St. Patrick’s Day isn’t the most-major holiday, but it is such fun for that very reason: The pressure is OFF. If you’ve got kids who want to party, it’s all about rainbows, hints of Irish fare made kid-friendly and food in every shade of green.

Fun Food Activities

Instead of goodie bags, we invite our guests to make a little treat to take home. Just be sure to have zip-top, cellophane bags or paper plates available for easier transport.

For very small kids, these Shamrock Shortbread Cookies get a hint of green from a very nutritious source (yes, spinach). Plus the rolling method is easy enough for toddlers to do.

Bigger kids will get a huge kick out of assembling Individual Layered Rainbow Cakes; just bake each color ahead of time and let them do the rest.

The Menu: Finger Foods 
For kids’ parties you can’t beat finger foods, especially when they’re as festive as these:

Mini Reuben Sandwiches: The pickle on top will be enough to lure most kids in.
Spinach Roll-Ups & Homemade Tortilla Chips: One pack of spinach wraps can become either rolled sandwiches stuffed with turkey and cheese, or homemade tortilla chips. (No cookie cutter? Just make regular wedges; it’s the color that counts!)
Rainbow Fruit Skewers: No St. Patrick’s Day party is complete without a rainbow, and Ellie Krieger’s version even includes chocolate sauce.
Very Small Shepherd’s Pies: Teeny-tiny versions of classic Irish food.

For Dessert

For a small gathering, whip out your blender and make mint milkshakes on the fly.

For a medium-sized group, you’ll want to prep ahead of time, and with secret ingredients like buttermilk and cocoa powder, this green velvet cake is a winner.

And for a major crowd? Assemble these green shamrock cupcakes (pictured above). It’ll take 3 1/2 cupcakes to make each shamrock, a few of which will make an adorable statement lined up on a runner going down the length of a table.

Decorations

Keep things simple: A basic plastic tablecloth in any shade of green adds instant pizzazz for about a buck. Want something more eco-friendly? Try a roll of green wrapping paper and just tape the edges.

Charity Curley Mathews is the mom of four small kids and blogs at Foodlets.com: Mini Foodies in the Making…Maybe.