ByTMoM Team MemberSydney D. Richardson, Ph.D.
St. Patrick’s Day might have come and gone, but it’s fun to celebrate all month long. This keeps the crafting and learning going! March is a great time for this. That’s right! You don’t have limit the history of St. Patrick’s Day to one day, even though March 17th is the day its typically celebrated.
For the month, engage the family in trying different recipes, crafts, desserts, and styles of music in honor of the special day. Search for four leaf clovers (if you can find them among the frost, rain, and possible snow) or take the enjoyment of green to a whole new level. Don’t forget to educate your family on who St. Patrick was and even consider having a fun quiz about this person. Whatever you do, there are many ways to learn more about the special holiday that is celebrated by many.
Fun Ideas for the Entire Family This March
St. Patrick’s Day Slime
My children love slime and my daughter is always making new types of slime. There’s glitter slime, butter slime, play-doh slime, and more types. Therefore, St. Patrick’s Day green slime is a must if you have a creative child on your hands. Watch out… there are some slime recipes that are extremely complex, requiring many ingredients (some dangerous). However, the recipe below is simple, easy to make, and provides a safe cleanup. Be sure to make this in the kitchen or dining room and not in an area with carpet.
Ingredients
- 8 ounce bottle of white Elmer’s Glue
- Green food coloring
- 2 tablespoons of slime activator or eye contact lens saline solution
- 1 tablespoon of baking soda
Directions
Pour the glue, along with the activator or contact lens solution, and baking soda into a plastic container. Stir the ingredients until they form in a slimy consistency. It will begin to feel a bit tough if you stir for too long. This will take a few minutes. Next, add the food coloring and continue stirring. You are now ready to handle the slime and work with it a bit more. For this part, children may work with slime after putting on rubber gloves.
With their hands, have the kids form the slime by stretching it and bringing it back together in their hands. Have them do this for a few minutes until it reaches the desired consistency. The result is a green glob of slime that is flexible and fun for various ages!
Virtual Tour of Ireland
Another activity that children will love is traveling. Now, not everyone can travel to Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day (or any day), but what about taking a virtual tour of Ireland? A quick Google search will reveal a multitude of videos, but if you want an educational spin to the tour, try National Geographic for Kids. Not only will the site give you fun facts of Ireland, the culture, and St. Patrick’s Day, but there are a lot of short videos providing a glimpse of the beautiful country. Children will learn a great deal of information, plus they will have fun “traveling” as well.
Cajun Boiled Peanuts
Now, boiled peanuts have absolutely nothing to do with St. Patrick’s Day; however, it is a Southern delicacy so why not add it to the mix. I grew up eating boiled peanuts and would look for them wherever I traveled. I even had a kind neighbor make some Cajun boiled peanuts for me, and they were amazing!
It wasn’t until I had trouble finding them one week that I decided to learn ways to make them for myself. Thank goodness for crockpots. I am a lover of crockpots because they allow me to place a good meal or snack into the pot and walk away. I can run errands, do work, or relax on the couch while the food that I love cooks, and there is no standing over a hot stove making sure that everything is working properly. Therefore, when I discovered that boiled peanuts could be cooked in the crockpot, I felt like I had won the lottery! If you have someone in your life who adores this snack, consider making it for them. Here’s what you need:
Tools and Ingredients
- Electric crockpot
- 1.5 pounds of raw peanuts, in the shell (rinsed)
- 1/3 cup of salt
- 1/4 cup of Cajun seasoning
- 4 tablespoons of diced garlic
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
- Enough water to cover the peanuts
Directions
- Once the peanuts are rinsed well, place them in the crockpot.
- Add the salt, Cajun seasoning, and diced garlic. Give the peanuts a light toss to ensure that they are well covered and seasoned.
- Pour water over the peanuts. They’ll rise, but try to submerge them in the water so that you’ll know that you have poured enough into the crockpot.
- Cook on LOW for 25 hours or on HIGH for 18 hours.
When these are done, scoop them into either a plastic bag or mason jars. Do not discard the juice! Let them cool and then enjoy these savory peanuts. They should keep up to a full week. If you can’t eat a pound and a half of peanuts, be sure to gift some to a friend.
There you have it. Slime, a tour of Ireland, and boiled peanuts to make for an unusual month of celebrating St. Patrick and some southern snacks.
Enjoy!
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