Free St Patricks Day worksheets for children, with seven printable activities that use real St. Patrick’s Day words, from shamrocks and rainbows to leprechauns, parades and pots of gold. Print a word search in three levels, bingo cards, a word scramble, a “how many words can you make” page, an acrostic poem, a writing prompt and a fold-up St. Patrick’s Day card, each with an answer key where one is needed.
St Patricks Day worksheets to print (PDF)
These four pages show what the St. Patrick’s Day maker prints: a medium word search with a word list, two bingo cards on a page, an acrostic poem for the letters of SHAMROCK, and the fold-up card that says “Happy St. Patrick’s Day!” Click a picture for the PDF.
Prefer one download? Grab the ready-made St. Patrick’s Day activity pack (PDF), which has every page in one file.
About St. Patrick’s Day: the holiday at a glance
A little background makes the words on the page mean more. Here are the basic facts that go with these St Patricks Day worksheets:
| Date | March 17 every year |
|---|---|
| Who was St. Patrick? | A fifth-century missionary and the patron saint of Ireland |
| Symbol | The shamrock, a three-leaf clover |
| Color | Green, the color of Ireland |
| Folklore | Leprechauns, rainbows and pots of gold |
| Traditions | Parades, green clothes, Irish music and dancing |
The story of St. Patrick’s Day
St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17, the traditional date of the death of St. Patrick, who is the patron saint of Ireland. Patrick was born in Roman Britain, was taken to Ireland as a slave, and later returned as a missionary. A well-known story says he used the three-leaf shamrock to explain the Christian idea of the Trinity.
The holiday began as a religious feast in Ireland and became a celebration of Irish culture around the world, especially in the United States, where large Irish communities marched in parades from the eighteenth century on. Today people wear green, enjoy Irish music and dance, and in Chicago the river is dyed green every year.
Wikipedia’s Saint Patrick’s Day article describes the history and customs of the day.
What is in the St. Patrick’s Day activity pack?
Every activity uses the same list of 24 St. Patrick’s Day words, so children meet each word several times in different ways. The list is the heart of these St Patricks Day worksheets: the word search hides it, the scramble mixes it up, the bingo calls it out and the writing prompt asks children to use it.
St. Patrick’s Day word search: three levels
The word search comes in easy, medium and hard grids, with 10, 14 and 18 words from the list.
The longest St. Patrick’s Day word is leprechaun with 10 letters, and the shortest words are pot and hat with 3.
St. Patrick’s Day vocabulary: words to talk about
Take a few minutes to talk about the words before children search for them. These eight are a good place to start:
| Word | Letters | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| shamrock | 8 | A small clover with three leaves, a symbol of Ireland |
| leprechaun | 10 | A small, mischievous figure in Irish folklore who guards a pot of gold |
| clover | 6 | A low plant with leaves in groups of three |
| charm | 5 | Something thought to bring good luck |
| celtic | 6 | Relating to the Celts, the early peoples of Ireland, Scotland and Wales |
| harp | 4 | A stringed instrument, and a symbol of Ireland |
| fiddle | 6 | A violin, often used in Irish folk music |
| treasure | 8 | A collection of valuable things such as gold and coins |
The other 16 words in the list are rainbow, gold, green, luck, parade, ireland, march, lucky, coins, pot, hat, dance, music, spring, irish and festival.
How people celebrate St. Patrick’s Day
- Wearing green so nobody pinches you
- Watching or marching in parades
- Listening to Irish music and dancing
- Making shamrock crafts and cooking Irish food
- Hunting for a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow
St. Patrick’s Day activities for kids to do with the worksheets
Pair the printed pages with a hands-on idea, and the vocabulary sticks:
- Shamrock acrostic: write SHAMROCK down the page and add a lucky word for each letter.
- Pot of gold story: use the prompt about finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.
- Rainbow science: make a rainbow with a glass of water, sunlight and white paper.
- Clover hunt: look for a four-leaf clover, which is rare and thought to be lucky.
- Leprechaun trap: design a trap using cardboard, string and gold coins, and draw plans for it.
How to use these St Patricks Day worksheets in five minutes
The st patricks day worksheets maker works from the 24-word St. Patrick’s Day list, so whichever page you print uses the same words. Choose an activity, set the level and press Download PDF or Print, and press New puzzles for a fresh set.
St Patricks Day worksheets: frequently asked questions
When is St. Patrick’s Day?
It is on March 17 every year.
Why is St. Patrick’s Day green?
Green is the color of Ireland, known as the Emerald Isle, and of the shamrock.
What is a leprechaun?
A leprechaun is a small figure from Irish folklore, said to be a shoemaker who hides a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
St. Patrick’s Day printables: find the right page
St patricks day activities for kids
These st patricks day activities for kids mix word play, writing and craft ideas, so children can learn as they celebrate.
St patricks day word search
The st patricks day word search has three levels, with an answer key, and every puzzle is new each time you press New puzzles.
Shamrock printables
Shamrock printables are popular in March: the acrostic spells SHAMROCK, and the word search hides shamrock, clover and lucky among the other words.
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