St. Patrick’s Day Stories for Kids
St. Patrick’s Day, on March 17, began as a feast day for Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. In the United States today it is mostly a cheerful cultural day: wearing green so nobody pinches you, shamrocks, parades, and in a lot of classrooms, building leprechaun traps.
For a bedtime story, the leprechaun is the perfect character: mischievous, a bit silly, and gone by morning. Here is a complete St. Patrick’s Day story to read aloud, free. It is playful without being too exciting, and it ends somewhere calm. To make one starring your child, by name, it takes about thirty seconds.
Finn and the Leprechaun Trap
A free story to read aloud tonight
The night before St. Patrick’s Day, Finn built a leprechaun trap out of a shoebox, a paper ladder, some green tissue, and a single shiny coin as bait. He put it by the back door, where leprechauns were most likely to come in.
“How will we know if we catch one?” he asked. “You’ll know,” said Mom. “Leprechauns are messy.”
In the morning, the trap was empty. The coin was gone. But there was a trail of tiny green footprints across the kitchen floor, and a little pile of gold-wrapped chocolates, and the milk had somehow turned green.
Finn followed the footprints all the way to the window, where a paper rainbow had been taped to the glass. At the end of the rainbow, on the sill, was a tiny note in tiny writing: Nice try. See you next year. L.
Finn wore green all day so nobody could pinch him, and he ate three of the gold chocolates, and he told everyone at school about the footprints.
That night, he put the empty trap back by the door, just in case, and climbed into bed. Somewhere, a leprechaun was counting his coins. Finn fell asleep planning a better trap for next year.
Is St. Patrick’s Day a religious holiday?
It started as a Christian feast day for Saint Patrick, and some families still mark it that way. In the US today it is mostly a cultural celebration, enjoyed by families of all backgrounds, Irish or not.
How do I make a leprechaun trap with my child?
A shoebox, a ramp or ladder made of paper, something shiny as bait, and plenty of green decoration is all you need. Part of the fun is the mischief left behind in the morning, like tiny footprints or a note.