St Andrew's Day is a good reason to organise a party at nursery or school. Of course, this magical time can be enriched with costumes, which always gives children plenty of fun. Outfits for St Andrew's Day can be simple, but they'll still bring lots of joy. Check out a few easy ideas for St Andrew's Day  at nursery and school.

When does St Andrew's Day fall?

St Andrew's Day is a fixed celebration that falls at the end of November on the eve of St Andrew, i.e. 29/30.11. However, depending on the cultural circle and dominant religion, the date of commemorating this saint may differ. It can be 9 May – in the region of Scotland and England. The Orthodox Church honours Andrew in June or April. In Poland it's the time preceding the arrival of Advent in the Catholic Church, a perfect moment to prepare a party before the period of stillness and waiting. It's worth taking advantage of this moment to have fun.

What is St Andrew's Day? The tradition of fortune-telling and games

St Andrew's Day is an evening of fun to honour St Andrew. It's most often an evening of fortune-telling and good fun. Andrew was, among other things, the patron of matrimonial matters, so the fun originally gathered only unmarried girls who wanted to learn about their fate in matters of the heart. Today it's a time of fun for everyone, regardless of gender.

This might be useful for you: Let the fun continue, ideas for carnival games and activities for children and parents

To make the fun even better, a costume for St Andrew's Day will come in handy. Whether or not you dress up for St Andrew's Day depends on the convention adopted and the will of the party organiser. However, variety in the form of a costume is common and welcomed among participants. Children enjoy it the most, which is why St Andrew's Day at nursery and school is often organised as a dress-up party.

St Andrew's Day at nursery - what outfits are suitable for nursery?

What St Andrew's Day outfit should you choose for a child? A comfortable one! Nursery children need comfortable clothes and it doesn't matter what the occasion is. To have fun properly, they need comfort. That's why the St Andrew's Day outfit for nursery must be simple, which doesn't mean it can't be interesting. You just need to make sure it doesn't contain elements that could bother the child, that it doesn't chafe or scratch, that it's not too heavy and that it can be easily put on. A multi-part St Andrew's Day outfit will certainly be a hit among friends from the nursery group, but it won't make the wearer happy if they get tired in it. It's also important that the St Andrew's Day look is breathable - an outfit that's too thick can cause sweating. See which outfits work best by checking out ideas for boys' and girls' outfits.

• Little devil costume – create it by choosing black trousers and a long-sleeved top and adding horns. You'll easily find ready-made accessories, such as popular light-up horns or a simpler version without lights. Add a tail made from a piece of fabric finished with a pompom, and the devilish St Andrew's Day look is ready in a few moments.
• Ghost costume – this St Andrew's Day outfit is very simple. Choose white kids' leggings and a top, and on top prepare a sheet in which you cut holes for the eyes and mouth. This is probably the quickest way to create an outfit for St Andrew's Day.
• Cat or dog costume – just choose shorts and a top in one of the colours the fur of the chosen animal comes in. This includes: black, brown, caramel, white, grey and similar colours. Add a few patches, which can be sewn onto the clothes with a bit of manual skill, or made from self-adhesive paper and stuck on. A simple paper mask will be a great addition. In this case too, we can create a tail, longer or shorter, e.g. in the form of just a pompom.

Animals such as bears, foxes and crocodiles are also popular.

St Andrew's Day outfit for a boy

A popular St Andrew's Day outfit for a boy is a wizard costume. It fits perfectly with the magical St Andrew's Day evening. All you need is a long coat or cape, and if you don't have one, a larger piece of fabric will do, in which you'll need to make a hole for the wizard's head. Add a cord to tie around the waist and definitely a hat and a wand. If you don't have a hat, you can make one from cardboard, and the simplest wand is a combination of a stick and a paper star cut out from paper. Boys' St Andrew's Day outfits can also draw inspiration from folklore. Count Dracula is a motif that's easy to recreate, for which you'll also need a cape. A red base (red trousers + red sweatshirt) enhanced with a cape and fake vampire teeth is enough to quickly transform into the famous count from Romania.

St Andrew's Day outfit for a girl

A charming witch, or a Gypsy? Both characters fit well into the atmosphere of fortune-telling and a magical evening. You can use girls' dresses that you have in your wardrobe as a base. A midi or maxi skirt will also work. For the Gypsy look, it's worth tying a patterned scarf around the waist, and a similar model around the head. Cards, a tambourine, a fan or a crystal ball also make good accessories. The witch, on the other hand, should have a dark, long dress, and you can't forget a large hat. A charming finishing touch will be a classic wooden broom, and you can also take along a plush cat toy.

Looks and outfits for St Andrew's Day for older children

Older children, when creating a St Andrew's Day outfit, are more often inspired by movies they watch, or their favourite characters. Their looks may therefore differ a little. Superheroes such as Batman, Superman or Hulk may appear. Harry Potter or characters from favourite computer games will surely be there too. Older children usually decide for themselves how to dress for St Andrew's Day and create their costume according to their own idea.