How to Catch A Leprechaun (On Camera)

Listen. It’s that time of year again, St. Patrick’s Day. Between the food, drink, and revelry, there’s a lot of fun to be had! But we know you. You’re focused. You have only one thing on your mind. 

“How do I become the coolest kid in school?” 

We already know you showed up here because you’ve had an inkling way in the back of your head. An idea. A solution. One that you’re understandably hesitant to mention to others…

You know that you can reach tristate area fame by doing one thing and one thing only—catching a leprechaun!

If you had not already been thinking about that, wow. This is awkward. Pretend we never said anything. But now that you’re aware of the true purpose of this guide, will you be courageous enough to take action? 

Might we add that when we say “catch a leprechaun,” we mean document it. On camera. We’re not advocating for the literal capture of sentient magical creatures, only perhaps their… focus, for a moment.

Luckily, you’re here at myFirst. We’re gonna get you as ready as possible to snap a pic that will change your life in approximately two to three business days.

Let’s take it one step at a time, though, because Leprechauns… are always one step ahead. (allegedly)

The Right Tools for The Job

Preparation is key…

Leprechaun hunting. Spotting? (whatever the Leprechaun Wellness Society says is right.) 

The art of finding the elusive magical forest dwarf and getting evidence of the encounter is a time-honored tradition in many households. Not mine, though. We’ve been trying to nab Hanukkah Harry for years. 

Actually, we’re putting those who know the truth about leprechauns here at myFirst a little at risk by sharing this info with you, but we know how badly you need it. You’re going to want to find a local forest or an abandoned pet shop (no one knows why) and start prepping. It’s unlikely they’ll just run right past you, but it has happened. Instead, you’ll probably have to figure out a way to bring them to YOU. We’ll get to that.

But you’re gonna be pretty disappointed if you actually manage to get a leprechaun in front of you, and you end up snapping a blurry photo that looks more like a wavy watermelon.

That’s why upgrading your tech is so important. You can’t be catching a leprechaun with just ANY camera.

Our myFirst Insta Lux allows you to take HD, full-color photos and print them instantly. This way, you’ll have evidence of your Leprechaun encounter immediately. For another great field-ready option, the myFirst Camera 50 is easy to use and extremely portable. Especially if your leprechaun tracking takes you on the road. The Camera 50’s on board AI editing features let you put together a slideshow of the illustrious creature in the blink of an eye.

For tips on how to capture the best possible photo of this leprechaun, check out our photography guide. It’s got all the info you need to make your leprechaun THE leprechaun. Or that one-legged pigeon on your block, you can take a photo of him, too. Use your photography skills however you like!

And remember: the best kids camera is the one you have with you — and we have plenty of options.

Now, let’s move on to different methods of drawing the little guy out.

Become Very Unlucky

Whoops! (but like not really)

Here’s a thought—become unlucky. Somehow, just start like, having mild unfortunate circumstances occur. Such as:

• You lose a sock.
• You forgot where you put your Fone R2 smartwatch. (which would be devastating)
• You’re invited on a vacation to Benton, Wisconsin.
• Or you trip on the large statue of Tony Danza that resides in your basement. 

This streak of poor fortunes may, in fact, draw the leprechaun closer to you. 

Now, we’re not certain how effective this’ll be. But it’s worth a shot! The leprechaun may sense your overall “unluckiness” and want to remedy it. Or at least see what all the fuss is about. This is assuming they can actually sense someone’s level of luck, like the Force or something. Most of this is simply hearsay, but what else are you doing?

Sometimes You Gotta Lay a Trap…

Humanely, of course

Trapping the leprechaun, at least momentarily, with a simple homemade device might be your best bet, or at least one of them. You’ll only need a net, some rope, a tree, leaves, and a big piece of cardboard. (oh, and some crayons) 

Place the net on the ground, and tie it to the rope. Then throw the rope over a low-hanging branch, and make sure you have enough length to pull it from the ground.

Next, cover the net in leaves, and place your big piece of cardboard right in front of it. On this, try to draw a picture of something that will entice the leprechaun. Gold. Candy? A 1973 Ford Bronco? I mean, who wouldn’t want that?

Why not use pictures of some of their magical creature friends? The Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, or Robert De Niro. 

Try your best to make the drawing as lifelike as possible. This way, they’ll think they’re walking over to greet someone they know!  Unless they have no friends. Then you’re out of luck.

For added effect, you can try to talk like them. Hide in the bushes with your myFirst Voice 2 and loudly call out to him. Use the voice changer to your advantage.

“Hello, Leprechaun. It’s me, Jim the Easter Bunny.”

“How’re your teeth doing, hon?”

“You talkin’ to me?”

Once he walks over to you, yank the net, and there’s your leprechaun! Hanging upside down might make him unhappy, though.

Also, we need to add that this is not a guarantee. This guide exists because these creatures are so elusive to begin with. There’s a reason none’s ever successfully captured a photo of one before! But if we never tried to do things that haven’t been done, how would we have Doritos Locos Tacos?

If this whole trap strategy doesn’t work, we’ve got a couple of other ideas.

Steal Their Pot of Gold

You’re not going to keep it, but you gotta do what you gotta do

So, maybe the movie Leprechaun is a work of fiction. If it isn’t, stealing a leprechaun’s pot of gold will result in you being hunted to the ends of the Earth. But for our purposes, let’s just say you’re going to “borrow” their pot of gold and that the movie is an exaggeration. If Jennifer Aniston can survive, you shouldn’t have a problem. Besides, you’re not going to keep the gold; you don’t even really want it! You know the real prize is the irrefutable evidence of your leprechaun encounter. 

Borrow their pot of gold. The leprechaun comes looking for it and *click*. Gotcha Mr. Leprechaun! Snap a photo of him with the Insta Lux, and you can put a cute little filter on it before you show him. He might be less mad then.

Ask Nicely

Why not?

We’ve come up with a lot of different leprechaun luring methods here. Some might be considered “extreme” or “amoral.” But this one is the most straightforward: kindly ask them to come say hello! It’s worth a shot. The truth is, being honest and nice gets you pretty far in today’s world. Everyone appreciates being treated with respect. Even leprechauns, probably.

Call out into the forest and say, “Mr. Leprechaun. Would you mind coming over and saying hello?” Then you can easily ask for a selfie or a shout-out video. I’m sure he’s busy but shouldn’t be too put out by a simple picture.

Maybe you can ask him how his day is going or if he’s seen any good movies recently. How’d he feel about Speed 2: Cruise Control, ya know? 

Got ‘em!

We never doubted you could do it!

We told you we’d help you do it! It just takes creative thinking, persistence, and a little bit of larceny to make incredible things happen. Now that you’ve got the photo, start sharing it with the rest of your family on myFirst Circle ASAP! Spam your Aunts, Uncles, and all your myFirst Circle contacts.

I hope you’re ready for your life to change. Book deals. Your name in lights. T.V. Elected to public office. Who knows what could happen? This is just the beginning for you, and at myFirst, we’re so happy we could be a part of it. 

Have a positively fantastic St. Patrick’s Day from everyone here at myFirst!

What else is new? Check out our step-by-step guide on How To Setup A Kid's Smartwatch.