows.

Rainbow Creations

• A crystal prism found at teachers' supplies stores or from online vendors
• White paper
• Sunlight

1. Gather children around in a group and hold the crystal prism in the sunlight.
2. Place the white paper below or to the side of the prism and try to "capture" a rainbow on the paper.

1, 2, 3 is easy as can be. But 4? Mickey and the gang are on the lookout for an elusive four-leaf clover -- you know, the ones that provide all the luck in the world should you be the lucky hunter to find it. There's plenty of three-leaf clovers in our game but who will be the lucky party guest to spot the four-leaf clover? Once it's found, don't be surprised if the kids ask to hunt for it all over again!

• Several of our printable three-leaf-clovers and one four-leaf clover
• A large space in which to hide the shamrocks
• Several small prizes like stickers or a gold coins

1. While children are busy with another activity, ask a grown-up to hide lots of clovers. For younger children, it's best to hide them in fairly obvious places, and it helps if a little corner is peeking out. Older children can handle more difficult hiding places.
2. Bring the children into your hunt area and explain that they need to find lots of three-leaf clovers but that there's only one lucky four-leaf clover; the child that finds it get a prize!
3. You can also offer small prizes to each child for their three-leaf clovers -- they can turn in their clovers in exchange for prizes.

Some say that the Blarney Stone has mysterious powers. Kids will surely think this is true when these Blarney Stones magically induce partygoers to make strange and mysterious sounds...

• Out of brown or gray construction paper, cut out irregular shapes that resemble stones. Make enough for each child at the party to have two or three turns. On each stone, write instructions such as "moo like a cow," "tick like a clock," "make the sound of a train whistle," etc.
• A hat or bag
• A grown-up to help preschoolers read

1. Put the stones inside a bag, pot, or hat and ask children to take turns reaching inside to grab a stone.
2. The child can get help from a grown-up reading what it has to say and then has to make that sound.
3. The group must guess what sound the child is making and what object makes that sound.

Donald Duck might brag that there's "nothin' to it," but it takes real skill to land coins in a makeshift pot of gold. Hone your preschoolers' bulls-eye talent and their counting skills by making a game of trying to sink coins into the pot.

• A black container that resembles a pot of gold or a felt hat that can stand in for a leprechaun hat.
• Several gold coins for each child -- plastic coins work fine, or you can make some with our printable gold coins and back them with a piece of cardboard.
• Small prizes like stickers or "lucky charms"

1. Create a line behind which children must stand. Keep in mind their age -- make it closer to the pot of gold for younger children and farther away for older party guests.
2. Give each child 3-5 coins.
3. Encourage children to count how many they have; also encourage them to count out loud as they attempt their coin tosses -- this gives them valuable counting practice.
4. You can either reward children who get the most coins into the pot or you can reward the entire group for great tossing skills.