To Catch a Leprechaun Step 1 - Hat Trap

Leprechauns have big egos, so a giant version of their own hat is irresistible to them. Once they step on the false top, you'll have caught a 10-gallon prize.
So that the top doesn't give way too soon, use a lightweight bait, such as a crumpled piece of gold foil.

Leprechauns love to break rules. Warning signs are sure to lure them in. Natural materials make these woodland creatures feel at home. Set the trap out on the kitchen counter with some bait and go to bed. 

In the morning you might find that those sneaky leprechauns have danced across your counter tops with their little green shoes and gotten past the trap and taken your bait! Sometimes they leave gold dust everywhere and turn your milk green with their magic, Be sure to check the inside of your trap, sometimes they leave “gold” goodies inside. If you’d like to try and catch one… here’s what you do.

Leprechaun Trap Materials:
Empty oatmeal container
green, gold, black felt
poster board
several twigs
gold chocolate coin candy or whatever you like
white glue
scissors
glue gun

1. measure a piece of green felt large enough to wrap around the oatmeal container
2. cut a strip of black felt 1-2″ wide and as long as the green felt
3. cut a gold felt square with a hollow center
4. glue the black strip to the green felt
5. glue the gold square to the center of the gold strip.
6. cut out shamrock shapes (or use shamrock stickers) and glue onto the belt side of the felt.
7.  cut the center out of the lid to the oatmeal container.
8.  cut a circle of green felt the size of the oatmeal lid.
9.  starting at center of green circle, make cuts outwards, working your way around the circle in sort of a star pattern
10.  glue green circle to frame of oatmeal lid.
11.  Place onto the oatmeal container.

12. spread glue onto the back of the green felt and wrap it around the oatmeal container.
13.  cut another circle of green felt 1-2″ wider than the container.
14. glue circle to poster board.
15.  glue bottom of oatmeal container (or what we can now call a ‘leprechaun hat’) to the center of circle on the poster board.
16.  using twigs and a got glue gun, make a small ladder to reach from the poster board to the top of the ‘leprechaun hat’
15. place some ‘bait’ or crinkled up gold foil on the top of the hat, finishing off the trap.

*The ‘gold’ dust was gold and green glitter sprinkled on the counter. Barbie's shoes and green crayola washable paint to made the foot prints.
 


***Green Milk - place a few drops of green food coloring - Leprechaun Magic Happy St Patrick's Day!

Real Mean Girls - Bully

By LA Ferguson

In the past, bullying was considered a problem among boys and was viewed as physical intimidation and violence. Experts are finding that bullying and cyberbullying among girls is on the rise. Although this type of bullying is not physical, the psychological nature of it is more insidious. The effects can be more serious and harmful to the individual and leave irrevocable damages to them for years.

A new study has found that girls at same-sex schools feel greater pressure to adhere to gender norms and were bullied if they didn’t more than those at mixed-gender schools. Perhaps even more surprising, the same researchers say that girls at same-sex schools evaluated their self-worth based more on social confidence than cognitive confidence. The study found that girls at mixed-gender schools weighed academics more heavily than social prowess.

 

Some feminists would argue that in the middle-school years, boys pressure girls to fulfill certain gender norms. But William M. Bukowski, one of the researchers in the girls-school study and the director for the Center of Research in Human Development at Concordia University in Montreal, argues that boys aren’t imposing stereotypes on girls. 

In fact, girls are imposing stereotypes on each other. “It’s called the social-dosage hypothesis,” Bukowski says. “When girls are together without the presence of boys, they’re going to get an extra-strong dose of what it is to be female.” Hence, girls at the same-sex school feel more pressure to be “girly.”

Parents should not assume that just because their child is female that they won't have a tendency to become a bully. Be on the lookout if your child is behaving rude and malicious in manner. Watch how they interact with other children. If they show signs of resentment or engage in a power struggle, they might have issues with bullying. Also as a parent, be sure to talk to your child about bullying to ensure they know what bullying is and how wrong it is to abuse others in any form. 

Talking to your children is the best way to find out if they are having issues with. Keeping this line of communication open is important because it helps your child know they can always come to you for help.