While Patrick was in the fields, he began to seek God and became a Christian.  He spent many lonely hours and grew in his faith.  Some believe it was during this time that he began to dream about spreading Christianity throughout Ireland.  In one of his dreams, Patrick heard a voice he believed to be God that told him he needed to leave Ireland.  He managed to escape to England.

While in England, he had another dream in which he saw an angel who told him it was time to return to Ireland, but this time as a missionary, instead of a prisoner.  He didn’t leave right away, however.  He took time to study for fifteen years, spending some of that time in France, became a priest and then left for Ireland. He began to spread Christianity as well as encourage the Christians who were already living there.

Over the centuries, Patrick’s reputation and legend grew.  The story of Patrick driving the snakes from Ireland is one of many exaggerated tales.  Since Ireland never had any snakes, many historians believe that it is symbolic of Patrick driving out the old pagan traditions as he brought Christianity to the people.

The Irish celebrate the anniversary of his death, March 17th, and have been joined by people around the world.  Originally, people would go to church that morning and have a feast of traditional Irish food and drink in the afternoon.  Since it falls during Lent, the church would allow an exception to the fasting tradition of not eating meat during Lent. 

Today, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated with parades and parties and the “wearin’ of the green”.  The first St. Patrick’s Day parade was actually held in the United States in 1762 in New York City.  There were Irish soldiers in the British army and they decided to celebrate their heritage with the parade.  They played Irish music and bonded with their fellow Irishmen. 

Its popularity is world wide, with celebrations being held in many other countries around the world including Japan, Russia, Canada and Australia.  In Ireland, it is still considered a religious feast day, in honor of their patron saint, Patrick, and all he did for their country.
 

You might be surprised at the chores a school aged child can handle.  If you can find tasks that they both enjoy and can do easily, it will make chore time much easier.  Here are some good chores for young school aged kids:

* Setting and clearing the table - Kids are often eager to help at mealtime.  Setting the table is a simple but important task that they can perform.  You can make it easier by using placemats that have outlines of where the plate and utensils go.  You might also want to consider getting plastic plates and cups to help avoid breakage.  After the family eats, your child can help clear the table.

* Folding and putting away the laundry - The laundry can be quite a chore.  Enlisting the help of the kids to get it folded and put away can be a huge help to a busy mom.  It’s usually unrealistic to expect a young school aged child to fold an entire load of laundry on her own, but she could fold her own clothes and put them up.  She may not fold them as well as you or put them exactly where they belong, but there’s no need to make a big issue out of it.  The important thing is that he or she is trying. My toddler enjoys folding clothes, particulary when they first come out of the dryer.

* Dusting - This is a very simple task that kids usually enjoy.  Give your child a duster or a sock to wear on her hand and let her have a blast.  If you’re worried about breakable items, move them all to a safe place before he or she begins.

* Help with the dishes - The dishes may go more slowly when you have a child helping, but things will get better once she has helped a few times and gotten the hang of it.  If you have a dishwasher, your school aged child can help with the loading and unloading.  If you wash by hand, she could rinse and dry the dishes.  Storing them in low cabinets will allow your child to put them up herself as well.

* Pet care - Kids usually prefer playing with their furry friends to assisting in their care, but having your child help with pet care is a great way to build her sense of responsibility.  You could start small, having your child give the pet food and water.  Once that is mastered, she could clean cages or litter boxes, and perhaps help with grooming if the pet gentle and even-tempered enough.

School aged children can help around the house in many ways.  Your child may be able to take on more complex tasks, or she may need some coaching on the simpler ones.  Either way, making housework a part of your child’s routine will make your life easier in the long run. You can also try being creative by making a game out of household chores.

Some guests may not want or be able to eat cake.  And some of the kids’ parents may want them to have something healthier in addition to, or as a substitute for, cake.  For those who do have cake, it’s nice to have other, less sugary things to go with it.  Here are some ideas for quick, easy and fun birthday party snacks.

Finger Sandwiches

Finger sandwiches are a staple for any party.  They’re easy to make, and you can make two or three different kinds to make everyone happy.  Peanut butter and jelly, bologna and cheese, and chicken salad are some of the most popular choices.

There are lots of ways to make finger sandwiches more festive.  If you have cookie cutters that go along well with the party’s theme, you could use them to cut the sandwiches into fun shapes.  You could also add a toothpick to each sandwich with an added surprise, such as a small piece of fruit or a party favor.

Kabobs

Kabobs are lots of fun, and they are really easy to make.  You don’t have to grill anything, and you can make miniature ones to suit the appetites of young guests.

Instead of using the large kabob sticks, use toothpicks to spear grapes, small berries, and cubes of fruit and cheese.  You could also cut up come cocktail weenies and add them for extra flavor if you like.  If the guests are really young, you might want to cut the sharp ends off of the toothpicks with a pair of strong scissors when you’re done.  It’s a good idea to make plenty of these, because they’re usually quite popular.

Melons

Watermelons, cantaloupes, and other melons go very well with summer birthday parties.  If you have a melon baller, you can make festive little balls out of a few different types and mix them up for an appealing snack.  If you don’t have a melon baller, just cut the melons up into slices or cubes.  They taste great either way.

Snack Mix

There are lots of snack mix recipes available online.  Most of them are very easy to make, requiring little more than mixing up a few ingredients.  This is a great project for the kids if they want to help out with the birthday snacks.

With all of the other aspects of planning a birthday party, snacks are best kept simple.  Combining standard snack foods or adding a bit of creativity to them will delight your guests while making things easier on you.  So you get the best of both worlds!

Earth Day, which is on April 22nd, is an annual celebration of the environment and learning to improve our world.  Taking some time as a family to celebrate Earth Day is not only educational, but fun as well.  There are many cities that host Earth Day activities. Check and see what is offered locally.

Visit your local zoo and see the animals in their environments.  The zoo will probably have educational programs planned, as well as fun activities for the entire family.  It can be a great way to spend the day.  Some zoos even offer free admission, or free admission if you either take public transportation or ride your bike to the zoo. 

As you make your way through the zoo, you can talk about how the ecology of one area of the world affects another.  Discuss with your family how we benefit from things like the plants from the rain forest and how important it is to preserve them.

Why not spend the day at the local botanical gardens? Not only are the plants beautiful, but your family can learn about how we benefit from the plants.  Plants provide food, medicines and oxygen. They also provide ground cover that helps prevent erosion and flooding.  After visiting the gardens, it might be fun to plant your own garden at home. Research the plants that will be the best for your climate.  It will be a great family activity that will last beyond Earth Day and will be a reminder to help care for the planet as you care for your own garden.

Planning fun activities at home is also a great way to celebrate Earth Day, as you will be saving gas by not traveling.  Reuse items from around the house to create clever crafts.  Turn off the TV, go outside and enjoy the fresh air, weather permitting, and have a picnic in the yard. 

 There are many websites that give additional ideas for celebrating Earth Day.  You can also find scheduled events for your hometown that can inspire other family fun that also helps the earth.

George Washington was our first president and one of the favorite stories about him is how he chopped down the cherry tree(sometimes I forget and say apple) and admitted it when his father asked him about it. Lets make some cherry treats for a snack. Cherry Thumbprint Cookies are easy and fun to make. Make the dough ahead of time if working with a larger bunch. You can let the kids help measure and mix the dough. Each child rolls the dough into small balls, and places them on a greased cookie sheet (for less clean up, use baking paper). Have them push their thumb into each ball, and then place a cherry in each thumbprint. Bake following the recipe directions.

Another project that is fun and simple is finger puppets. Gather enough Lincoln pennies and Washington nickels for one each for each child. Cut squares of blue and black construction paper to make the body of each puppet. Roll each square to make a tube to fit over the fingers of your kids. Tape the penny on the black tube, and the nickel on the blue. Cut a small black stovepipe hat to tape to the penny and a blue triangle hat to tape to the nickel.

A presidential game of hangman can be a fun way to learn details about both presidents. Include different important details about their lives, such as log cabin, cherry tree, Delaware River, and Mount Vernon. Once your children have discovered the words, have them they identify which word goes with which president.

Building a log cabin from twigs you gather, or popsicle sticks is another fun Presidents’ Day activity. Take a small box, and cut the top on angles for the roofline, using a 45-degree angle. Draw a rectangle for the door, and cut one side and the top, to make a hinged door. Cut two square holes for windows and cover the inside of the windows with clear plastic taped in place. Glue the sticks on the sides of the box.

While the sticks are drying, cut another rectangle of cardboard large enough to make the roof. Score it down the middle (cut part way through) to allow it to bend in the middle. You can reinforce it with tape. Make a chimney on top, by using a small rectangle box, with the bottom cut to match the angel of the roof. Cut it a bit longer than you need, and fold the ends out to make flaps to attach to the roof. You can cover it with small pebbles or leave it plain. You may need hot glue to get the stones to stick to the cardboard chimney.
Glue the roof in place and add sticks to it as well, covering the chimney flaps.

Put on a skit about the presidents’ lives for another class, younger students, brothers and sisters and/or parents. The kids can help write the skit based on the things they’ve learned about the presidents. They can design simple sets and costumes and practice. It will not only be fun, but help reinforce what they have learned while they practice their lines.

Presidents’ Day has become a less prominent holiday over the last few years. By celebrating it and learning the history behind it, it could make it a more significant day for your family or class.