Whether it's already one of your customary holidays or not, St. Patrick's Day presents the perfect opportunity to get the family together with fun activities.
There's a lot more to it than throwing on your greenest out fit, or devouring bowls of Lucky Charms cereal. If you want to make a momentous day out of it, try some of these memorable St. Patrick's Day activities with the family!
1. Find a pot of gold
A well-crafted treasure hunt is a blast for all ages. It can be as simple as finding hidden coins (metal or wrapped chocolate) around the house! However, if you have teens of driving age or can pair adult-and-child teams, you can up this St. Patrick's Day activity with:
- Multiple locations throughout a neighborhood or town
- Riddle clues leading to each new location
- Small-denomination gift card prizes (think kid-favorite brands like Starbucks, McDonald's, or Five Below)
Pro-tip
Make the fun actually pay off for your team, school, or group. RaiseRight is a no-selling fundraiser where you buy gift cards for brands you already use, and earn a percentage back from the brand with every purchase. So if you're buying Starbucks, McDonald's, or Five Below gift cards for prizes, you might as well earn money for your cause while you're at it!
Not yet enrolled in RaiseRight? Consider establishing this fundraising program to support a school, sports team, music program, church, or nonprofit organization you care about.
Learn more about how RaiseRight works, or enroll for free today.
2. Plan an Irish meal
St. Patty's Day isn't all about green beer (although you can certainly add a few drops of food coloring to any light-colored beer and enjoy). Irish foods are hearty and warm, perfect for a sit-down family dinner or brunch. Try:
- Corned beef and cabbage (or a variation like sliders, eggrolls, or casserole)
- Boxty potato pancakes
- Soda bread, with or without raisins
- Homemade Irish cream or shamrock shakes
- Shepherd’s or cottage pie
- Colcannon creamy mashed potatoes and greens
- Lamb or Guinness beef stew
Luckily, Irish cooking uses many easy-to-find ingredients, so you can stock up at your usual stores (and use RaiseRight grocery gift cards while you're at it).
3. Complete a photo challenge
How many shades of green can one discover? If your brood is old enough to snap pictures, send them on an adventure to find as many green objects or shades as possible in your home.
From houseplants to crayons to broccoli, see what they can capture. Once the timer goes off, ask for a show and tell of the colors. See if they can pinpoint the difference between olive, kelly, and emerald green, or devise their own silly names.
4. Watch an Irish film
Visit the gorgeous countryside virtually, hear the music and some Gaelic words, or learn about Irish history with a St. Patrick's Day movie night. For a younger audience, try:
- The Secret of Kells (2009)
- The Secret of Roan Inish (1994)
- Song of the Sea (2014)
- War of the Buttons (1994)
- Wolfwalkers (2020)
For a teen-to-adult range, check out:
- Waking Ned Devine (1998)
- Sing Street (2016)
- In America (2003)
- The Commitments (1991)
- The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)
- The Guard (2011)
5. Tie-dye rainbows
Everyone loves the gold at the end of a rainbow—but everyone loves the rainbow, too! This year, consider throwing a crafty tie-dye party for your St. Patrick's Day activity.
Starting with white or light-colored t-shirts, bandanas, or scarves, you can create basic rings to complex designs with rubber bands and a tie-dye kit from a craft store like Michaels. Remember to use protective gloves and plastic sheeting to avoid a mess!
6. Check out a parade
If you're near a big city (or live in a town with an enthusiastic planning committee), gas up the car and take the family to the closest St. Patrick's Day parade or festival. You’ll usually get to see:
- Pipe bands with bagpipers
- Irish step dancing
- A lot of green—masks, costumes, floats, and more
Note that some events may not fall exactly on St. Patrick's Day itself.
7. Grow your green
St. Patrick's Day falls at the start of planting season, making gardening one of the most fitting St. Patrick's Day activities for the whole family. Consider:
- Planting shamrock clover
- Letting everyone in your family choose a vegetable, flower, or herb to grow this year
- Visiting Lowe's, Home Depot, Menards, or Walmart for starter seeds, pots, or plants
8. Pavement rainbows
St. Patrick's Day activities don’t have to be expensive or complicated. If you have a concrete driveway or sidewalks (and the weather is warm enough for outside time), simply grab some sidewalk chalk and get creative together.
Make St. Patrick's Day even better with RaiseRight
Whether you search for a pot of gold, enjoy Irish delicacies, or take in the wonder of a parade, celebrating St. Patrick's Day as a family is a fantastic way to spend time together. And while you're planning your holiday, you can also raise funds to support your organization.
RaiseRight makes it easy to earn money back as you shop, dine, or book travel. We partner with hundreds of brands that give back up to 20%—helping to reduce your expenses for your kids' school, sports team, band, or other program.
Top-earning families raise over $1,000 annually—just by using RaiseRight wherever they shop or dine. See it for yourself: try our free Earning Potential Calculator to estimate how much your household can earn in one year.
