Crafts: St. Patrick's Day's Snakes

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

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One of the traditions surrounding Saint Patrick is that of his banishment of snakes from the island of Ireland during the 5^th century. If you are a myth buster, then you probably already know that no evidence of snakes ever living on Ireland in nature has been found. It is one of the few places in the world where snakes are not a native species.

This presents the perfect opportunity to teach my children the difference between legends and facts (as well as create a cute snake craft). There are still some wonderful stories surrounding Saint Patrick that are true and amazing. He was captured by pirates and taken to Ireland a slave. As he was tending to sheep, he turned to God, instead of the gods of the Druids, and prayed as many as a hundred times for protection. After escaping and returning to England, he studied for the priesthood and was eventually ordained a bishop. He would return to Ireland to preach the Gospel, often using shamrocks to explain the Holy Trinity to Irish.

Snake Craft

Materials

• Paper plate
• Scissors
• Markers or crayons
• Pencil
• String or yarn (if you choose to hang your completed project)

Steps

1. Gather all your materials.

2. Draw a snake on the paper plate.

3. Decorate the snake.

4. Cut out the snake.

All ready to be cut out!

5. Hang your snake or play with it.

Resources

National Geographic: Did Saint Patrick Really Drive Snakes Out of Ireland? 

Reptile Magazine: Did St. Patrick Really Banish Snakes from Ireland? 

Saint Patrick 

Original Image of Shamrock: © Wertaw | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images