St. Patrick's Day is coming. Is your family ready?

Have fun with your family this St. Patrick's Day with these fun activities and tempt your little leprechauns with our yummy recipes. Then take a moment to share your best family traditions with us.

Tissue Paper Rainbows
Materials needed: Several colors of leftover tissue paper, light blue card stock, white glue. Tear the tissue paper into medium sized pieces. Apply glue to the light blue card stock in the shape of an arc. Add torn pieces of paper from a single color on top of the glue. Repeat with each additional color.

The Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow
Create a long rainbow ribbon by tying pieces of colored ribbon or crepe paper end to end. Use red, orange, yellow, green, blue and finally purple. Run this longer length of ribbon throughout the house or yard. It might weave around trees, around corners or through furniture. Have your children follow the rainbow to find the leprechaun's pot of gold. You can hide a leftover Halloween cauldron full of candy coins, or you can use small sack filled with treats and prizes such as stickers, candy, toys or balloons.

Fun Finger Paints

• Tint shaving cream with a bit of green food coloring.
• Mix green Jell-O into Cool Whip.
• Make a package of pistachio pudding according to the directions.
• Combine small quantities of flour and water until paint consistency is reached. Salt may be added. Mix in food coloring by drops.
• Mix together: 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1/3 cup of cornstarch in a small pan, then slowly add 2 cups of cold water. Cook over low heat, stirring until the mixture becomes clear (about 5 minutes). Let cool. Add 1/4 cup clear dishwashing liquid. Tint with food coloring.

Do you have a favorite St. Patrick's Day Tradition? Share it with us!

Don't Forget to Wear Something Green!
Perhaps the most common St. Patrick's Day tradition is the "wearin' o'the green." Although wearing a plain green T-shirt is popular, we carry many other clothing choices that can keep you from being pinched. Camouflage is a trendy favorite for boys and dads. You can't go wrong in a dark green and white raglan. Or try something really different! Warm up the cold winter with a Hawaiian shirt in a green hibiscus lei print.

Rainbow Toast
Use sliced white bread. Add food coloring to small containers of milk. Use a new watercolor brush to paint colored milk on each slice of bread in a rainbow shape. Toast lightly. Enjoy!

Shamrock Jigglers
Use two large packages of lime gelatin. Boil 2-1/2 cups water. (Omit the cold water for this recipe.) Stir boiling water into two large packages of lime gelatin in a large bowl for at least 3 minutes or until completely dissolved. Pour into 13x9 inch pan. Chill until set. Unmold by dipping the pan into hot water for 15 seconds. Cut with shamrock cookie cutters.

Pistachio Green Fluff Salad
Mix: (in order)
1 small tub Cool Whip
1 small package dry pistachio pudding mix
1 C cottage cheese
1/2 can crushed pineapple
Chill well.

Grandma's Homemade Potato Soup
9 C cooked potatoes
1 diced onion
2 quarts water
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 C butter
1 can evaporated milk
Boil potatoes in water until soft. Drain and save water. Set aside 3 cups of potatoes to dice. Mash 6 cups of potatoes with one stick of butter and one can of milk. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add remaining liquid and potatoes. Stir carefully. Garnish with paprika and parsley.

Other Green Foods to Try:
grapes, kiwi, green peppers, honeydew, Kool-Aid, tinted milk, broccoli, asparagus, salad, zucchini, spinach tortellini, green apples, cucumbers, sprouts, peas, green beans, pea pods, pickles, celery, mint ice cream, avocados

This activities were contributed by employees and associates of matcheez.com, a family owned and operated company committed to strengthening family unity.