Clever Kids Catch Creativity: Leprechaun Trap Challenge Brings St. Patrick’s Day Fun

In the days leading up to St. Patrick’s Day, students took part in a fun and imaginative design challenge: building a leprechaun trap! This activity combined creativity, problem-solving, and hands-on building as students worked through the design process from start to finish.

To begin, students read the story How to Catch a Leprechaun, which inspired plenty of ideas about how a clever trap might work. After the story, students brainstormed ways to attract a leprechaun. They thought about what might catch a leprechaun’s eye—gold, rainbows, green decorations, and even signs promising that their traps were “totally safe for leprechauns!”

Next, students drew a plan for their trap on paper. They thought carefully about how it would work, especially since the trap needed to function without them being there. Would the leprechaun pull on something and cause the trap to fall? Would a lid drop down or a box tip over? Thinking through these possibilities helped students practice planning and problem-solving.

With plans in hand, students visited the Design Lab to begin building. As they worked, many discovered that great designers often revise their plans along the way. Students adjusted their ideas, experimented with materials, and improved their traps so they could work independently.

The finished traps were set out the day before St. Patrick’s Day. When students arrived at school the next morning, they discovered that the leprechauns had clearly been busy! While none were successfully captured, the mischievous visitors left behind a bit of evidence—tiny messes, special coins, and a few colorful Skittles in each trap as a thank-you for the creative effort.

This playful project gave students the chance to practice the design process while celebrating the fun and wonder of St. Patrick’s Day.