Sneaky Leprechaun Craft for Kids [Free PDF Template]
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Get kids in on the fun this St. Patrick’s Day by making this sneaky leprechaun craft. They’ll create a mischievous character peeking through tall grass out of colorful paper and our free template.
Preschool and kindergarten children ages 4 to 5 can join in with some adult help, and kids ages 6 to 9 can often handle the steps independently. Setup is easy and the short time it takes to make it is good for busy afternoons at home or quick classroom centers.
Our collection of St. Patrick’s Day crafts is the treasure you’ve been searching for at the end of the rainbow. They’ll keep kids engaged, having fun, and learning during this fun holiday.
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Printable St. Patrick’s Day Activity for Home or Classroom
This fun project has children put together a paper scene featuring a leprechaun peeking out of the grass, as if guarding a hidden treasure. Leprechauns love tricks and surprises, so sneaking around feels right for this leprechaun art project.
The simple steps make this sneaky leprechaun an easy way to involve kids in St. Patrick’s Day traditions. Each step supports fine motor development, hand-eye coordination, and early problem solving skills. Focus and imagination naturally grow as children decide where their leprechaun should hide.
Our printable template will keep prep simple for you, so you’ll just need to print, gather paper, scissors, and glue. Follow along with the instructions below to start creating a festive scene that kids will love showing off.
Supplies
- Colored cardstock or construction paper
- Scissors
- Glue
- Sneaky Leprechaun Template (click the “click here to get your freebies” image at the end of the post)
Directions
Start by printing the template, then gather the materials for this fun activity. Get those scissors ready, and let’s help the kids bring this leprechaun to life!
Begin with the face piece. Glue the eye pieces onto the face, just above the smile. This is a fun moment to talk about how eyes can make different expressions.
Next, glue the pink nose in between and under the eyes.
Then glue the pink cheek on each side of the nose, just underneath the side of the eye. Those rosy cheeks give him so much personality.
Take the two orange eyebrows and glue them above the eyes. You can angle them slightly to give him that playful, mischievous look.
Find the orange hair piece and glue the face in the center. Press it down and watch him start to come together.
Time for the iconic hat! Glue the hat piece on top of the leprechaun’s head.
Glue the black hat band across the middle of the hat, slightly below center.
Next, glue the yellow buckle right in the center of the black band.
Glue the smaller square into the center of the yellow buckle to finish the leprechaun’s hat. That little detail really makes it pop!
Now glue the ear pieces to each side of the hair so they peek out just a bit.
To create the hiding effect, glue the grass piece along the bottom of the leprechaun so it covers part of his face.
Lastly, grab the leprechaun’s hand pieces. Glue each hand right along the top edge of the grass, just below the face, placing them slightly apart so they look like they’re resting naturally.
Isn’t he just the cutest little leprechaun peeking out from the grass? This craft is perfect for preschool and early elementary kids because it builds fine motor skills and gives them a fun way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. If your kids loved making this mischievous leprechaun, be sure to check out our other leprechaun crafts for kids while you’re here!
St. Patrick’s Day Books for Children
Pete The Cat: The Great Leprechaun Chase is a must-have for Pete the Cat fans! Join Pete as he tries to catch an elusive leprechaun.
How To Catch A Leprechaun is a silly book that’s, you guessed it, about catching a leprechaun! Please read this book and let your kiddos build their trap and start a family tradition.
There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Clover is another book kids can’t get enough of. See what the old lady is doing this St. Patrick’s Day!
Need more book suggestions? Check out our favorite leprechaun books for kids!
Craft Ideas for March Classroom Centers
Pot of Gold Handprint Craft – Your little leprechauns can create magic with their own hands. Their handprints will become the gold at the end of the rainbow with this fun activity. Add a little glitter and it’s a magical treasure they’ll be excited to share with others.
Fork Painted Shamrock Craft – Grab a fork for a fun twist on painting! Kids will fill in our shamrock template with paint using a fork as their paintbrush. This is a fun way to get kids in on the fun of this Irish holiday.
Leprechaun Pot of Gold Craft – Bring some St. Patrick’s Day fun to the table with this leprechaun holding onto his treasure. This easy project works well at home or in the classroom, builds shape recognition, and offers scissor and fine motor practice. Print the free template, grab a few simple supplies, and let the festive creativity begin!
Pete the Cat St. Patrick’s Day Craft – Kids can get their favorite storybook friend, Pete, ready for St. Patrick’s Day with a green leprechaun hat. This fun activity is a great way to keep the fun going after reading a Pete the Cat book and celebrate the holiday.
No-Prep Printable Activities for Young Learners
Kids will feel lucky to learn while having fun with these shamrock dot marker printables! Preschoolers will stay busy dotting, counting, and creating with these pages.
They’ll work on letter and number skills and practice precision, focus, and confidence. Between spotting letters, counting dots, and making colorful shamrock art, these pages blend creativity and improving skills in a way kids will enjoy.
Turn St. Patrick’s Day into a top secret mission with these disguise a leprechaun printables! Kids will dream up clever costumes to keep a sneaky leprechaun hidden and his gold safe. The Wanted Poster gets kids to make up a disguise, silly details, and funny backstories. Kids will build creativity, fine motor skills, and storytelling when they write, color, and decorate.
Fill St. Patrick’s Day with a little extra magic by leaving a leprechaun letter to kids after a night of trap building. A surprise note from Lucky the Leprechaun keeps imaginations going, even if he slipped away.
These playful messages praise their clever traps, hint at hidden treats, and encourage kids to keep trying. They fill the holiday with anticipation, creativity, and storytelling into a memorable holiday tradition.
Add some fun to your March plans with these festive St. Patrick’s Day coloring pages designed for little hands. The big, simple pictures give preschoolers plenty of space to color freely while strengthening fine motor skills and pencil grip.
The dotted words make tracing easy and also offer reading practice. This is a relaxed, creative activity where kids’ confidence can grow and their imagination takes center stage.
Share With Us
Did you make this activity with your kids or students? We’d love to feature them on our social media!
For a chance to have your child’s project featured, simply snap a picture of the completed project and post it to our Facebook page, email it to us directly by clicking here, or use #simpleeverydaymom on your social media!
Sneaky Leprechaun Craft
Materials
- Colored cardstock or construction paper
- Scissors
- Glue
- Sneaky Leprechaun Template
Instructions
- Print the template and gather the materials for this fun activity.
- Begin by gluing the eye pieces onto the face, above the smile.
- Next, glue the nose below and between the eyes, so it's slightly touching both eyes.
- Now, glue one cheek on each side of the eyes, so it's touching the outside edge of the eyes.
- Glue the eyebrow pieces above the eyes.
- Take the leprechaun’s face and glue it onto the center of the hair piece.
- Next, glue the hat piece to the top of the head.
- Glue the hat band across the hat, right above the brim.
- Next, glue the outer buckle onto the center of the hat band.
- Take the inner buckle and glue it onto the center of the outer buckle.
- Now, glue the ear pieces to each back and side of the hair, just below the hat.
- Next, glue the grass piece to the bottom part of the leprechaun's face.
- Finally, glue the hand pieces along the top edge of the grass, just below the face.
Video
Did you make this?
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Free Sneaky Leprechaun Template
Meet Sam
Sam is the crafter and founder of Simple Everyday Mom. She has been featured in Oprah Mag, Good Housekeeping, The Spruce Crafts, Country Living, The Bump, and more.
Oh, this is so cute! 🙂 Visiting from the Love Your Creativity link party.
Thanks so much, Jennifer!