St. Patrick’s Day 2026 Teaching Resources

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day 2026 in your classroom with leprechaun traps, activities and games, shamrock worksheets, printable rainbow crafts, green classroom decor and so much more designed to save you time on your lesson planning this winter.

This teaching resource collection was created by the teachers at Teach Starter to provide you with a mix of holiday-specific resources as well as curriculum-aligned resources that bring a little bit of the St. Patrick's Day theme to your traditional teaching (rainbow math, anyone?).

The March holiday is a good time to bring a little bit of Irish luck into the classroom (especially with state testing days creeping ever closer), teach students about the culture of Ireland, or just brighten up the doldrums of winter with some colorful rainbows, green clover, and of course a touch of leprechaun gold.

Thinking about celebrating for the first time in your classroom this year or just need a few fresh ideas? Read on for a primer from our teacher team!

When Is St. Patrick's Day 2026?

You may already know that St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on the same day of the month, year in and year out, but the question your students all have is "Is St. Patrick's Day on a school day this year?"

The answer depends on your holidays. St. Patrick's Day will be on Tuesday, March 17, 2026.

Why Do We Celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

This is another popular question from our students, and the answer is a bit complicated.

St. Patrick's Day originated in Ireland where it began as a celebration in honor of — you guessed it — Saint Patrick, who is the patron saint of the country. The day commemorates both him and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, as well as celebrating overall Irish culture and heritage.

Saint Patrick is credited with converting the Irish people to Christianity in the 5th century. He's also said to have used the three-leafed shamrock as a symbol to explain the Holy Trinity to the Irish people, which is why you'll see shamrocks showing up in St. Patrick's Day decor, parades, and of course your classroom activities.

All that said, you don't need to teach a religious lesson in a public school to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

In the US and countries around the world, St. Patrick's Day is largely celebrated as a way to honor Irish heritage and culture, and it's often said that "everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day."

Ask your students to wear a little (or a lot of) green as part of your holiday celebration. The color is associated with Ireland where it appears as one of three colors of the national flag, and it's said to symbolize the lush landscape and the hope for spring.