10 Fun & Festive St. Patrick’s Day Activities for Seniors to Try in 2026
Most of us associate St. Patrick’s Day with green garments, dubious claims of Irish heritage, and shamrocks. But did you know that St. Patrick’s Day commemorates the missionary and patron saint of the same name? In fact, the holiday is celebrated on the day the Saint Patrick died, way back in 461. Somewhat somber origins aside, St. Patrick’s Day is the perfect excuse to gather with your friends and have a few laughs! If you want to do more than don a green shirt this St. Patrick’s Day, don’t go anywhere. We have a few shamrockin’ ideas guaranteed to make your March 17th extra special—no leprechauns required!
1. Serve green drinks.
Okay, okay, so drinking green beer on St. Patrick’s Day has become a cliché. But beer isn’t the only beverage that can be dyed green! Teetotalers, coffee lovers, and every beverage lover in between can also enjoy a nice green drink this St. Patrick’s Day. If you want to get even more festive, make extra drinks and invite some friends or loved ones over to share them with you. Now, here are a few green beverages sure to tickle you pink this St. Patrick’s Day. Or should we say…tickle you green?
Elphaba’s Green Elixir
The musical blockbuster Wicked has nothing to do with St. Patrick’s Day. However, Elphaba Thropp, the main character, does have green skin, and her character did inspire a delicious green drink at Starbucks that you can easily replicate at home! All you need are some ingredients, cold brew, and a little faith in the process. Then you’ll have a yummy drink sure to make you feel like defying gravity!
Ingredients
- Barista-style oat milk and soy milk
- Vanilla syrup and peppermint syrup
- Pure matcha powder
- Cold brew coffee
- Ice
- Pink and green sprinkles
Visit Coffee Copycat for the entire recipe and instructions!
Shamrock Shake
Nothing says “St. Patrick’s Day” quite like a shamrock, especially in the form of a delicious milkshake! This Shamrock Shake is the DIY version of the popular McDonald’s offering. Bright green and minty fresh, it’s bound to give your St. Patrick’s Day a little extra sweetness!
Ingredients
- Vanilla ice cream
- Milk
- Flavor extract
- Green food coloring
- Chocolate chips
- Whipped cream
- Sprinkles
- Lucky Charm marshmallows
Visit Hungry Enough to eat six for the full recipe and instructions!
4-Ingredient Green Juice
Want to give your St. Patrick’s Day drink a healthy twist? Then make this easy, 4-ingredient green juice! Packed full of fruit and veggies, it’s guaranteed to boost your immune system and put a smile on your face. Just make sure you have a juicer, and you’ll be good to go!
Ingredients
- Pineapple
- Spinach
- Celery
- Ginger
Visit Vegan Reset for the full recipe and instructions!
Iced Matcha Latte
If you like green tea, you’ll love this iced matcha latte.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons matcha powder
- 1 to 2 tablespoons hot water
- Ice
- 1 cup warm water
- Milk of choice
Visit A Cozy Kitchen for the full recipe and instructions!
2. Set up a festive photo booth.
Memories are special, especially when you capture them in the form of pictures. If you’re having a St. Patrick’s Day party this year, set up a festive photo booth to make the occasion extra special. To make a DIY photo booth, gather a camera, tripod, backdrop (green, of course), and a green accessory or two. And don’t forget the props! You can find tons of cute St. Patrick’s Day-themed props on Amazon. Here are a few we found for you!
- 4E’s Novelty Shamrock Tattoos – $9.99*
- 12Pcs St. Patrick’s Day Headbands and Shamrock Sunglasses – $13.99*
- 16pcs Funny Glasses – $9.99*
- KatchOn, Glitter St Patrick’s Day Glasses – Pack of 6 – $12.99*
- St. Patrick’s Day Green Beer Mug Beads – $9.99*
- Saint Paddy’s Day Photo Booth Props Kit – 10 Piece – $9.99*
3. Learn an Irish dance.
Remember the Riverdance craze? Did you ever watch Irish dancing and wish you could learn how to do it? Maybe you’re not the next Michael Flatley, but you can certainly learn a simple Irish jig for St. Patrick’s Day! YouTube has countless beginner-friendly tutorials that’ll have you Irish-step-dancing around your house in no time! Best of all, Irish dance offers a lot of health benefits. In addition to better heart health, it can also improve your flexibility, balance, and even your bone density. Now, that’s what we call the luck of the Irish.
4. Search for four-leaf clovers.
Did you know your odds of finding a four-leaf clover are 1 in 10,000? No wonder it’s seen as such a good-luck symbol! This St. Patrick’s Day, see if you can beat those odds and go on a little four-leaf clover scavenger hunt! To make it even more fun, involve your grandkids. If you can’t find a clover with four leaves, don’t despair. A shamrock, the traditional symbol of St. Patrick’s Day, actually refers to a clover with three leaves. In other words, no matter how many leaves the clovers you find have, you’ll be keeping the holiday spirit!
5. Make some Shamrock Shake Sugar Cookie Bars.
Maybe your idea of a celebration involves sitting on your couch in your PJs and eating a tasty treat. If you fall into that category, no worries. We’ve got a recipe just for you! This Shamrock Shake cookie bar is the pastry version of McDonald’s popular limited-edition shake. They’re bright green, minty, and oh-so-delicious! Thanks to the folks at Inside BruCrew Life, you can easily make this recipe from the comfort of your own kitchen! Here’s how.
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter
- Sugars (granulated and brown)
- Egg
- Vanilla and mint extract
- Flour, baking powder, salt
Instructions
- Beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy.
- Add the egg and extracts and beat again.
- Stir in the dry ingredients and mix until a stiff dough forms.
- Add green gel food color to the dough and work in until you get the color you like.
- Press the dough evenly into the bottom of a greased 9×13 pan.
- Bake and cool.
- Frost with vanilla buttercream frosting. Add green sanding sugar and a maraschino cherry to each one right before serving.
To view the full recipe and read additional tips and tricks, visit Inside BruCrew Life!
6. Take a virtual tour of Ireland.
Maybe you’re Irish and have always wished to visit your ancestral stomping grounds. Well, now you can—with a twist. Take a virtual tour of the Emerald Isle this St. Patrick’s Day! No, it can’t replace an in-person trip to Ireland, but we can’t think of a more festive way to celebrate! Check out THIS list of 23 virtual tours of the Emerald Isle and start planning your virtual vacation today. The best part? You won’t even have to deal with jetlag.
7. Watch an Irish movie.
Raise your hand if you love watching movies. If your hand is raised, we’ve got great news: There are plenty of Irish movies for you to enjoy this St. Patrick’s Day. From whimsical rom-coms like Leap Year to classics like The Quiet Man, countless films celebrate Ireland in all of its pastoral beauty. To start planning your St. Patrick’s Day-themed movie night, check out this list of the 100 greatest Irish movies on IMDB.
8. Read Irish fairy tales.
The Emerald Isle has stories about everything from seals that can transform into humans to wailing female spirits whose very existence is an omen to mischievous leprechauns. There’s no better time to lose yourself in a folktale than St. Patrick’s Day. Irish Fairy Tales and Folklore, curated by Irish poet W. B. Yeats, contains more than 70 classic stories. Meanwhile, Celtic Tales: Fairy Tales and Stories of Enchantment from Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, and Wales by Kate Forrester is another delectable offering with enough true love, magic, and whimsy to make your holiday unforgettable.
9. Make a rainbow!
Rainbows are practically synonymous with Ireland. Or, at least, with leprachauns and pots of gold! Interestingly, the Emerald Isle has many rainbows, thanks to its rainy, low-pressure climate. Fortunately, you can create a rainbow in your own home, regardless of where you live! Simply take a prism (or a glass of water) and hold it in the path of sunlight. It might take a little trial and error, but you should eventually project a beautiful rainbow onto your wall!
10. Recite an Irish blessing.
Whether you’re Irish by blood (or by virtue of St. Patrick’s Day), you’ve probably heard an Irish blessing or two at a wedding or maybe in a movie. That’s because there are thousands of Irish blessings. Here are a few you might just want to recite this St. Patrick’s Day!
- If you’re lucky enough to be Irish… You’re lucky enough!
- May you be at the gates of heaven an hour before the devil knows you’re dead!
- May you live to be 100 years, with one extra year to repent.
- A man loves his sweetheart the most, his wife the best, but his mother the longest.
- If it’s drowning you’re after, don’t torment yourself with shallow water.
- There is no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary.
- A little fire that warms is better than a big fire that burns.
- May the most you wish for be the least you get.
- Wherever you go and whatever you do, may the luck of the Irish be there with you.
- Always remember that hindsight is the best insight to foresight.
Visit The Ottawa Citizen for even more Irish proverbs and saying!
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Originally published March 17, 2026
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