For over 1,000 years, the people of Ireland have celebrated St. Patrick’s Day. Thanks to the mass emigration from Ireland in the 1800s, the holiday is now celebrated all over the world. As rivers are dyed green and parades fill the streets, bring some luck into your classroom lessons with these St. Patrick’s Day writing prompts and activities.
St. Patrick’s Day Writing Activities
Whether you teach elementary, middle, or high school, the following St. Patrick’s Day journal prompts will help your students work on their descriptive language and storytelling skills.
Elementary School St. Patrick’s Day Writing Prompts
1. A symbol is something that represents something else. What are some symbols for St. Patrick’s Day? Which symbol is your favorite, and why do you think that symbol represents St. Patrick’s Day?
2. What is your favorite holiday? Compare and contrast it with St. Patrick’s Day. What are the differences? What are the similarities?
3. Write a journal entry about how you celebrated St. Patrick’s Day. Be sure to include details like where you were, who you were with, and
what you did.
4. Not everyone celebrates St. Patrick’s Day.
Write an informative paragraph about the holiday for someone who may not
know what it is or how to celebrate it.
5. Four-leaf clovers are thought to bring you good luck. Is there anything else that can bring you good luck? What makes those things lucky?
6. Write an acrostic poem about St. Patrick’s Day. In an
acrostic poem, the first letter of each line spells out a word. Use the
word GREEN, SHAMROCK, IRELAND, or LUCKY as your main word.
7. Write and design a “Happy St. Patrick’s Day” card for a friend or family member.
Middle School St. Patrick’s Day Writing Prompts
1. There are lots of rumors about who Saint Patrick was, and what he did for Ireland. One that you might have heard is that he drove all of the snakes out of Ireland. Research the real Saint Patrick, and write his biography. Cite your sources.
2. Write a descriptive
paragraph about a St. Patrick’s Day memory of yours. Make sure you
include references to senses like touch, smell, or taste.
3. For a group activity, begin writing a story about St. Patrick’s Day. After you’ve completed the first paragraph, pass it to the person on your right. Once they have written another paragraph, have them pass it on as well. Once stories have been passed three times, they can be returned to the original author. How did the story change from what you envisioned?
4. It is traditional to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day, and some restaurants will even dye certain foods green for the holiday. If you were a small business owner, what would your business be, and how would you celebrate the holiday in order to attract customers?
5. A St. Patrick’s Day contest is giving away two free tickets to Ireland. Write a persuasive essay on why you should win the tickets and what you would like to do in Ireland.
6. You are hosting a St. Patrick’s Day party. Describe the party, including the foods, music, and decorations.
High School St. Patrick’s Day Writing Prompts
1. Cooking traditional Irish recipes, like corned beef and cabbage, is one great way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. If you had the chance to create a new recipe to be eaten on the holiday, what would it be? What ingredients would you use, and how would your recipe relate to Ireland or St. Patrick’s Day?
2. Every year on St. Patrick’s Day, the city of Chicago, Illinois dyes the Chicago River green to mark the holiday. If you were a city official, what tradition would you start in order to make your city stand out during the holiday? What steps would you take to make your plan a reality?
3. Parades are a large part of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the US. If your school were to host one, what would it look like? Design your own school parade line-up—complete with floats, music, and entertainment.
4. Research images of different locations around Ireland. Write a poem about the most engaging picture or pictures you find.
5. In “The Lake Isle of Innisfree,” Irish poet William Butler Yeats, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature, describes a peaceful cabin that he would like to build someday in Innisfree. Write a poem of your own about a dream that you have for your future. Use descriptive language, and be sure to include sensory details.
6. Write a short fictional story that takes place on St. Patrick's Day. Be sure to use imagery from the holiday to drive the plot.
7. St. Patrick’s Day was originally celebrated in Ireland but was later popularized in the US. What other feast or holiday would you like to see more widely celebrated in your own country? Describe the holiday’s traditions, and write an argument for adopting it into your community.
8. Many popular Irish songs mention cities in Ireland like Dublin, Galway, or Cork. Write song lyrics about a place that you care about or want to visit someday.
9. A limerick is a funny five-line poem with rhyming and syllable pattern. The first, second, and fifth lines have seven to ten syllables each and rhyme with each other. The third and fourth lines have five to seven syllables and rhyme with each other. Oftentimes, the poem will start with “There once was a….” Write a limerick of your own about St. Patrick’s Day.
There once was a lucky rover
Who found a four-leaf clover
Then a sheep came to sup
And gobbled it up
And his luck was suddenly over.Limerick Example
Expanding Beyond St. Patrick’s Day Journal Prompts
Along with these St. Patrick’s Day writing activities and journal prompts, try other ways of bringing the holiday into your classroom as well. From the music to the food, St. Patrick’s Day is a great way to introduce your learners to Irish culture. By encouraging
further research into Irish history, authors, and contributions, your students can broaden their understanding of what St. Patrick’s Day represents, no matter where in the world they celebrate it.
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Keep the celebration going in your elementary classroom with these St. Patrick's Day Classroom Activities.
For more holiday activities and writing prompts, explore HMH's Monthly Calendar Themes for Schools.
Find more writing prompts for your elementary, middle, and high school students on Writable.
