Thursday, March 06, 2014

4 Ways to use St. Patrick's Day to Teach your Children about God



St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner, and while wearing green, leprechauns and shamrocks are fun, this year I encourage you to teach your children the Christian message behind St. Patrick’s Day.

Ways to use St. Patrick's Day to Teach your Children about God


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Use a Shamrock to Explain the Trinity - A shamrock with it's three petals can be used to share the message of the Trinity: The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.  So whether you make shamrock cookies, paint shamrocks, or simply draw a shamrock, remember to incorporate this very important lesson.

St. Patrick's Day by Gail Gibbons {Source}
Read a Book About St. Patrick's Day - We love a good book.  There is just something about snuggling together and reading a good story.  On of our favorite books about St. Patrick's Day, is by Gail Gibbons.

I especially like that it starts out by explaining who St. Patrick was and why St. Patrick's Day is celebrated, and then ends by explaining some of the ways the people celebrate the holiday and the meaning of some of the symbols.

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Make a Thankful Pot of Gold - Using a Pot of Gold as a symbol, have each family member list the things they are thankful for.  It's a great exercise to remind children to count there blessings no matter no big or small.
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 




Explain the History of St. Patrick’s Day -   This video from Veggie Tales does a great job of telling the story of Saint Patrick in a way children can appreciate.  Video Found on GodTube {Source)


Hopefully these suggestions provide you with some simple ideas to use St. Patrick's Day to teach your children about God.

What about you?  Do you have any other ideas?  If so, please leave a comment as we'd love to hear them!

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