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Leprechaun Traps in the Classroom

Science, Seasonal, Special Events, Spring, St. Patrick's Day, Winter Holidays

Written by: Katie Palmer

March means it’s time for some leprechaun fun! St. Patrick’s Day is the perfect chance to mix a little magic with learning. This year, try a STEM twist with leprechaun traps! Your students will love building these creative, hands-on projects, and you’ll love the teamwork and problem-solving they inspire. Let’s get started with a step-by-step guide!

Start planning this project ahead of time. Prepare the traps ahead of St. Patrick’s Day so they’re ready to ‘catch' the little leprechauns! In this guide, I’ll walk you through the steps we take on the day we actually build the traps.

  1. Send home the Leprechaun Trap Letter
  2. Read How to Catch a Leprechaun
  3. Show pictures of leprechaun traps
  4. Draw up the plans
  5. Build the traps
  6. Write a how to paragraph

Leprechaun Trap Letter

About a week before St. Patrick's Day, I send home the letter asking for materials to help the students build their leprechaun traps. The letter explains the educational benefits of the project as well. We use the engineering design process to build our traps, which makes this project such a great way to build teamwork skills while also encouraging creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking.

a leprechaun trap engineering design process letter to send home
All Access member? Download free here.

Read the Book

This is the Define the Problem Step.
Prior to building, I bring my students to the rug to read the story How to Catch a Leprechaun. Another one of my favorite's is the Night Before St. Patrick's Day. After we read the story we talk about how leprechauns typically show up to the classroom on St. Patrick's Day and it's our job to make sure they don't mess up our classroom!


Show Examples of Leprechaun Traps

This is the Brainstorm Step. 
This process gets the students excited and thinking about their own trap. I literally open up my St. Patrick's Day Pinterest board and scroll through all the pictures. We stop and talk about the different ideas that we see. The kids will squeal and laugh as they anticipate what their trap will look like. 

It's March which means it's time to start thinking about some leprechaun fun! St. Patrick's Day in the classroom can be an all day event while still sticking to academic concepts: STEM, math, reading, writing, you name it! Our team has put together another Lucky Little Party Plan for St. Patrick's Day including a STEM leprechaun trap activity, and we know you are going to love it!

Draw up the Plans

This is the Design Step.
Next, I give them a plan sheet for them to draw up their plans. This is is an essential part of the STEM process and setting aside the time for your students to complete this process will force them to slow down and actually develop a plan. I also explain to my students that part of being an engineer involves the ability to be flexible and willing to change the plans after doing some testing.

a leprechaun trap planning design sheet
All Access member? Download free here.

Time to Build

This is the Build…Test…Redesign Step.
Here's the logistics and management of this step. If you sent home the Leprechaun Trap Letter, perhaps parents sent in supplies. If not, here is another idea:I lay out a table filled with supplies from my cabinets. This would include construction paper, yarn, q-tips, markers, glitter, glue, pipe cleaners, etc. Each student uses their own box (I bring in a few from home for those who don't have one). The students start with the materials that they brought from home. Anything they don't plan to use, they put on the table for others to use.

I remind the students to use their plan sheet to help guide them through their building process. I encourage them to think about how the leprechaun will use the trap. Do they have something that will lure the leprechaun over to their trap (i.e. gold or glitter)? Do they have signs that tell the leprechauns what to do or where to go? How will they trick the leprechaun? How will they capture the leprechaun? I also tell them that their design does not have to be perfect the first time. This is part of the design process. Check out these amazing pictures of student traps from Emie C.!

examples of student built leprechaun traps

How to Paragraph

This is the Share Step.
Last, the kids are given a chance to walk around the classroom and look at everyone's traps. Then they sit down and write out the step by step process of how they built their leprechaun trap. Some years we've had time to invite other classrooms to walk through to take a look at their creations. During these viewings, my students have a chance to sit by their trap and read their paragraph to students who stop by to look at their trap.


Want all day fun?

If you are looking to extend the fun, check out our ready to go St. Patrick's Day party plan!

P.S. If you end up doing leprechaun traps this year, I'd be THRILLED if you tagged me @luckylittlelearners on social media so I can see your students' masterpieces!

a popsicle stick ladder on a student built leprechaun trap

5 Comments

  1. Vanessa

    Hello! Thank you for this article. It is exactly what I had in mind. I am interested in seeing your parent supplies letter but unfortunately the links are not working. Can you please redirect me? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Jess Dalrymple

      Hello Vanessa – I apologize that the links were not working! They are all updated now. Please let us know if we can help you find anything!

      Reply
  2. shannon colclough

    Thanks for sharing and I’m going to do those this year.

    Reply

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