Leprechauns aren’t real, right? This is what you will ask your kids before presenting them with this STEM activity challenge. This St. Patrick’s Day, challenge your class or children at home to design their very own leprechaun trap. This leprechaun trap STEM activity will push kids’ creativity and engineering skills to the max and they will have endless fun designing and testing their leprechaun traps in this engineering activity for kids.
If you want more fun St. Patrick’s Day STEM activities, try making a St. Patrick’s Day bouncy ball, making rainbow slime, building a St. Patrick’s Day STEM sensory bin, or build a rainbow from LEGOs!
How to Make a Leprechaun Trap
Follow along with these directions and make a plan to catch your very own leprechaun! What elements of STEM will you use to design your trap?
What Kids Learn Making Easy Leprechaun Traps
With the leprechaun trap STEM activity, kids use several STEM elements. Children must engineer a trap that will work to catch their imaginary leprechaun.
They must use elements of physics to make sure their design is stable and will actually trap the live leprechaun. They will use math to determine the angles and structure of the box design.
If you’d like more St. Patrick’s Day STEM activities, try the color mixing flower, salt crystal feathers, the flower discovery table, or rainbow slime!
LEPRECHAUN TRAP STEAM EXTENSIONS
Use these STEAM extensions to make your leprechaun trap STEM activity even more meaningful!
Science
How does physics play into your trap design?
Technology
What pieces of technology are used in your leprechaun trap?
Engineering
Design the box so that it traps the leprechaun and keeps it from escaping! You can also try limiting construction to specific items, like craft sticks or building blocks.
Art
Make your box pretty so it will attract the leprechauns!
Math
You can’t learn about physics without math! Take a few minutes to discuss the math of physics. Modify the conversation to fit the grade level of your kiddos.
You may also like: Rainbow Science Experiments for Kids!
What You Need to Build a Leprechaun Trap
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- Building supplies (small boxes, string, glue, paper towels, straws, coffee filters, etc)
- Scissors
- Leprechaun bait (gold coins, rainbows, marshmallows)
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How to Make a Leprechaun Trap That Really Works
Making a leprechaun trap is a fun St. Patrick’s Day STEM activity for elementary-aged kids.
There are a lot of ways to be creative and fun with this activity, but the lessons of STEM still apply. Kids will love repeating this STEM activity from year to year.
Don’t Miss: St. Patrick’s Day Bouncy Ball STEM Activity
SETTING UP THE LEPRECHAUN TRAP STEM ACTIVITY
Before starting this activity, decide what limits you want to place on the activity. Maybe your challenge includes having a drop of some kind, so the leprechaun can fall in. Maybe you want the kids to make their traps using only craft sticks.
Or, leave the project completely open-ended! Gather your supplies together before starting.
Before letting the kids start the activity, go over the STEM elements. In my experience, once the kids start building their projects they don’t listen as well, so it’s better to let them have the background knowledge before they get started!
Use the STEM challenge worksheet to keep them on-track while making their traps.
LEPRECHAUN TRAP STEM QUESTIONS TO ASK
How does the leprechaun’s size influence how big the trap needs to be?
Can you name 3 ways to design a trap?
How strong does the trap have to be?
What could make your trap better next time?
DOING THE LEPRECHAUN TRAP STEM ACTIVITY
Our version is a classic rabbit trap. The kids made a box with a loose stick that was designed to fall easily. When the leprechaun entered the box to gather the treats, the kids pulled the string and trapped it.
Of course, the kids knew the leprechaun wasn’t real, but it was fun to test with each other! Test each student’s design and let the other kids vote on the best design.
MORE ST. PATRICK’S DAY ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS
St. Patrick’s Day Sensory Bins
St. Patrick’s Day Slime Recipes
St. Patrick’s Day Fine Motor Activities
St Patrick’s Day STEM Activities