St Patrick's Day Countdown Chain
St Patrick’s day is our family’s most anticipated day of the year! This is a super easy, kid friendly, St Patrick’s Day rainbow countdown calendar chain we came up with last year to help us count down the days to our favorite holiday.
I actually came up with this idea and used it for our Little Legacies story time craft in 2020. It was our very last story time before the big shut down that came with the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Apparently my kids enjoyed it well enough to remember and asked to do it again this year!
To make your St Patrick’s Day rainbow countdown calendar chains, you’ll need the following:
Scissors
Paper in all the colors, including black (I used an 8.5x11 pack of cardstock from Astrobrights)
Glue Sticks
Optional (especially if you’re short on time) Stapler
Time to get cutting!
Cut the rainbow colored paper into 1 inch thick strips, cut out a lumpy bit of yellow/gold for the treasure in your pot, and cut out a black pot shape. Also cut a 1 inch thick strip of the black for your pot’s handle.
Once you’ve got everything cut out, first glue or staple the gold into the pot. Then, attach the black strip for the handle by bending the strip into a U shape. Note: When we did this at our Little Legacies story time, it was near impossible to attach the handle with the glue sticks. I highly recommend stapling that part.
Once your handle is on, you can begin forming the links of the chain.
This is a great step to let your little ones do themselves! Walk them through the first couple of links and then let them assemble their own rainbow chain in whatever order they want.
Our kids are ages 2, 4, and 6. This was too difficult for our 2 year old to do himself, but the others did great. Our 4 year old was able to do most of it by herself, but did need a little help. Our 6 year old was able to do the entire chain independently. Yes, we did have a few stray chains, but I think it gave the overall project a little extra character! ;) Letting kids loose with glue sticks and inch thick paper will get a little sticky, but remember, stray glue washes right off with a little warm water and a rag.
When we made our St Patrick’s Day rainbow countdown calendar chains, there were still 36 days left until St Patrick’s Day. Our chains were HUGE! However, even with the kids making their own chains, this project only took about a half hour from start to finish.
If you and your kids make these fun St Patrick’s Day rainbow countdown calendar chains, be sure to comment below and let me know how it went, or post a photo on IG and tag me @mommingonpurpose.
Happy crafting!
When mommies get sick, and sometimes they do, how do things change for me and for you?
〰️
When mommies get sick, and sometimes they do, how do things change for me and for you? 〰️
“When Mommies Get Sick”
written and illustrated by Jayne Ann Osborne
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