by: Marianna Monheim UPDATED 2/21/2024
Engage students with fun facts about a beloved March holiday.
St. Paddy’s Day is a fun one for upper elementary students! This holiday usually falls around Spring Break, and it tends to be right before things get stressful with state testing. A classroom scavenger hunt is the perfect activity for students to have a little fun and learn something, too!
In a rush to find a quality St. Patrick’s Day activity your upper elementary students will love? Head to my store on TPT to learn more about this resource.
This fun classroom scavenger hunt goes over the history of the holiday from Saint Patrick himself all the way to the parades and parties of today. In between, your students will learn lots of interesting information about Irish history, culture, and traditions!
How to Set Up a Scavenger Hunt
This highly engaging activity can be set up in under ten minutes! Simply cut out the fact cards and place them around your room. Make it challenging by hiding some cards in hard to find places (under a chair is a good spot!) so that your students have to search high and low to find all 24 facts included.
Then, print out a response sheet for each student. For each card you put up, there will be a correlating question on the response sheet. This is a great way to practice finding answers in informational text!
The Thrill of the Hunt
Students can work on their own or in a small group (I recommend 4 or less) to find each fact card and write down their responses. In order for this activity to go off without a hitch, you may wish to set some ground rules. For instance, only a certain amount of people can look at a fact card at one time.
As students are searching the room, encourage them to keep their findings as secret as they can. They don’t want to draw attention to themselves when they locate those hard-to-find cards…this way everyone has to work hard!
I Completed the Scavenger Hunt...Now What?
Once students find all the cards, have them head back to their seats to answer the 2 questions at the bottom of the page. You may also wish to have a simple activity, like a word search, prepped and ready to go for those early finishers.
Want to Try This Activity in Your Classroom?
This fun St. Patrick’s Day Scavenger Hunt includes 3 different ways to play, giving you multiple options for use! Save it for a fun party activity, or incorporate the scavenger hunts into your ELA work sometime during March.
