St Patrick's Day Scavenger Hunt Printable

Green finds and a pot of gold clue trail: pick new items until the list fits, then press Print this list.

Next step A hunt for the whole family

All 119 items

Something green 17

A book with a green spine Find it on the shelf without pulling the others out, then read the title aloud.
A green animal, alive or in a picture book A frog, a caterpillar, a parrot, a lizard or a grasshopper.
A green crayon, marker or colored pencil Read the name on the label if it has one. Lime, mint, olive and forest are all greens.
A green fruit A lime, a kiwi, a pear, a green apple or green grapes.
A green lid, cap or bottle top On a marker, a milk jug, a glue stick or a jar.
A green sign Street name signs and exit signs are often green. Spot one from where you stand.
A green thing smaller than your thumbnail A pea, a bead, a sequin or one leaf of clover. Point to it and leave it where it is.
A green toy brick or game piece A building brick, a pawn from a board game or a marble.
A green vegetable in the refrigerator Broccoli, peas, a cucumber or lettuce. Ask before you open the door.

Show all 119 items (110 more)

Something green, continued

A word that means green, in print Emerald, lime, mint, olive, jade or sage. Try paint cards, crayon labels and clothing tags.
Green printed on a box in the pantry A label, a logo or a printed leaf. The box stays shut.
Someone wearing green today People have worn green ribbons and shamrocks on Saint Patrick's Day since the 1680s or earlier.
Something green growing on a windowsill A houseplant, a pot of herbs or a sprouting onion. Point to it and leave it growing.
Something green in the bathroom A towel, a toothbrush, a bar of soap or the stripe in the toothpaste.
Something green that is soft A sock, a cushion, a stuffed frog or a blanket.
Something green with wheels A toy car, a wagon or a wheeled bin. Real cars are spotted from the sidewalk.
Two greens that do not match Hold them side by side: a lime and a leaf, a sock and a crayon. Say which one is darker.

Irish symbols 18

A Celtic knot Cords drawn weaving over and under each other. Most are endless: trace one with a finger and you arrive back at the start.
A cream sweater with cable patterns The Aran sweater is named for the Aran Islands, off Ireland's west coast. Its patterns run from top to bottom.
A four-leaf clover in a picture It is not a shamrock. It is a rare clover with a fourth leaflet, and finding one has been called lucky since the 1600s.
A hand drum The Irish frame drum is called a bodhrán. It is played with the bare hand or with a stick called a tipper.
A harp, in a picture or on a coin A gold harp, its strings silver, on a blue field is the coat of arms of Ireland. It appears on Irish coins and passports.
A loaf of soda bread, or a recipe for one It rises with baking soda in place of yeast. The basic recipe is flour, salt, baking soda and buttermilk.
A picture of Saint Patrick in a book or on a card A missionary and bishop of the fifth century. He is said to have taught with a three-leaved shamrock, a story first written down in 1726.
A plant in a pot sold as a shamrock Wood sorrel is often called a shamrock, most of all in the United States. The shamrock of Ireland is a clover.
A shamrock on something that is not a decoration A shirt, a mug, a cereal box or a team badge.
A shamrock with three leaves On a card, a sticker, a napkin or a window. The name comes from the Irish seamróg, which means young clover.
A tin whistle, or a picture of one A simple whistle with six finger holes, closely tied to Irish traditional music.
The date March 17 on a calendar The day is held on March 17, the traditional date of Saint Patrick's death in the fifth century.
The flag of Ireland Three upright stripes with green next to the pole, then white, then orange. Orange at the pole is the flag of Ivory Coast.
Ireland on a map or a globe An island of the North Atlantic. The Irish Sea lies between it and Great Britain to the east.
The name of the day in Irish: Lá Fhéile Pádraig It means the Day of the Festival of Patrick. The host can write it on a card and hide the card in plain sight.
Something blue, the saint's other color The Order of St Patrick, founded in 1783, chose blue as its color, and blue became linked with the saint.
The word Irish or Ireland printed on something in the house Try a food label, a tea box, a map, a book or an album cover.
The words Emerald Isle on a card, a book or a banner A nickname for Ireland that first appeared in a poem in 1795.

Rainbows, luck and gold 17

A coin that is gold in color A real one, a chocolate one in foil or a plastic one. Small coins stay with the adult.
A double rainbow, in a photo or in the sky The second bow sits outside the first, and its colors run in the reverse order.
A horseshoe, real or in a picture Kept as a charm, a horseshoe is believed to bring luck. People disagree about which way up it should hang.
A number 7 On a clock, a calendar, a playing card or a house number. Seven has long been called the luckiest number.
A pot, kettle or bowl big enough for treasure Cold and empty, from a low cupboard. In the stories, the leprechaun's pot of gold is hidden at the end of the rainbow.
A rainbow made by light indoors Try a glass of water on a sunny sill or the beveled edge of a mirror.
A rainbow, real or drawn A real one always appears in the part of the sky opposite the sun.
A red coat, hat or scarf Before the 20th century, the leprechaun of the stories wore red, not green.
A shoe that needs mending A loose sole, a frayed lace or a worn heel. A job for the shoemaker of the old stories.
A shoe with a buckle In Irish folklore the leprechaun's trade is making and mending shoes.
A story with treasure in it A book with a chest, a map or a pile of gold on the cover or inside.
A trail of tiny green footprints Hosts: cut them from green paper the night before and lead them toward the pot.
Seven things set out in rainbow order Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. Isaac Newton settled on seven colors.
Something gold or gold-colored A button, a picture frame, a foil wrapper or a ring. Ask before you touch jewelry.
Something red, for the outer edge of the rainbow Red is on the outside of the bow and violet is on the inside.
Something that sparkles Foil, glitter, a sequin or a polished spoon.
Something yellow that passes for gold from across the room A lemon, a rubber duck, a highlighter or a banana.

Threes, like a shamrock 12

A 3 on a clock face, or a clock showing three o'clock A clock with hands, a microwave display or a watch.
A flag with three stripes Ireland's flag has three, and so do many others. Count before it counts.
A fork with three tines Count the points. Try the dessert forks and the play kitchen.
A knife, a fork and a spoon laid out as a set A place setting is a set of three. Table knives only.
A leaf made of three leaflets Clover and wood sorrel both have them. Outdoors, point and do not touch: some three-leaved plants cause a rash.
A stool, stand or tripod with three legs Count the legs. A milking stool, a camera tripod or a plant stand.
A three-leaf shape in a pattern On fabric, a tile, a playing card or an iron railing. The club on a playing card is one.
A triangle Three sides and three corners: a clothes hanger, a roof gable or toast cut corner to corner.
A tricycle Three wheels. Tri means three, as in triangle and tricolor.
Paper with three punched holes, or the punch that made them Look in a binder or on a classroom shelf.
The three lamps of a traffic light Red, yellow and green. Spot it from the sidewalk with your adult.
Three of the same thing in a row Three windows, three fence posts or three books of the same height.

On a walk or at a parade 15

A dog wearing green A bandana, a collar or a coat. Wave from where you are.
A flag carried past in a parade Parade find. Say its colors in order, starting at the pole.
A green car, truck or bus Parked or passing, spotted from the sidewalk.
A green front door Spot it from the sidewalk.
A green mailbox, bench, hydrant or bin Anything on the street that was painted green on purpose.
A marching band drum Parade find. Count how many drummers pass.
A parade banner with a shamrock on it At a parade, stay beside your adult and behind the barrier.
A patch of clover in a lawn Crouch and look for leaves in threes. Leave it growing.
A set of bagpipes Parade find. You will hear them before you see them.
A window decorated for the day Paper shamrocks, green lights or a flag. Look from the sidewalk.
An evergreen tree It stayed green all winter. Look on the ground under it for cones.
Green lights on a building after dark Since 2010, famous landmarks around the world have been lit green for the day.
Green water: a fountain, a pond or a river Chicago dyes its river green for the day. A pond green with duckweed counts too.
Moss on a wall, a tree or a stone Check the shady side. Look closely and leave it in place.
New green shoots in a flower bed Look from the path and keep feet out of the bed.

Clue trail rhymes 28

A ribbon of green tied up in a bow. Find the door handle that wears it, and go. Hide the next clue: a green ribbon on a door handle. A strip of green paper works too. Tie it to an inside door handle and tape the clue to the ribbon.
Brush them at morning, brush them at night. By your toothbrush, gold shines bright. Hide the next clue: the toothbrush holder. Wrap the clue around the hunter's own toothbrush handle.
Cereal and oatmeal, a spoon and a cup. Look where the breakfast bowls stack up. Hide the next clue: the bowl cupboard. Inside the top bowl. Skip this one if the bowls live on a high shelf.
Coins go clink and coins go clank. Your next clue sits by the piggy bank. Hide the next clue: the piggy bank or coin jar. Under it, not in it.
Cushions are soft and good for a rest. Lift up the one that you like best. Hide the next clue: the sofa. Under the cushion of the hunter's usual seat.
Every rainbow color lives in this box. Find it near paper, not near socks. Hide the next clue: the crayon box. Inside the lid of the crayon or marker box.
Frogs are green and dinosaurs too. The greenest toy you own has a clue. Hide the next clue: the hunter's greenest toy. A frog, a dinosaur, a turtle or a green block. Tuck the clue under it where it usually lives.
Green is the grass and green is the hill. Find a green plant on a windowsill. Hide the next clue: a houseplant on a windowsill. Slide it under the pot, with a corner showing.
Green things grow with water and sun. By the watering can is the very next one. Hide the next clue: the watering can. Under an empty can, indoors or on the porch.
He mends one shoe, then mends another. Look inside yours, then check its brother. Hide the next clue: the hunter's shoes by the door. Push it into the toe of the second shoe.
I lean on a kickstand and wait for a ride. Check my saddle, where a clue can hide. Hide the next clue: the hunter's bicycle. Taped to the saddle. If the bike lives in the garage, an adult goes along.
It shows your face when you look in. The clue is waiting beside your twin. Hide the next clue: a mirror at the hunter's height. Tape it to the frame's lower corner, never to the glass.
The luck of the day is on your side. Look where the hats and mittens hide. Hide the next clue: the hat and mitten basket. Inside a green hat or glove if there is one.
Mashed or baked or boiled in a stew. The bag of potatoes is hiding a clue. Hide the next clue: the bag of potatoes. Under the bag, on a pantry shelf or floor the hunter can reach.
One drop of me turns the frosting green. By the baking things I can be seen. Hide the next clue: the green food coloring. Beside the bottle, lid on tight, in a cupboard the hunter reaches from the floor. Skip it if the baking shelf is high.
Pencils and books and homework too. The bag you take to school has a clue. Hide the next clue: the school backpack. In the front pocket, zipped shut.
Pots of gold are hard to find. A pot for soup? Look just behind. Hide the next clue: the big pot in a low cupboard. A cold, empty pot in a cupboard the hunter can reach from the floor.
Rain makes rainbows and rain makes you wet. Look where umbrellas and raincoats get set. Hide the next clue: the coat hooks or umbrella stand. In a raincoat pocket, or tucked in a folded umbrella.
Red on top and violet below. Look behind the rainbow you drew, and go. Hide the next clue: the hunter's rainbow drawing. Have the hunter draw one the day before, hang it at their height and tape the clue behind it.
Shamrocks have three leaves, I have four legs. You sit on me to eat your eggs. Hide the next clue: a kitchen chair. Tape it under the seat of the hunter's usual chair.
Some stairs go up and some go down. Look on the lowest step around. Hide the next clue: the bottom stair. On the bottom step only, so nobody hunts on the stairs.
Spin the world round to an island of green. Ireland's the smallest hiding place seen. Hide the next clue: a globe or an atlas. Tape the clue over the North Atlantic, or tuck it in the atlas at the map of Europe.
The table is set with a fork and a spoon. Look under your plate, and do it soon. Hide the next clue: the hunter's place at the table. Under an empty plate at the hunter's own seat.
Three green leaves cut out with care. A paper shamrock has a clue to share. Hide the next clue: a paper shamrock taped to a door. Cut one from green paper, tape it at the hunter's eye level and fold the clue behind it.
Today is the day for wearing green. Check the pocket of yours, washed and clean. Hide the next clue: the green clothes laid out for the hunter. In a pocket or a sleeve of the green shirt or socks set out for the day.
Wash off the glitter, wash off the green. Look near the soap that keeps hands clean. Hide the next clue: the bathroom sink. Beside the soap dish, in a sandwich bag so it stays dry.
Whistles and fiddles and beats on a drum. Look where the songs in this house come from. Hide the next clue: the speaker, radio or piano. Behind the speaker or on the piano's closed lid.
You built a trap, but he got away. He left a note inside it today. Hide the next clue: the leprechaun trap. A shoebox propped on a stick does the job. Build one together the day before, or skip this clue.

Pot of gold clues 12

A leprechaun hid it, but you are wise. Look ____ and claim the prize. Last clue. After printing, write where the pot is hidden in the blank. Pot idea: a cooking pot with a new box of crayons in every rainbow color.
Count the gold and share it fair. Look ____, the pot is there. Last clue. After printing, write where the pot is hidden in the blank. Pot idea: a jar of plastic gold coins to count out evenly, then trade for a treat the adult chooses.
Green led to green, and rhyme to rhyme. Look ____, it's treasure time. Last clue. After printing, write where the pot is hidden in the blank. Pot idea: a bucket of sidewalk chalk in rainbow colors.
The luck of the hunt is yours to hold. Look ____ and find the gold. Last clue. After printing, write where the pot is hidden in the blank. Pot idea: a tin of shamrock-shaped cookies, one for each hunter.
No more riddles, the hunt is done. Look ____, the gold is won. Last clue. After printing, write where the pot is hidden in the blank. Pot idea: a flowerpot lined with tissue and filled with yellow pencils and stickers.
The rainbow ends where the gold is stored. Look ____ for your reward. Last clue. After printing, write where the pot is hidden in the blank. Pot idea: a small saucepan of clementines, one for each hunter.
Seven colors led you all the way. Look ____ for the gold today. Last clue. After printing, write where the pot is hidden in the blank. Pot idea: a bowl of cheese crackers with a paper cup for each hunter.
The shamrocks pointed the way for you. Look ____ for the gold that's due. Last clue. After printing, write where the pot is hidden in the blank. Pot idea: a pot of bubble wands, one for each hunter.
Three leaves for luck, one trail, one pot. Look ____, and see what you've got. Last clue. After printing, write where the pot is hidden in the blank. Pot idea: a basket of gold star stickers, one sheet for each hunter.
Tiptoe now, for he may be near. Look ____, the gold is here. Last clue. After printing, write where the pot is hidden in the blank. Pot idea: a lidded pot with a library book about Ireland and a bookmark for each hunter.
You followed the trail and you were bold. Look ____ for the pot of gold. Last clue. After printing, write where the pot is hidden in the blank. Pot idea: a mixing bowl of chocolate coins in gold foil.
You read each clue and you did not stop. Look ____ for the golden pot. Last clue. After printing, write where the pot is hidden in the blank. Pot idea: a pot of small tubs of modeling clay, one for each hunter.

How this list was compiled: Written for this site in September 2026: 79 original finds, 28 original rhyming clues that each lead to one hiding place in an ordinary home (five of them to things the host sets out for the day from what is already in the house: green clothes, a paper shamrock, a green ribbon, the hunter's rainbow drawing and a shoebox leprechaun trap), and 12 last clues with a blank for the place where the host hides the pot of gold. Nothing was copied from another list. Every line was screened against the family's rules: nothing is bought, picked or taken, outdoor finds are spotted from the sidewalk or beside an adult at a parade, hiding places are never hot, sharp, locked or above a child's reach, and the day's drinking customs are left out because children use this page. Leprechauns appear only as the shoemakers of Irish folklore; costume caricatures are left out. Facts in the notes were checked on 2026-09-19 against these Wikipedia articles: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick%27s_Day (held on March 17, the traditional death date of the saint, c. 385 to c. 461, a missionary and bishop; the Irish name Lá Fhéile Pádraig, 'the Day of the Festival of Patrick'; the shamrock story first appears in writing in 1726; green ribbons and shamrocks worn since at least the 1680s; the Order of St Patrick, founded 1783, adopted blue; 'the Emerald Isle' first used in a 1795 poem; landmarks lit green since 2010; the Chicago River dyed green), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamrock (from Irish seamróg, young clover; a clover; wood sorrel, which Americans above all often call a shamrock), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four-leaf_clover (a rare variation with four leaflets; the luck belief dates to at least the 17th century), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Ireland (vertical tricolor green next to the hoist, then white, then orange; Ivory Coast's flag has orange at the hoist), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coat_of_arms_of_Ireland (a golden harp, its strings silver, on a blue field; used on coins, passports and official seals), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_knot (most are endless knots; interwoven cords), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland (an island in the North Atlantic, with Great Britain to the east across the Irish Sea), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leprechaun (principal occupation making and cobbling shoes; a pot of gold hidden where the rainbow ends; before the 20th century generally held to wear red, not green), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow (appears in the part of the sky facing away from the sun; red outside, violet inside; Newton's seven colors; the second bow's colors are reversed), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soda_bread (baking soda in place of yeast; flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tin_whistle (six-holed; closely associated with Irish traditional music), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhr%C3%A1n (a frame drum used in Irish music; skin tacked to one side; the stick is called a tipper), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aran_jumper (named for the Aran Islands, off Ireland's west coast; cable patterns in columns from top to bottom; usually off-white) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horseshoe (said to bring good luck; opinion is divided on which way up; seven called the luckiest number). Easy, medium and hard are our judgment. Licence: own work

How it works

Seventy-nine finds run from a green crayon to a Celtic knot, each with a note. This St Patrick's Day scavenger hunt printable adds 40 rhyming clues, a trail through the house to a pot of gold you hide.

Read the full guide

Pick a list of finds

The page opens on Something green, 17 finds. The menu also holds Irish symbols 18, Rainbows, luck and gold 17, On a walk or at a parade 16, and Threes, like a shamrock 12. Pick new items until the list fits your home or classroom, then Print this list.

Set the trail to the pot of gold

Choose Clue trail rhymes and draw until they fit your home; Pot of gold clues holds the last clue. Press Hide all notes, then Print this list: each note prints as a blank line, with the notes on a last page. Write where the pot sits after the word Look, then hide the pot first and work backward.

In class, pick Something green and print a sheet per table. Finds are pointed at, never collected.
No candy at school? Fill the pot with gold star stickers or yellow pencils, two of the twelve pot ideas.

Questions and answers

What ages does this St Patrick's Day hunt suit?

The 30 easy finds suit ages four to seven: a green fruit, a number 7, a rainbow. The 21 hard ones suit older children, such as a harp on a coin or the day's name in Irish. Under More filters, press Easy or Hard.

Is a shamrock the same as a four-leaf clover?

No. A shamrock has three leaves, and its name comes from the Irish seamróg, meaning young clover. A four-leaf clover is a rare clover with a fourth leaflet, called lucky since the 1600s. Both are under Irish symbols.

What color did leprechauns wear?

Before the 20th century, the leprechaun of Irish stories wore red, not green, and his trade was making and mending shoes. So Rainbows, luck and gold asks for a red coat, a shoe with a buckle and a shoe that needs mending.

What if a trail rhyme names a place we do not have?

Draw again: the 28 rhymes cover 28 places, from the bag of potatoes to the bottom stair. For a spot with no rhyme, try the riddle generator: its 60 places include the bookshelf and the laundry basket.