Leprechaun Traps

On the last day of February, I read a St. Patty's day book to my students about how tricky leprechauns are. Then I give them an assignment to create a leprechaun trap at home with parents. Students then bring them the Monday before St. Patty's day. I bring the little first graders and Kindergarten classes down to check them out. My students in turn show and tell those little students how they work. Then I have them take them home the night before so they can set them at home along with a note to parents on what to expect if "a leprechaun" gets away or visits the trap.

When students come in the next day, I have a scavenger hunt planned. A "leprechaun" knocks on my door and slides a note under the door. The note takes us to the office, then to the library, and then to the lunch room. While this is happening, a "leprechaun" is dumping all the desks that are soooo messy and stealing my gold from my trap. When we get back to the room, the students freak out about the leprechaun. They believe it because I was with him. I mean who else would do it right? And I get the messy ones to clean up their messes.

*Note last year when I did this. I had kids looking in the cupboards for the little man and some even saw a hump in the snow at recess and thought it was the leprechaun. What a hoot it was!

(sorry no pictures)