Establish a course through your facility where participants can walk, roll, or be rolled to participate in their own St. Paddy’s Day Walk & Roll. Make large green arrows from construction paper and affix them to the walls an hour before the walk, showing the circuit to be followed.
Make sign-off cards available for each participant by punching a hole in the corner of the card and affixing a long piece of yarn that will fit over the participant’s heads.
Designate one large room as the gathering spot. This can be the facility coffee shop or large activity room. Here participants will get their directions and their sign in cards. Make it clear that this is NOT a race.
Make the course a lengthy one so there will be excitement and anticipation as participants move along the route. At various points along the path, participants will be required to stop at a neighborhood charting station, complete a task, and have their card signed before they can move on. They may also partake of the green treat provided. Examples of treats we have used include mint leaves (green gumdrops), green M&Ms, green mini cupcakes, Andes, individually wrapped green foil chocolates, and individually wrapped green starburst mints.
Prepare one activity for each station. Activities we have used include:
1. Irish Limericks reading
2. Fishing for Shamrocks
3. Potato Toss
4. Irish Trivia
5. Ring Toss
Once participants complete their task and have their card signed, they can move on. Once back at the gathering spot, participants can enjoy green beer, green iced tea, and a variety of green snacks as they relax and listen to the Irish music in the background. Besides the refreshments, participants can also enjoy word searches, word scrambles, and Irish word matching games at the tables. Some years in the past, participants have been given a reward of green beads or a green garter. All are welcome to take the circuit a second time.
The gathering spot can be decorated with green tablecloths, green or yellow/gold plates, cups, and napkins.
