Celebrated on 30 November, Saint Andrew’s Day is Scotland‘s official national day and is the feast day of Andrew the Apostle, marked with a celebration of Scottish culture with traditional Scottish food and music. You’ve come to the right place if you’re looking for activity ideas to help celebrate St Andrew’s Day at your nursery. Here you will find our favourite activities from Scottish country dancing, and traditional music to festive parties.
St Andrew’s Day Activities for Early Years
- Make your own tartan.
- Share the story of St Andrew.
- Create a Scottish flag collage.
- Make some tartan bunting
- Play Scottish music and learn some Scottish dancing.
- Look at Scotland on a map. Have any children visited Scotland, do any have family or friends who live there?
- Create your own version of the Highland games.
- Make Cock-a-leekie soup, talk about the ingredients.
- Look at a thistle and talk about the history of it becoming the Scottish emblem.
- Discuss poems by Robert Burns – Can children make their own poems about Scotland?
- Use building blocks to create castles.
- Create Nessie’s out of egg cartons or playdough.
These activities are engaging and help children develop skills in creativity, motor coordination, and cultural awareness. Using tools like eylog, an online Early Learning journal can help document these activities, track learning outcomes, and share observations with parents.
The Story of Saint Andrew
To help share the story of St Andrew with the children in your nursery, here is a quick summary:
St Andrew was a patron saint of Scotland. He was a humble fisherman from Galilee born between AD 5 and AD 10. He was one of Jesus’ 12 apostles and the brother of Peter, another of Jesus’ disciples. Saint Andrew travelled far and wide to spread Jesus’ teachings, and his story has shaped many aspects of Scottish culture.
According to legend, Saint Andrew was crucified on an X-shaped cross for his beliefs, and his bones were later brought to Scotland. The blue and white flag of Scotland, the St Andrew’s Cross, is a symbol of Scotland and a reminder of St Andrew’s legacy.
Bring the Scottish Culture and Heritage to Your Nursery Setting
Bringing a bit of Scottish culture and heritage into your nursery setting for the day will be a wonderful experience for the children.
Scottish heritage is deeply rooted in the country’s history and traditions. From the stunning landscapes of the Highlands to the vibrant cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, Scotland is a country that is proud of its heritage. Traditional Scottish music, dance, and food are all an integral part of Scottish culture and are often celebrated on St Andrew’s Day. The country’s rich history and cultural heritage are also reflected in its many museums, galleries, and historical landmarks.
Consider incorporating community-focused elements into the celebration, such as:
- Organising a local or lunchtime ceilidh.
- Preparing a Scottish lunchtime meal.
- Organising a Scottish song and dance session.
- Organising a walk to the local park to talk about the landscape. Encouraging the children to imagine that they are in the highlands!
Tools, like a nursery newsfeed app, enable you to instantly share the joy of your nursery’s St Andrew’s Day activities between parents, staff and nursery rooms.
Help Continue the St Andrew’s Day Celebrations at Home
Working in partnership with parents is important. Using software like a parent engagement app, enables you to share updates and St Andrew’s activity ideas with your parents. Your parents can then log their observations whilst the children are outside of the nursery setting.
Plan For A Successful St Andrew’s Day Celebration
St Andrew’s Day is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate Scotland’s rich culture and heritage with children and their families. However, in the busy day-to-day operations of a nursery, finding time to plan meaningful activities and engage with parents can be a real challenge. From managing schedules and staff to keeping up with administrative tasks, the demands on nursery staff can make event planning overwhelming.
To free up staff’s time, nurseries can benefit from using nursery management software, tools that streamline daily operations and allow more focus on what truly matters. Creating enriching experiences for children and fostering strong partnerships with parents.
To learn more about how eyworks can help support your nursery, contact our friendly team at hello@eyworks.co.uk.
