St Patrick's day

We thought it would be fun to enjoy St Patrick's Day this year.  Not a day we usually recognize other than that we wear green and try to pinch each other.  So this year I related to the younger boys that if you catch a leprechaun he or she has to give you their gold.  Captain Courageous was particularly excited by this.  I found a blog with awesome TRAP ideas here.  We chose the one at the bottom, the older boys were thrilled that I told them they could have chips (I used Pringles cans) but that they would have to eat them quickly.  5 cans were gone in two days!  G had some buddies over to make the traps together.  I provided the materials.  I found glitter paper at Michael's along with the green pattern paper on the outside of the trap.

 I made up the "goldvault" sign on piknik (only a few more weeks till we say goodbye).  I could not find a ladder that looked right anywhere, so my good friend asked her husband to put one together for us.  He used power point to create it.  I loved it!  

It was fun for them as they put them together and plotted how to use the gold they would get.  We filled the bottom with Hershey's nuggets, you can also use gold foil covered chocolate coins but I couldn't find them in time.

On Friday night we set out the traps and waited.  We did lure a leprechaun, but he was able to get out of the traps and ate all the chocolate.  He also played some tricks on us.  He flipped over chairs, hung hats on the ceiling fans, turned the couch backwards, and utilized our toilet.  Amazingly, the water was green!  I guess they need to be told to flush like my boys!  For some more tricks look here
When the two younger boys saw this there were two reactions: G was scared, and didn't want to trap them ever again.  Captain cried that he wouldn't get any gold.  Some Fun!!