Burns Night, Great Ideas for Learning Through Play

Celebrating Burns Night
Burns Night is celebrated on the 25th of January and celebrates the life of Robert ‘Rabbie’ Burns, a Scottish poet born over 250 years ago! Filled with fun Scottish traditions, Burns Night celebrations often include poems, songs, food and toasts, with a nod towards his contribution to Scottish culture.
We’ve put together some fun ideas with the help of some of our team members and buddies for learning all about this traditional Scottish celebration with your children. Whether you are holding a Burns Night party or learning about Scottish culture, we have 6 fun ideas to help you on your way. Let’s take a look!
Six Fun Ideas for Kids this Burns Night
Make a Burns Night Flat lay

Create Traditional Scottish Outfits
There’s lots of traditional Scottish outfits and highland dress including kilts! Maria has been making outfits for the Cliques with modelling clay with her children. Why not try the same for your toys with Okonorm modelling clay, paper or fabric?


Design Your Own Tartan
Tartan is a woollen cloth woven in one of several patterns of coloured checks and intersecting lines. Scottish clans (families) will traditionally have their own design and colours!

Use colourful wooden blocks to make a tartan design like Aileen (@ailsandisla) or download our tartan colouring sheet to colour in at home! ⤵️
https://www.babipur.co.uk/media/gallery/Burns-Night-colouring-sheet–desing-your-own-tartan.jpg

Tartan Needle Felting
Our Babipur Buddy, Bex @the_wholesome_cumbrian has made her own tartan design using Glückskäfer felting wool. Needle felting is a great craft for older children (and adults!), get creative with your own tartan colours!

Needle felting requires patience and concentration, and is a great way of developing fine motor skills and creativity! We recommend supervising children under 10 as the needles are very sharp. Will you have a go at making your own tartan, or how about a Scottish landscape scene for Burns Night?

Burns Night Colouring Sheets
We’ve made some downloadable colouring sheets of Robert Burns and the Scottish flag to colour in at home:
Robert Burns – https://www.babipur.co.uk/media/gallery/Burns-Night-colouring-sheet-robert-burns.jpg
Scottish flag – https://www.babipur.co.uk/media/gallery/Burns-Night-colouring-sheet-scottish-flag.jpg


Learn Scottish words
There are many words used in Scotland that you may not use or have heard of, heres a few to learn!
Learn Scottish words and their meanings while hunting for them amongst Reel Wood letters in this wordsearch! ⤵️
https://www.babipur.co.uk/media/gallery/Reel-Wood-Burns-Night-wordsearch.jpg

Build your own Scottish landmarks
Try making Scottish landmarks from wooden toys such as the Forth Rail Bridge or Edinburgh Castle. We love Aileen’s recreation of of Nessie and Loch Ness using wooden blocks!
