Last March, our kids came home from school on St. Patrick’s Day eve and announced, to my horror, that a Leprechaun was going to come to our house that night and play lots of tricks on us, AND that we needed to set up several traps to catch him.
I was momentarily confused and stunned because I had never heard of this before and didn’t know how to spell “leprechaun” nonetheless how to catch one. Luckily, one of my best friends is Irish so I texted her in a panic and she gave me the full lowdown.
Apparently trying to catch Leprechauns is a “thing” now and my kids were eager to try it. I’m a huge fan of fun holidays, and while my husband and I are more inclined to dye our beer green than our toilet water, we decided to give it a try.
Here are some of the best tips and tricks we have learned on how to try to catch a Leprechaun, and some suggestions for mischief he might leave in return, too.
Leprechauns Are After Gold
No surprise there. So if your child wants to set up Leprechaun traps, they will need to have some gold to attract him. We spray painted pennies and rocks gold, but you can choose any objects you want from around the house.
Encourage Your Kids to Get Elaborate With Their Traps
This helps inspire creativity and can become a whole afternoon of fun. Start collecting shoeboxes, amazon packaging, magnets, and other building materials now so you all are ready to start building.
Use Lucky Charms Cereal as Bait
This also makes for a nice little snack to enjoy while searching for gold.
Dye Everything Green
Seriously, get as creative as you can, cuz the kids love it. Toilet water, milk, pancakes, you name it; if you can dye it, go for it.
It’s All About the Footprints
Our friend has a technique where she dips the side of her palm in green paint then uses her fingernail to make the footprints. You can put these all over the house, just be sure to use washable paint!
Remember that Leprechauns Are Mischievous and Very Messy
The best way to prove that a Leprechaun was at your house is to leave behind a bit of a mess. Turn over some chairs, spread cereal around, let him do whatever he can get away with without leaving you too stressed for the next day’s clean up.
Leave a Few Tokens of Love Behind
Our Leprechaun left behind some fake coins for the kids. Other families have reportedly found lucky charms, dollar bills, and glitter, and one super mom says their Leprechaun often leaves a footprint on her face and glitter in her hair if you want to go the extra mile.
Happy Leprechaun hunting! Be sure to share pictures with us on our Facebook and Instagram pages, we’d love to see what mischief your Leprechauns get into this year!
