It’s that time of year again when everything is covered in shamrocks and leprechauns. St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner! As a parent of an elementary school student, you may be looking for ways to save a little “green” on celebrating for your child’s classroom party. With some savvy shopping and creative planning, you can throw a fun St. Patrick’s Day bash on a budget. Keep reading for money-saving tips and deals to make this holiday affordable and festive!

Shop Discount and Dollar Stores
One of the easiest ways to save is to shop at discount stores like Dollar Tree, Dollar General, or even the dollar section at Target. You can find loads of inexpensive St. Patrick’s Day party supplies like decorative tablecloths, plates, cups, napkins, table scatter decor, treat bags, stuffed animals, temporary tattoos, stickers, banners, and more. Get all the essentials you need for a party at a fraction of the cost versus other retailers.

Buy in Bulk
Consider doing a coordinated bulk order with other parents in the class. Purchase larger packs of items like green plastic tablecloths, green pom poms, stickers, temporary tattoos, etc. and split up the supplies. Buying in bulk almost always saves you money compared to buying individual packs. Ask the teacher if they have an Amazon Wishlist or signup page you can utilize to coordinate with other parents.

Make Your Own Decorations
Get crafty and make your own St. Patrick’s Day decorations and supplies. Cut out shamrock shapes from construction paper or felt. Make a banner out of cardstock paper and string some letters together to spell out “Happy St. Patrick’s Day!” Have kids trace and cut out their own hands to make a rainbow wall hanging. Use paint chips from the hardware store to make rainbows too. Get creative with materials you already have at home before buying new decorations.

Reuse Supplies
Check your craft supplies and see what you already have that could be reused. Use leftover scrapbooking paper, felt, paint, stickers, glue, etc. to make new decorations. Cut out shamrocks from old Christmas wrapping paper or ribbons. Spray paint something gold to make instantLeprechaun treasure. See what green supplies you have and get creative!

Make Your Own Play Dough
Make homemade green play dough using this easy no-cook recipe:

Ingredients:
– 2 cups flour
– 3/4 cup salt
– 4 tsp cream of tartar
– 2 tbsp vegetable oil
– 2 cups boiling water
– Green food coloring

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, cream of tartar and oil. Slowly stir in the boiling water. Knead dough for a few minutes until combined. Separate into balls and add several drops of food coloring to each, kneading to mix in color. Store in an airtight container.

Kids will love playing with the shiny green dough! Make it an activity by hiding plastic gold coins and jewels inside the dough for kids to find.

Serve Affordable Snacks
You can find lots of cheap snacks at discount stores that fit the green St. Patrick’s Day theme. Pick up:

– Goldfish crackers
– Oreo cookies
– Green fruit snacks
– Green apples
– Green grapes
– Pistachios in the shell
– Green Airheads
– Mint M&Ms
– Green fruit roll ups

You can also make green treats like pistachio pudding or lime jello cubes. Buy large bags of candy like Skittles and separate them out into small treat bags. The kids will be thrilled with simple festive snacks!

Easy Crafts and Activities
Crafts and games are a fun way to celebrate while on a budget. Here are thrifty activity ideas:

– Rainbow craft: Decorate coffee filters with markers and spray lightly with water. The colors will spread and make a rainbow!

– DIY stick horse races

– Make Leprechaun traps from shoeboxes to try and “catch” one

– Rainbow scavenger hunt around school

– Shamrock word search or maze printables

– Make sparkly shamrock sun catchers with contact paper and glitter

– Potato stamping craft using cut up potatoes dipped in paint

– Decorate and race paper potato head boats in water tubs

– Play pin the gold on the leprechaun

– Toss rings onto leprechaun hat cutouts

See if you can get any activity supplies donated from parents or purchased with classroom points. The kids will have a blast with simple, budget-friendly crafts and games.

Take Advantage of Free Printables
There are so many free printables online you can use for St.Paddy’s day. Search Pinterest, TeachersPayTeachers, or Google for things like:

– Coloring pages
– Mazes
– Word searches
– Bingo cards
– Scavenger hunt lists
– Door hangers
– Leprechaun traps
– Paper dolls
– Paper hats
– Decorative signs

Print out an assortment of festive pages for party activities or favors to send home. Print on both sides of the paper to conserve. The kids will love these cute pages!

Trade Supplies and Decor
Talk to parents from other grades and see if anyone has supplies they could loan or trade. Offer up any extra supplies you have for next year in exchange for borrowing what you need this year. Schools may have boxed up decorations and supplies from prior years too. Ask if you can take inventory and creatively reuse things for this year’s party.

Shop Secondhand Stores
Check out local secondhand stores and garage sales for party supplies. You can often find fun novelty items and decorations at discounted prices. Look for green plastic tablecloths, leprechaun hats, beads, stuffed animals, banners, etc. Give new life to old St. Patrick’s Day supplies.

Let Kids Help
Get the students involved in making decorations and planning games. Craft time is often more fun for kids than just being entertained. Let them make shamrock garlands to hang around the room, rainbows to display, or help come up with games and activities. Kids can also help assemble treat bags to save you time and money.

Request Donations
Ask parents if anyone would be willing to donate items for the party like treat bags, paper goods, craft supplies, snacks, juice boxes, etc. Some parents may happily contribute an item or two. Make a signup list of supplies needed and have parents choose what they can bring. Every little bit helps!

With a little creativity and advanced planning, you can throw an amazing St. Patrick’s Day party without breaking the bank. Use these money-saving tips to shop smart, take advantage of deals, and make it a festive day for your child’s elementary school class. Show them that the luck of the Irish can happen on any budget!