How to Build a Leprechaun Trap: Design and Build DT Activity for St Patrick's Day

Building a leprechaun trap is the kind of activity that captures every child's imagination. It combines design, construction, storytelling, and teamwork — and the excitement of checking traps the next morning is unbeatable. This activity maps naturally to EYFS goals in Understanding the World, Communication and Language, and Expressive Arts and Design.

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Set the Scene

Read a short leprechaun story or show a picture. Explain the challenge:

"Leprechauns are very tricky — they sneak in at night looking for gold. Can we build a trap to catch one? What would we need to think about?"

Take suggestions from the children. Write key ideas on a whiteboard or flip chart: bait, a door that closes, something to hide behind.

2. Design Phase

Give each child (or pair) a sheet of paper to draw their trap design. Encourage them to think about:

• "How will the leprechaun get in?"
• "How will the trap close?"
• "What bait will you use?"

This is the planning stage — it doesn't need to be perfect. The goal is to get children thinking before building.

3. Build

Set out materials on a central table and let children select what they need. Support construction by:

• Helping with tricky joins (tape and glue are fiddly at this age)
• Asking questions rather than giving solutions: "What could you use to make a door that opens?"
• Modelling techniques like folding card to make a hinge

Allow 20–30 minutes of building time. Play Irish music in the background for atmosphere.

4. Test and Evaluate

When traps are complete, test them:

• "Does the door open and close?"
• "Is there enough room for a leprechaun inside?"
• "Would a leprechaun spot the bait?"

Children share their trap with a partner or the whole class, explaining how it works.

5. The Morning After

Place gold coins near (but not inside) each trap overnight. The next morning, discover that the leprechauns escaped but left gold behind! Discuss:

• "Why do you think the leprechaun escaped?"
• "What would you change about your trap?"

This reflection step builds evaluation skills — a core part of the design process.

Classroom Adaptations

Large class?

Run in groups of 6–8 across the day, with an adult supporting each group

Limited resources?

Use junk modelling materials — cereal boxes, yoghurt pots, and egg cartons work brilliantly

EAL learners?

Use visual instruction cards and pair with a buddy; construction is naturally hands-on and low-language-barrier

High ability?

Add a writing element — children write a persuasive sign to lure the leprechaun, or instructions for how their trap works