What is a leprechaun?
A leprechaun is an Irish folklore (or belief) of a mischievous mythical being that looks like a tiny little man - many envision him wearing all green, with red hair and a beard!
What do they do?
They like to make shoes and collect gold to store in their Pot O' Gold!
Where is their Pot O' Gold?
Hidden at the end of the rainbow!
What happens if you catch a leprechaun?
They will grant you three wishes, IF you let them go!
What three wishes would your family wish for?
My almost 5-year-old son:
- To be a Ninja Pirate
- To have lots of puppies
- To go swimming
My 8-year-old daughter:
- To have a real unicorn with wings
- To have a horse
- To live in Minnesota
My 25 (+7) year-old self:
- To live on a 40+ acre property with animals, gardens, greenery and peace
- For no one to be hungry or in need of basic necessities
- For elementary school math curriculums to go back to the basics (I like math, and I can barely keep up with this stuff!)
Leprechaun Trap Ideas
This first one has a sign that says, "there's gold inside here, so if you want it, climb the ladder." So, naturally, the leprechaun will want to check it all out. He'll first walk across a bridge saying, "welcome to gold of all golds." Then, he'll walk across the green felt grass boasting lots of gold sparkly lace (cut into tiny "circles") to resemble gold coins, and a yellow/gold underlayment. He'll climb the green pipe cleaner ladder to get to the top, where he finds a rainbow, a giant gold ring on top, and a bunny with a gold crown. He'll walk towards the gold ring and fall right in the trap!
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This leprechaun trap has a sign that says, "Free Gold!" That will be the first sign that he wants to investigate. He will travel across a green fabric grassy knoll with footprints leading the way. He'll then climb a green ladder made out of pipe cleaners and green colored tape. He'll follow the rainbow trail leading to fairy garden décor and a large trophy filled with gold beads. Lastly, he'll see all the gold and green glitter sprinkled over everything, jump for joy, and fall right through the hidden "X" trapdoor in the center of the roof, where he'll be trapped until the morn'.
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Last, but not least, this final leprechaun trap idea starts with a Lego base floor with a fun green Lego slide, décor and gold sprinkles. Then, the leprechaun will climb the popsicle stick (colored green) ladder, to get to the top of the camouflaged Amazon box trap. He will see a drink tray colored green to resemble grass, with tons of plans and welcoming décor. He will see gold trophies filled to the brim with gold beads, as well as gold glitter everywhere. This intrigues the leprechaun, who will try to cross the green fabric paths to the gold, only to find that they are trap doors! He will fall into the box, but will be too small to escape. There is a nice window with green plastic picks barring his way out. Don't worry, he has gold goodies and a green fabric carpet inside, to keep him comfortable until we see him the next morning.
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What items could you use for your leprechaun trap?
Shoe box, tissue box, Amazon box
Green or gold construction paper, felt, fabric
Green paint or markers
Gold coins (you can make them out of yellow paper!)
Popsicle sticks (the dollar tree has crafting ones)
Pipe cleaners, dental floss, green/gold strings, green/gold lace
Small gold toys
Legos
Gold/green glitter or glitter glue
Gold/green beads, buttons, etc
Tape
Scissors
Glue
Hot glue gun (if you want to get fancy)
Tips for your trap:
Leprechauns are very mischievous ... try some reverse psychology to attract him: make signs that say "do not enter," "do not climb on ladder," or "you won't find gold inside."
They are tiny little guys, so your trap needs to be no larger than a tissue box (but it can be as big as you like)!
They love shiny and gold ... try to use glitter to mark the path they need to take.
Incorporate a Pot O' Gold and a rainbow to make it more appealing.
They are little tricksters and they have perfected their escape tactics. If you see one, do not let it out of your sight!
GOOD LUCK!
