The shamrock is synonymous with the Irish culture and Saint Patrick himself; the saint used the clover as a symbol for teaching the Holy Trinity. Have your preschool students make a shamrock craft, while reinforcing the recognition of the heart shape. Provide each student with three equal-sized green hearts; or, provide them with a heart-shaped stencil, have them trace it three times on green paper and cut them out for fine motor practice. Instruct the children to glue the three hearts onto a piece of white paper so that one heart has its humps facing up, one heart has its humps pointing to the left and one heart has its humps pointing to the right -- each of the tips of the hearts should be touching, forming the shape of a shamrock. Have children cut out or provide them with a cut-out of a green rectangle and have them glue it underneath the shamrock for a stem. If you'd like, have them use glue and green glitter to further embellish the craft.
Have children create an Irish flag during your Saint Patrick's Day study. For each child, draw a rectangle on green, orange and white construction paper and instruct them to cut the rectangles out. Help them glue the pieces together so that the green paper is on the left, the white is in the middle and the orange is on the right, forming the Irish flag. Create a pole by stapling a straw to the outer edge of the green portion of the flag. Talk about how the flag represents Ireland and perhaps have children wave their flags during a parade.
The Irish culture is steeped in folklore and legends, and perhaps one of the biggest legends is that of the leprechaun and his gold. Paint small rocks gold and hide them around your classroom. Explain the story of the leprechaun to students; tell them that you spotted a leprechaun in the classroom and he dropped pieces of gold everywhere. Provide children with bags and send them off to search for the gold. Once a student has found a piece of gold, she may sit back down or help her classmates look for gold. Allow children to take their treasures home.
Music and dancing is also a large part of the Irish culture. Talk about the role that music and dancing plays in the culture and explain that they type of dance the Irish typically do is called a jig. Play some Irish music and model an Irish jig (as best you can) for your students. Invite them to stand up and dance an Irish jig themselves. This activity not only exposes students to the Irish culture, but also promotes gross motor development.