Carter and I hosted a rainbow themed play date for St. Patrick’s Day and it was so much fun that we just had to share! In addition to playing with rainbow colored balloons and dancing around like crazy, we had a few structured activities for early learning fun.
Sorting, Patterns, and Fine Motor Skills
First we made these cute necklaces. I pre-bagged 1/4c store brand fruit loops, shamrock die cuts (I went ahead and punched the holes), and thin green ribbon. When the kids arrived, they made necklaces based on their skill level. Some sorted the fruit loops by colors, others handed specific colors to their parents to string, and some of the older kiddos were able to string the necklaces themselves. Carter wore his all day! He liked that the string was long enough that he could take the necklace on and off himself.
Sorting and Color Identification
Next we worked on colors and more sorting. I made a variety of these goldfish sorting mats (you can grab them free here). Carter enjoys coloring, so I gave him the black and white mat that already had the colors labeled and let him go to town. He almost kept all the colors in the correct boxes. 😉 Then I gave him a handful of gold fish crackers to sort onto his mat. He enjoyed eating them too, of course.
Just-For-Fun Sweets
Before the party, Carter helped me make these fruit loop squares as a treat for his friends. He loves scooping and “measuring” snacks with me in the kitchen so I try to let him help as much as possible. This recipe is a really easy one.
- Melt 6 tablespoons margarine (not butter) on medium heat
- Stir in 16 ounces of mini marshmallows and stir until smooth
- Coat 12 cups of fruit loops with the mixture
- Line a 9×13 pan with greased parchment paper or wax paper
- Press the mixture into the pan and chill until set
- Cut and serve, yum!
It was a great play date and everyone let with new ideas for combining play and learning with their toddlers and preschoolers. If you’re looking for more seasonal fun or early learning ideas, be sure to follow me on Pinterest and Instagram.
