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St. Patrick's Day the Preschool Way
Throw an Irish Bash With Your Children By Donna Smith
Most preschoolers are familiar with the book Green Eggs and Ham, so why not serve something a little different? Yes, green eggs. Simply tint the eggs green with a little food coloring. Have a parent read the story as the kids eat their green treat.
What Do I Serve?
Keep with the green theme even with the food you serve. To keep it simple, frost cupcakes with green frosting, or you can make a cake that looks like a rainbow and a pot of gold. "Bake a white sheet cake (add a few drops of green food coloring to the batter) and frost with vanilla frosting tinted green," says Gladden. "Create a rainbow using M&Ms arranged in colored rows. Separate an Oreo cookie and place one half flat on the cake at the end of the rainbow -- the 'pot.' Break the other half of the Oreo in half and stick it into the cake sideways for the top of the pot. Sprinkle butterscotch chips on top of the pot to resemble pieces of gold." Gladden suggests setting out a pitcher filled with green Kool-Aid, or placing green Squeeze-Its beside each child's plate. Another option is to make up a batch of Lime Punch. This festive punch is just the right color, and kids will love the sweet, but tart, taste.
Party Favors
Party favors are a great way to keep the children entertained. Set up a craft table and let them make a craft to take home. "Give each child a paper bag and allow them to decorate it with crayons and markers, St. Patrick's Day stickers, rubber stamps, ecetera," says Gladden. "Let them take home their decorated cookies (in a sandwich bag), gold chocolate coins, place cards from the table and pencil topper. You can also divide up the balloons. If you have a Polaroid camera, take pictures of the children during the party and place the pictures in the treat bags as well."