Happy St. Patrick's Day

With schools out in most of the United States and many other countries and St. Patricks' festivities cancelled, here are some things you can do today at home to celebrate St. Patrick's Day!

Food
You could go for the traditional American meal, and make some Irish Soda Bread or Corned Beef & Cabbage with an Apple Crumble (just skip the whiskey sauce) for dessert, or make something with a twist, like a Peppermint Shake or Green Trifles. Whatever you decide to make, cook as a family. Not only is that a fun activity to do together, but it also involves math and science!

Entertainment
Have a dance party of play some Irish music during lunch or dinner. IrishCentral has created two great Spotify playlists for you to listen to. Ever wanted to learn to Irish Dance? YouTube is fill of tutorials that will get you jigging in no time! Listen to some Irish poetry by W.B. Yeats or watch the movie The Secret of Roan Inish, which takes place in an Irish fishing village. (Parents you could watch Waking Ned Divine after the kids go to bed!). 

Crafts
Have younger children? Make a leprechaun trap or a leprechaun stick puppet. Older kids can make shamrock book corners or this beautiful quilled card. 

Want to dig a little deeper. You could learn about the history or Ireland or more about St. Patrick or St. Patrick's Day. 

Finally, during this time of crisis, I feel fortunate to have my family home with me, but that also means that we are not able to go out and help those who need it most due to the need to practice social distancing, and keeping those more vulnerable populations safe. So instead we are going to make a donation to both Concern.org, which is a worldwide organization helping eliminate poverty worldwide and to Seattle Foundation which has set up a fund specifically for Seattle area families hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

Reading List:
For wee ones
Fiona's Lace by Patricia Polacco
The Irish Cinderlad by Shirley Climo
Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie dePaola
Jamie O"Rourke and the Big Potato by Tomie dePaola
How to Catch a Leprechaun by Adam Wallace
O"Sullivan Stew by Hudson Talbott

For older kids
Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer
The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley
The Call by Peadar O'Guilin
Hush: An Irish Princess Tale by Donna Jo Napoli
Now a Major Motion Picture by Cori McCarthy
A Swift Pure Cry by Siobahn O'Dowd
Bog Child by Siobahn O'Dowd

For adults
Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French
How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill
Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy
The Princes of Ireland by Frank Delaney
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
Milkman by Anna Burns

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