A Simple St. Patrick’s Day Book-themed Lesson Plan 

Ready for another literary adventure? This time we will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with a fun book-themed lesson plan. This lesson plan focuses on Pete the Cat: The Great Leprechaun Chase by James Dean. You and your child will be able to jump into the fun right along with Pete in these activities! 

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Science: 

When Pete the Cat sneaks up on the leprechaun, he is at the RAINBOW! Why should we wait for the perfect light, with just enough water in the atmosphere to find a leprechaun? Let’s make our own! The good news is you only need two things: a flashlight and a CD! 

If your little one is still younger, this is perfect. Let them explore the rainbow colors. Interact with them and name each color. 

If your little one is a little bit older, you can get more interactive with this lesson. First line the surface your rainbow will appear on with white paper. We used Evie’s art easel (one less step and a little less prep for me), but a wall with white paper typed up on it would work just as well. Next have your child use markers, colored pencils, or crayons to draw over the colors and shape of the rainbow. Now they have their special leprechaun rainbow! 

Math: 

A very important milestone in a preschooler’s math education is being able to associate numbers with objects. Being able to point to an object and then count how many individual objects there are lays the foundations for addition and subtraction later.  

To practice this counting, we have gold coins on this Canva link! Print and cut out these gold coins. Place them on the table and get counting! 

If your child needs more of a challenge start working with the addition and subtraction skills that we mentioned earlier! Visual representations and manipulatives are great for introducing these skills. 

Art: 

Pete the Cat came up with some wonderful ways to catch the Leprechaun. I bet your little one can come up with some pretty unique ideas themselves! Bust out the craft supplies! My advice is by a reuseable tablecloth from your local dollar store and work on that! When you are done, hose it off and store it for future messes.  

Allow your child to get messy. Use an oversized shirt to keep your child clean and washable paints. Process art is great for allowing a child to experiment and try new things. The act of discovering how to do new activities builds so many connections in their little brain. Messes will be inevitable; however, we can do our part (with a little planning) to minimize them! 

I hear leprechauns like green, gold, sparkly, and a good cup of tea. Do with that what you will. 

Music: 

When I was in high school, there were a couple of girls who were Irish dancers. It was so interesting to watch them dance! If you haven’t seen them before, I highly recommend finding a local troop and experiencing it firsthand. They are very talented. 

However, you may be in an area where Irish dancers are not down the street, and I completely understand. Check out this video and learn the steps with your little one! 

Today’s Thing: Irish Dancing | CBC Kids (youtube.com) 

This is a great opportunity for your child to learn and practice gross motor skills! 

Language: 

In Pete the Cat the Great Leprechaun Chase, the leprechaun recites limericks, for Pete. Limericks are wonderful for helping children learn how to rhyme! Now, to be clear. I do NOT expect a preschool child to be able to write a limerick. This activity is designed for you to help your child learn the basics of rhyming, and to listen for letter sounds. 

 Limericks are 5 lines. Lines 1,2, and 5 all end with the same sound (loving referred to as A), and lines 3, and 4 end with the same sound (referred to as B). 

For this activity, lead your child as you make rhyming words. Point out how words like ‘cat’ and ‘hat’ rhyme. They end with the same sound ‘-at’. Try to list all the words that end with the same sound. 

Other words found in Pete the Cat the Great Leprechaun Chase that you can rhyme with your child are: 

• Luck 
• Net 
• Gold 
• Catch 
• Box 

Now that we have some basic rhymes for some common words in the book, work with your child to create a funny Limerick to describe the book.  

As a BONUS – your child can practice their recall abilities by remembering important elements of the book. 

If your child needs some extra rhyming practice, check out this free rhyming worksheet I made for my daughter on Canva! 

Please let me know what you think about this St. Patrick’s Day book-themed lesson plan! Did you and your child enjoy this themed activity? Let me know in the comments! Just a quick reminder, all children develop at their own unique pace. If you are concerned about developmental delays, it is best to seek advice from your child’s doctor. These activities are designed to be done with a parent. Please supervise your child while these activities are being done! 

Looking for more St. Patrick’s Day fun? Check out my sensory bin of Leprechaun Sand! I also have a rainbow-themed lesson plan ready for you and your child to explore!