Holiday brings out creative celebrations

Having a young child sheds a whole new light on St. Patrick's Day. Her preschool brought that to my awareness after a “leprechaun” made a big mess in the classroom, leaving behind little green footprints on the chairs, and a chocolate coin for each child.

So I started asking parents: What do you do for your child to mark the occasion? The answers were entertaining. Some put green food coloring in the toilet and leave green confetti on the floors, to mark the places the “leprechaun” visited overnight.

Others turn various foods or drinks green, or leave little piles of destruction around the house, with a trail of little footprints leaving the scene of the crime.

My favorite idea though? Leprechaun traps. There are whole web sites devoted to the idea of making little traps to catch the leprechaun, while using little gold-foil wrapped chocolate coins as bait.

What do you do, Yuma, to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with your kids?