Leprechaun Trap
Building a leprechaun trap is a great way to introduce engineering concepts to young children in an engaging, fun, and creative way.
With just some simple materials like an old coffee container, glue, paper, and scissors – along with some imagination – preschoolers and kindergartners can create their very own unique traps that are designed to capture the sneaky Leprechauns!
Not only do these traps provide hours of entertainment for kids of all ages, but they also help teach them about problem-solving skills as well as basic physics principles such as cause and effect.
We’ll show you how to make your own leprechaun trap from scratch, provide ideas for decorations and activities you can do once it’s built, and show why making a leprechaun trap is an enjoyable experience for everyone involved!
This is a great addition to your St. Patrick’s Day preschool activities!
Related: How to Build a Leprechaun Trap
Building a leprechaun trap can be a fun and creative way to teach kids about engineering. You need cardboard, glue, markers, scissors and some imagination to make the trap.
It helps children learn problem-solving skills and basic physics principles like cause and effect. Making a leprechaun trap is fun for everyone!
Leprechaun Trap
Making a coffee can leprechaun trap with young children is a devious and fun way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!
It’s easy to build the trap with the step-by-step tutorial below. Have them decorate it with rainbows and shamrocks to lure in any luck-seeking leprechauns this holiday season!
What You’ll Need
- empty and clean coffee container
- green construction paper
- green paper shred
- gold coins
- shamrock beads
- glittery foam shapes
- glittery shamrocks
- yellow popsicle sticks
- mini popsicle sticks
- glue
- scissors
- tape
What You’ll Do
Start your leprechaun trap by covering the coffee container with construction paper. To make sure it stays in place, you can either glue or tape the paper to the container.
Pack the coffee can with shredded paper until it is around three-fourths full.
Add some few foam holiday shapes and gold coins to the container.
To create a festive look, attach a shamrock and gold coins to the lid of your container with glue or tape. Secure to the lid using tape.
Use a craft stick to pry the lid open on the coffee can. You can set the popsicle stick on top of a few items to help it stay propped up. I used the foam gold coins.
To create a ladder. use two yellow popsicle sticks. Glue mini popsicle sticks to the back of the larger sticks. Set aside to dry. Once dry, prop the ladder up against the container.
Place other shiny gold or green objects around the container and set it out to try to catch a leprechaun!
Leprechaun Ideas
Are you looking for more leprechaun crafts and activities to do with your kids?
We’ve gathered some of our favorites so you have plenty to choose from as you look for activities to add to your upcoming lessons.
Leprechaun Books for Kids
Reading books about leprechauns with preschoolers is a great way to educate kids while having fun!
You can find lots of wonderful stories that feature Leprechauns and their adventures. Reading these stories will help young children understand the importance of Irish culture, as well as teaching them valuable lessons.
Share your favorite St. Patrick’s day themed reads with your little ones for an enjoyable learning experience this month.
Here are some of the best leprechaun books for kids:
Pete the Cat: The Great Leprechaun Chase – It’s St. Patrick’s Day, and it’s also the grand opening of Pete the Cat’s leprechaun catching business. Pete gears up to trap a leprechaun for his friends! But catching a leprechaun is never easy—especially if it’s Clover, who’s full of tricks.
Ten Lucky Leprechauns – Fiddle-de-fizz, ’tis magic, it is!When leprechauns find each other.Count from one to ten as one little leprechaun looking for treasure magically becomes ten silly leprechaun friends at the end of the rainbow! A humorous, rhyming celebration of St. Patrick’s Day!
How to Catch a Leprechaun – You’ve been planning night and day, and finally you’ve created the perfect trap with shamrocks, pots of gold, and rainbows galore! Now all you need to do is wait. Is this the year you’ll finally catch the leprechaun? Start a St. Patrick’s Day tradition with this fun and lively children’s picture book and get inspired to build leprechaun traps of your own at home or in the classroom!
Leprechaun Crafts for Kids
Making leprechaun crafts with preschoolers is a fun and creative way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!
From simple handprint shamrocks to rainbow-adorned paper hats, there are many activities for your kids to enjoy.
Pick up some basic crafting materials such as fabric, felt, paint, glue and construction paper from the store, then let their imaginations run wild with the possibilities!
They can make lucky charms and decorations that will bring smiles to anyone who sees them. Plus, it’s a great way to get in some bonding time this holiday season.
- Paper Plate Leprechaun Craft from from Simple Everyday Mom
- Easy LEGO Leprechaun Traps for Preschoolers from Fun-A-Day
Making a leprechaun trap is an excellent way to engage preschoolers and kindergartners in science, engineering, problem-solving, and creativity.
With just some basic materials like cardboard, glue, markers, scissors and other decorations you can easily put together your own leprechaun trap!
Plus it’s fun for the whole family as everyone decorates their trap with rainbows or shamrocks.
Once the traps are completed there are plenty of activities to do such as reading stories about Leprechauns or making crafts that celebrate St Patrick’s day.
Making a leprechaun trap will be sure to bring smiles all around this holiday season!
Leprechaun Trap
Materials
- empty and clean coffee container
- green construction paper
- green paper shred
- gold coins
- shamrock beads
- glittery foam shapes
- glittery shamrocks
- yellow popsicle sticks
- mini popsicle sticks
Tools
- glue
- scissors
- tape
Instructions
- Cover the coffee container with construction paper. You can glue the paper to the container or tape it.
- Fill the container with paper shred about ¾ full.
- Add a few foam shapes and gold coins in the container.
- Glue or tape a shamrock and gold coins to the lid of the container. Use strong tape to attach the lid to the container.
- Use a popsicle stick to pry the lid open on the container. You can set the popsicle stick on top of a few items (I used the foam gold coins) to help it to stay propped up.
- To create the ladder, use two yellow popsicle sticks. Glue mini popsicle sticks to the back. Set aside to dry. Once dry, prop the ladder up against the container.
- Place other shiny gold or green objects around the container and set out to try to catch a Leprechaun!