This week in Scotland we celebrate Burns Night, and Robert Burns is such an important part of our culture and our curriculum — not just for poetry, but for celebrating Scots language and our Scottish identity.
So many brilliant children’s books have been translated into Scots (like The Gruffalo!), and there are also lots of beautiful, child-friendly Scots books and poems to explore — alongside the traditional favourites by authors like J.K. Annan that children across Scotland still learn in school today.
Here at Boogie Beat Edinburgh, Midlothian & East Lothian, we’ve created our very own Scottish-themed adventure…
🦕 A Nessie Hunt! 🦕
Over the next two weeks in our classes, nursery workshops and intergenerational sessions, we’ll be going on a Loch Ness Monster adventure and singing lots of wonderful Scots nursery rhymes, including:
🎵 Three Craws
🎵 Katy Bairdie
🎵 Donald, Whaur’s Yer Troosers?
🎵 Ye Cannae Shove Yer Granny Aff a Bus
And yes — my name is Mairi (very Scottish! 😄) and I absolutely love that, as part of the Boogie Beat franchise, I can add local stories and themes that make our sessions feel relevant and meaningful to the families and communities we work with.
I had the most lovely moment in a care home last week when I mentioned we’d be doing a Scots/Nessie theme and started singing Donald, Whaur’s Yer Troosers? — the residents immediately joined in and were so excited to explore these songs next week. That’s the magic of shared, familiar culture across generations. 💙
📹 I’ll be posting some live videos during Nessie Week with the Scottish songs you can use at home, and I’ve also got some pre-recorded ones that my children made too — so do follow along!
Even if Scottish themes aren’t usually your thing, it’s such a lovely way to build children’s understanding of different cultures across the UK.
And next up… 🎎 Lunar New Year as we head into February!
We absolutely love bringing culture, stories and music together across our communities. 💙🧡
Written by Mairi Curle Owner Franchisee of Boogie Beat Edinburgh Mid and East Lothian
