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St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations for Your Family

Image by Ilham Nor from Pixabay

 

Creekside Kids’ founder and owner, Jennifer Barnes, has a wonderful ritual she carries out every year as a teacher at Mountain Song Community School. She welcomes the month of March with celebrations of St. Patrick’s Day, and allows the kids she teaches to share in the fun. Her rituals are a big hit every year, so we thought we’d share some of those same ideas, sized down for preschool kids!

St. Patrick’s Day is a fantastic holiday for children, filled with stories of leprechauns, rainbows, and pots of gold. At Creekside Kids, we endeavor to make every celebration meaningful and educational for our little ones. Read on for some easy St. Patrick’s Day-themed activities, crafts, and healthy treats you can enjoy with your preschooler at home. Although not everyone will value St. Patrick’s Day with the same reverence Jennifer does, for those that do, we offer these ideas for making this year’s St. Patrick’s Day a memorable event. 

Fun and Easy St. Patrick’s Day Activities and Crafts

Crafting a Leprechaun Trap

One of the most exciting St. Patrick’s Day projects is making a leprechaun trap. Jennifer does this every year in her classroom, and it’s a big hit with the kids. She has a small fairy treehouse decoration she’s built, and she adds elements to suggest a leprechaun has moved in and is asserting itself.

If you have the time, resources, and imagination, craft stores like Michaels can help you find small to tiny dollhouse elements to create a fairy home of your own. Tiny jewels, objects, and tools (including a chest for the leprechaun’s gold) are available. You can even create two-dimensional spaces off a wall that looks and feels like a leprechaun’s been living inside of it!

But to keep the effort simple, craft a leprechaun trap with your child out of simple construction materials… and then, watch their eyes light up as their leprechaun leaves behind some of the dollhouse items that they’ve never seen before! This activity sparks imagination and helps develop fine motor skills as your child cuts, glues, and assembles their trap. 

Materials Needed:

  • A small box (like a shoe box)
  • Green construction paper
  • Glue and tape
  • Markers or crayons
  • Gold coins (plastic or chocolate)
  • Shamrock stickers or cutouts

Steps:

Wrap the Box: Cover the box with green construction paper.

Decorate: Let your child decorate the box with shamrock stickers, drawings, or other St. Patrick’s Day-themed items.

Set the Trap: Place the gold coins inside the box to entice the leprechaun.

Prop it Up: Use a stick or small rod to prop up one side of the box.

For inspiration and more detailed guides, check out Little Bins for Little Hands, which offers a variety of creative ideas for leprechaun traps.

Healthy St. Patrick’s Day Treats

Healthy treats can be just as festive and fun as sugary ones. Here are a couple of easy and nutritious snack ideas that your preschooler will love:

Apple Slices with Lime Jello

Ingredients: Apples, Lime-flavored Jello powder

Instructions: Slice an apple into thin pieces. Lightly sprinkle the Jello powder over the apple slices. The dye in the Lime Jello will immediately begin to spread through the juices of the apple and turn the slices green! 

Serve immediately for a tangy, sweet treat! This healthy treat adds a burst of green color to your St. Patrick’s Day festivities. 

Rainbow Veggie Plate

Encourage healthy eating with a colorful and fun veggie plate.

Ingredients:

  • Cherry tomatoes (red)
  • Carrot sticks (orange)
  • Yellow bell peppers (yellow)
  • Cucumber slices (green)
  • Blue corn chips (blue/purple)
  • Ranch dip or hummus

Steps:

Arrange the vegetable in the shape of a rainbow on a large plate, ordered by color (tomatoes on top, then carrots, then peppers, then cucumbers, then blue corn chips). Place the ranch dip or hummus at the end to represent a pot of gold.

For more nutritious snack ideas, you might enjoy browsing Super Healthy Kids for recipes and tips.

Shamrock Stamping

You can create festive shamrock art with a simple and eco-friendly craft.

Materials:

  • Green paint
  • A bell pepper cut in half
  • White paper

Steps:

Dip the cut side of the bell pepper into green paint. Stamp it onto the white paper to create shamrock shapes. Let your child decorate the shamrocks further with markers or stickers.

This activity promote creativity and improves fine motor skills.

Rainbow Rice Sensory Bin

Sensory bins are great for tactile exploration and creativity. A rainbow bin is full of color and variation.

Materials:

  • Uncooked rice
  • Food coloring (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple)
  • Ziplock bags
  • White vinegar
  • A large tray or tub

Steps: Divide the rice into six Ziplock bags. Add a few drops of food coloring and a teaspoon of vinegar to each bag, and shake well until the color distributes evenly across the rice. Spread the rice on a foil tray to allow the dye to dry (this may take about an hour). Pour each rice color into the sensory bin to create a rainbow effect.

Your little one will have endless fun sorting, scooping, and playing with the colorful rice.

Paper Plate Leprechauns

This craft lets children explore their creativity while learning about Irish folklore.

Materials:

  • Paper plates
  • Orange construction paper
  • Green paint and paper
  • Googly eyes
  • Glue
  • Scissors

Steps:

Paint the paper plate green; this will be the leprechaun’s hat. Cut strips of orange construction paper for the beard and glue these around the bottom half of the plate. Add googly eyes and draw a smile. Cut a rectangle from green paper for the hat band and a black square for the buckle; glue these onto the hat.

Displaying these friendly leprechauns around your home will surely make everyone smile!

Healthy and Festive Treats

St. Patrick’s Day Books for Preschoolers

Reading together is a fantastic way to teach children about the significance of St. Patrick’s Day and to bond with your child in a way that they will revisit every year.

Here are some delightful book recommendations:

The Night Before St. Patrick’s Day by Natasha Wing and Amy Wummer: A fun and engaging story that captures the anticipation and excitement of the holiday.

Jack and the Leprechaun by Ivan Robertson and Katy Bratun: Follow Jack’s adventure as he tries to find a leprechaun on St. Patrick’s Day.

Fiona’s Luck by Teresa Bateman and Kelly Murphy: A beautifully illustrated book that tells the story of a clever girl named Fiona and her encounter with the leprechauns.

How to Catch a Leprechaun by Adam Wallace and Andy Elkerton: this wonderful book suggests that, like the Elf on the Shelf, leprechauns are merry pranksters!

We hope these activities, crafts, and treats bring joy and cultural awareness to your St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. At Creekside Kids, we treasure these moments of creativity, learning, and fun. Thank you for being a part of our wonderful community!

If you’d like to discuss a place at Creekside Kids for your kids, we invite you to click this embedded link to schedule an appointment. Let’s get to know each other! Like us on Facebook to follow our stories for news and updates. We’re located at 1201 W Cheyenne Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80906, and we can be reached at (719) 635-9111. Our new hours of operation are 6:45 a.m. until 5:45 p.m., Monday through Friday.

 

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The Five Love Languages in Which Your Child Speaks

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Discovering Your Child’s Love Language: A Guide for Parents

February is the month of hearts and flowers — love is a superpower, even for children. Love is known to help heal wounds and right some wrongs, and given in the right way, it strengthens us for the world we face. Love is our most potent power as parents when paired with intelligence and wisdom.

An essential part of our mission at Creekside Kids is helping parents and caregivers understand and connect with their little ones. A great way to enhance these connections is to identify and understand your child’s love language. Love languages can be a beautiful tool in fostering strong, loving relationships.

What Are Love Languages?

Dr. Gary Chapman introduced the idea of love languages in his book, The Five Love Languages. According to Dr. Chapman, everyone has a primary love language—a way of expressing and receiving love that resonates deeply with them. Chapman wrote another book with the late Dr. Ross Campbell, The 5 Love Languages of Children, which focuses on how children communicate love – expressing and asking for love.

The five love languages are Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Receiving Gifts, Quality Time, and Physical Touch.

How to Identify Your Child’s Primary Love Language(s)

Communicating with your child is crucial to understanding their behavior, as behavior is often how children communicate (through words, actions, and behaviors) with us before they learn higher reasoning. Discovering your child’s primary love language(s) involves observing their behavior and considering the activities they most enjoy. Here are some strategies to help you identify and cultivate your child’s love language:

Observe Their Behavior

The best path to understanding your child’s love languages is to observe how they communicate their feelings through their behavior. Try to correlate their actions to the five love languages:

Words of Affirmation – this is about expressing love through words, praise, and compliments. Does your child light up when they receive praise or positive reinforcement from you? Do they often give compliments to others? Words of Affirmation are a social strength that we frequently remark as being ‘sensitive.’

Acts of Service – Acts of Service mean showing love through actions that help or serve others. Does your child frequently try to help you or others with tasks or chores? Do they express gratitude when you do things for them? 

Receiving Gifts – this is less about materialism and more about feeling loved through the giving and receiving of thoughtful gifts. Does your child cherish their possessions and enjoy receiving even the smallest gifts? Does she leave small tokens of her favorite things behind, knowing you will pick them up?

Quality Time – feeling valued when spending undivided attention with loved ones, which can be a premium for a busy parent. Does your child crave one-on-one time with you and feel most connected when engaging in activities together?

Physical Touch – Expressing and receiving love through physical affection. Does your child seek out hugs, cuddles, and other forms of physical affection?

Experiment with Different Expressions of Love

If you’re not sure which languages your child speaks in, don’t worry! Just try them all on for size. Try focusing on each of the five love languages and observe your child’s reaction to each. Over time, you will notice which love language makes them feel the most valued and loved.  It takes time for a child’s primary and secondary languages to appear.

Ask for Their Input

Depending on your child’s age, you can also have simple conversations about what makes them feel loved. Ask how they know that so-and-so loves them. Their answers can provide valuable insights.  

Exploring love languages further can enrich your understanding and application of this concept in your interactions with your child. Here are some additional resources:

By identifying and matching to your child’s love language, you are bonding with your child in a way that will support their emotional well-being and development. At Creekside Kids, we’re here to help you every step of this incredible journey. If you’d like to discuss a place at Creekside Kids for your kids, we invite you to click this embedded link to schedule an appointment. Let’s get to know each other! Like us on Facebook to follow our stories for news and updates. We’re located at 1201 W Cheyenne Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80906, and we can be reached at (719) 635-9111. Our new hours of operation are 6:45 a.m. until 5:45 p.m., Monday through Friday.

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Teaching Kids about New Years’ Resolutions

Image by Jupi Lu from Pixabay

And just like that… it’s 2025. 

2024 went by so quickly for so many of us! There’s hardly been any time to reflect on what a year we’ve had, let alone setting resolutions for the year ahead.   But, if you’re anything like me, you’re probably feeling slightly overwhelmed by the thought of setting goals for the next 365 days. It can be hard to know where to start and what to focus on when so many things are vying for our attention!

At Creekside Kids, we’re big believers in developing routines and rituals with children.  We believe children feel safe and secure when they have a predictable schedule. They know what to expect and can rely on their parents to provide for them. This is especially important during times of transition, like starting school or moving to a new home. But it’s also important in everyday life! When kids know what’s coming next, they’re less likely to get upset or frustrated when things don’t go as planned.

Introducing change to a child can sometimes be challenging. If you are establishing a change that will impact your children, consider introducing the ritual of New Year’s Resolutions to your child. It’s an excellent opportunity to teach the concept of setting, measuring, and achieving goals.

Why Do We Make Resolutions?

As you know, a New Year’s resolution is a tradition in which individuals set goals or promises to themselves to improve their lives or behavior in the coming year. These resolutions can relate to a variety of aspects of life, including health, personal development, and relationships. They spend their year milestoning benchmarks of their achievements related to their goal(s).

As adults, we often make New Year’s resolutions to foster positive change in our lives. According to a study published by the University of Scranton, 45% of Americans make resolutions yearly. Common resolutions include:

  • Improving health: such as eating healthier or exercising more
  • Managing finances: saving money or reducing debt
  • Personal growth: learning new skills or hobbies
  • Strengthening relationships: spending more quality time with family

These resolutions are goals we set to create happier, healthier lives for ourselves and our families.

Teaching Children About Resolutions

It’s important to introduce the concept of New Year’s resolutions to children in a positive, compassionate, and sensible way. Here are some tips on how to involve young children in the tradition of making resolutions:

  1. Use Simple Language

Start by explaining what a resolution is in simple terms. You might say, “A resolution is a promise you make to yourself to try to do something better or to help others more.”  You could ask your child if they have something they would like to do better or to help others and partner with your child in achieving a goal.

  1. Make it Fun and Relatable

Please help your child choose fun and appropriate resolutions for their age. For example:

Personal Responsibility: “I will make my bed every morning.”

Health-focused: “I will try to eat more colorful fruits and veggies.”

Learning New Skills: “I will practice drawing animals.”

  1. Model Positive Behavior

Children learn from observing others, especially adults, and most importantly, their parents. Share your resolutions with your child and let them see you work towards your goals. This helps them understand the importance of commitment and perseverance.  It is very helpful for them to see you make a mistake and then acknowledge it and move on with an intention to improve.

  1. Create a Family Tradition

Make setting resolutions a family activity. You could have a special family dinner where each member shares their resolutions. This makes it a bonding experience and reinforces a positive family culture around goal setting.

  1. Celebrate Small Wins

Please set up a reward system to celebrate when your child progresses on their resolutions. Positive reinforcement encourages ongoing effort and commitment.

  1. Be Compassionate About Changes

Change can sometimes be stressful for children. Reassure them that it’s okay to struggle and that making mistakes is a natural part of learning. Keep the atmosphere encouraging and stress-free.  Letting your child see you make mistakes, acknowledging them, and moving on is key.  They learn that no one is perfect and we all need a team.

  1. Keep it Consistent

Reviewing progress on resolutions can be a part of your routine. Whether it’s a weekly family meeting or a monthly check-in, consistency helps keep the resolutions on track.

Resources and References

Here are some helpful resources for making resolutions with your children:

American Psychological Association (APA): Offers tips for setting goals with children.

PBS Parents: Provides activities and advice on making resolutions with kids. 

Zero to Three: Explains the importance of routines and goals for young children. 

Involving your preschoolers in the New Year’s resolutions tradition can help them build essential life skills, such as goal setting and perseverance, while also developing a closer family bond. Remember, the goal is to keep it positive, fun, and age-appropriate. Here’s to a year filled with growth, love, and joyful learning!

Thank you for being a part of our Creekside Kids community, and we wish you and your family success on your resolutions this year! If you’d like to discuss a place at Creekside Kids for your kids, we invite you to click this embedded link to schedule an appointment. Let’s get to know each other! Like us on Facebook to follow our stories for news and updates. We’re located at 1201 W Cheyenne Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80906, and we can be reached at (719) 635-9111. Our new hours of operation are 6:45 a.m. until 5:45 p.m., Monday through Friday.

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Baking With Your Kids

Image by Couleur from Pixabay

 

As the Colorado air turns crisp and the days grow short, we spend more time indoors, creating opportunities for warm, memorable activities with our little ones. One timeless activity we wholeheartedly recommend is the baking of bread, together, parent and child. While one thinks of bread making taking a long time, we have a short cut for you if you are pressed for time!  There are myriad benefits to this simple yet joyful task, and we’d like to share them with you, drawing insights from the beautiful “Easy Crusty Bread” article published in Mother Earth News back in December of 2008 that Jennifer has held on to since her own children were small.  She never had time for the kneading and rising process and found this simple way to quickly bake fragrant fresh bread on demand.

A Holiday Helper

Baking bread at home can be convenient during the holiday season. A loaf of freshly baked bread creates a cozy, festive atmosphere as it wafts through the house. And homemade bread makes a personable, heartfelt gift for friends and neighbors, demonstrating the significance of sharing and giving.

Teaching Kitchen Safety

The kitchen is a hub of activity and a place to introduce essential safety lessons. While baking bread, you can teach your child about the dangers present in a kitchen, such as hot ovens and sharp utensils. With your guidance, they will learn to navigate these hazards responsibly, building both their confidence and awareness.

A Creative Project

Baking bread can also be part of creative projects. From measuring ingredients to kneading dough, it introduces children to basic math and science concepts in a hands-on manner. The transformation of ingredients to a finished loaf of warm bread can pique curiosity, wonder, and understanding about how things work. And, of course, baking bread is a creative outlet in itself. Your child can experiment with different flavors and textures, adding their own personal touch to the recipe. They may even come up with new ideas for other recipes!

Perfect for Snowy Days

When a heavy snowfall keeps you and your kids indoors, baking bread can turn such dull days into memorable occasions. It’s a productive way to spend time, and brings warmth and cheer to an otherwise gloomy day. Mixing, kneading, and waiting for the dough to rise teaches patience and rewards diligence. (And it’s a great moment for storytime and a reading of The Little Red Hen!)  This fresh bread recipe avoids the long rising times and can sit in the fridge for many days for a quick grab of fistful-sized custom loaves of bread that bake quickly!

Creating Cherished Rituals

Lastly, a baking bread day can transform bad weather’s disappointment into a delightful bonding experience. We’re big on rituals at Creekside Kids, and this ritual, repeated over time, becomes a cherished memory for both parent and child, turning a downtime day into a special event. It’s a moment to slow down, enjoy each other’s company, and make something delicious together.

At Creekside Kids, we’re dedicated to nurturing safe, fun, and educational experiences for our children, and we believe baking bread encompasses all these values. The “Easy Crusty Bread” recipe from Mother Earth News can be a fantastic starting point; its simplicity makes it perfect for little hands eager to help. Thank you for being part of the Creekside Kids community. We hope you enjoy this wholesome activity and the many benefits it brings. By sharing this blog, we invite all our caregivers to create warm memories and instill valuable lessons. If you’d like to discuss a place at Creekside Kids for your kids, we invite you to click this embedded link to schedule an appointment. Let’s get to know each other! Like us on Facebook to follow our stories for news and updates. We’re located at 1201 W Cheyenne Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80906, and we can be reached at (719) 635-9111. Our new hours of operation are 6:45 a.m. until 5:45 p.m., Monday through Friday.

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The Importance of Holiday Traditions

Image by KatrinDitrih from Pixabay

As the holiday season approaches, our hearts fill with joy, warmth, and anticipation. Autumn-Winter holidays like Thanksgiving, Chanukah, Ramadan, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Eve hold a special place in our lives and offer us opportunities to create core life memories with our children. 

Did you know that holiday traditions are more than just joy and celebrations? They play a significant role in your child’s early learning and development, providing a sense of structure, fostering emotional bonds, and instilling important values.

Building a Sense of Family Structure

As parents, you play a crucial role in building a sense of family structure through holiday traditions. Whether it’s baking cookies together, sharing a meal, or decorating the Christmas tree, these rituals provide a sense of continuity and belonging, helping your children understand their place within the family.

Developing Emotional Bonds

Participating in family traditions is not just about the activities, it’s about strengthening emotional bonds between family members. When children see their parents and caregivers engaging in these special activities with joy and enthusiasm, they learn the value of spending quality time together. These shared experiences foster love and security, which are fundamental to a child’s self-worth.

Instilling Values and Traditions

Holiday traditions are rich with opportunities to teach children important values such as gratitude, generosity, and compassion. For example, we can involve our little ones in activities emphasizing thankfulness and giving back to the community during Thanksgiving. These lessons, embedded in joyful occasions, leave a lasting impression on young minds.

Encouraging Lifelong Memories

The sights, sounds, and smells of holiday traditions often become cherished memories that children carry into adulthood. These positive recollections contribute to a child’s sense of identity and family heritage, offering comfort and connection across generations.

One of the most priceless gifts we can give our children is a treasure trove of joyful memories. The sights, sounds, and smells of holiday traditions often stick with us long into adulthood. These positive recollections contribute to a child’s sense of identity and family heritage, offering comfort and connection across generations.

Ideas for Meaningful Traditions

If you’re looking to start or enhance your family’s holiday traditions, here are a few simple ideas:

Family Storytime: Select a special story you read together every autumn and winter. Collect seasonal books your family loves and establish a cozy reading-time tradition, complete with blankets and hot cocoa. Over time, your child will look forward to revisiting the story and its familiar characters.

Crafting Together: Create homemade ornaments or decorations. It’s a beautiful way for children to express their creativity while contributing to the family’s festive atmosphere. Get crafty with your little ones by making homemade holiday decorations. From handprint turkeys for Thanksgiving to homemade ornaments for the winter holidays, these crafts can become annual keepsakes you’ll cherish for years. 

Exploring Nature: Take a family walk to admire seasonal changes. Bundle up and head outdoors for a nature walk. Collect leaves, acorns, and other natural treasures in the fall to create crafts or decorations. 

Holiday Light Tour: Take a scenic drive or walk around the neighborhood to appreciate the twinkling lights and decorations during the winter. You can even turn it into a scavenger hunt for added excitement! Make this an annual outing with hot chocolate and holiday music to enhance the experience.

Advent Calendars: Manufacturers make Advent calendars for multiple holidays– there’s even a Halloween one. Each new opening of a door brings excitement and anticipation to your child’s day.

Gratitude Jar: Create a gratitude jar where each family member writes down what they’re thankful for. Share these moments of gratitude during Thanksgiving, preventing the need for your guests to conjure up what they’re thankful for when they’re on the spot. Remembering to use this jar throughout the year will teach your children the importance of appreciation and mindfulness.

Family Cooking Day: Dedicate a day prior to your family’s favorite holidays solely to cooking and baking together as a family. Preparing traditional meals or trying out new recipes can be a fun way to bond and create delicious memories. Plus, little hands can help with simple tasks, fostering teamwork in the kitchen. Cooking is an especially good medium for creating memories, as it combines wonderful smells with delicious treats.

Community Service: Involve your family in giving back to the community. Volunteer at a local food bank, participate in a holiday toy drive or make cards for nursing home residents (or visit one with the staff’s permission). Teaching your children about kindness and generosity is a beautiful tradition that can grow year after year.

Outdoor Movie Night: Set up an outdoor movie night with warm blankets, popcorn, and a favorite holiday film. If it’s too chilly, transform your living room into a cozy movie theater instead. The magic of family movie night can become a cherished tradition.

Reflection and Goal Setting: Hold a reflective family meeting where everyone shares their highlights of the past year. Discuss goals and aspirations for the coming year, helping each family member set intentions together. This practice not only fosters communication but also strengthens family bonds.

At Creekside Kids, we believe in the profound impact of traditions and rituals on a child’s development. These practices help children learn about their family’s unique culture, create a sense of stability, and nurture loving relationships. As we celebrate this holiday season, let’s cherish these moments and the excellent learning opportunities they bring to our little ones.

Thank you for being a part of our Creekside Kids community. We wish you all a happy and heartwarming holiday season filled with love, joy, and cherished traditions. If you’d like to discuss a place at Creekside Kids for your kids, we invite you to click this embedded link to schedule an appointment. Let’s get to know each other! Like us on Facebook to follow our stories for news and updates. We’re located at 1201 W Cheyenne Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80906, and we can be reached at (719) 635-9111. Our new hours of operation are 6:45 a.m. until 5:45 p.m., Monday through Friday. 

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creekside building
1201 W Cheyenne Rd
Colorado Springs, CO 80906  
 
6:30 am - 5:45 pm
Monday - Friday
(719) 635-9111

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