St. Andrew’s Day is Monday 30 November 2026. It is marked each year on 30 November. The date and weekday are confirmed in the Scottish Government’s calendar.

St. Andrew’s Day is Scotland’s national day, in honour of its patron saint. Scotland’s blue-and-white flag is the Saltire, also called St. Andrew’s Cross. Begin with its colours and crossing lines, then use a map or photographs to explore places and people in Scotland today.

Scotland.org’s introduction to St. Andrew provides background for adults. Families have different experiences and connections with the occasion; invite contributions without expecting everyone to celebrate it.

Look closely at a tartan pattern: which colours, lines and groups repeat? Children can draw, paint or arrange strips of paper to explore their own ideas. A design on a kilt outline is their own pattern; it does not need to reproduce a named clan tartan.

Use kilts, flags and bagpipes as starting points alongside varied images of contemporary Scottish life.

Choose texts for the children and your setting, explain unfamiliar words and allow children to listen, respond or learn about them in different ways. Scots words deserve attention as language, rather than being treated as incorrect English.

Auld Lang Syne is associated with friendship and New Year; it can support a wider exploration of Scottish songs. O Flower of Scotland is heard at Scottish sporting occasions. The Selkirk Grace is a traditional mealtime grace with religious language thanking God for food, associated with Robert Burns.

For adult background, see Scotland.org on Auld Lang Syne and the National Records of Scotland on the Selkirk Grace. The collection includes three distinct grace formats so you can choose one suited to your purpose.

Begin with supported making and simple matching for younger children. Select number ranges, vocabulary, texts and written responses for preschool, Reception and selected KS1 uses. Adults can scribe a child’s ideas, or children can use drawings, gestures or speech.

The age and setting suggestions are possible starting points, rather than a fixed sequence or a curriculum scheme.

The 3 resources in Start with something free use Free Access. The other individual resources use All Access. Each button opens a public preview where you can check the resource before continuing to its download area.

Check the destination for the available file formats and editions. Related collections have their own access information. Search for free to see only the resources labelled Free Access on this page.