Spring is time for waking up!

We see this in the flowers, birds singing morning praises and green clover beginning to grow everywhere.

“St. Patrick’s Day is here, you see,

“We’ll pick some shamrocks, one, two, three.”

Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated each year on March 17. In Ireland, people honor St. Patrick with both a holy day and a national holiday. The Irish cherish their beautiful green countryside and remind themselves of the beauty of their country by wearing green. Although it began in Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in countries around the world with parades and other festive traditions.

Key symbols that stimulate a lot of early childhood fun and curiosity are rainbows, four-leaf clovers, shamrocks, and leprechauns!

Young children are so fascinated by the rainbow and even try to catch a rainbow in a variety of ways. The scientific definition of a rainbow is a curved arc of light of many colors across the sky. Rainbows are caused by the sun’s shining rays through drops of water during or after a rain.

A simple experiment I have done over and over in the classroom is to take a clear glass, fill it to the top with water, and put it in my classroom window sill. Place a white sheet of paper on the floor in front of the window. Presto! A rainbow will be captured and reflected on the paper depending on how bright the sun is that day.

I know each of you recall the desire to frantically find the rare gem of a four-leaf clover. Many a young child sits in the middle of a clover leaf bed to find that special four-leaf clover to make a wish on. Parents, this is a good time to take out a magnifying glass to find the four-leaf clover. Also get a small bag to collect nature items to share with each other at home.

Other delightful ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day is by serving snacks that have green in them. Green sherbert, sugar cookies with green frosting, green jelly beans or green lollipops just to mention a few.

Remember the young child you’re entertaining is like the symbol and meaning of the rainbow which is a hope and a promise.

I hope you find your four-leaf clover.

Beth Pinyerd lives in Daphne and serves as director of younger children at Faith Family Fellowship in Spanish Fort.

Her column appears every other week in the Daphne Bulletin and Spanish Fort Sun.