Here is our list of the best St. George’s Day activities and ideas for students.
St. George’s Day is a holiday used to pay tribute to St. George and honor his heroic deeds toward humanity. Celebrants commemorate St. George’s Day on April 23, which is the anniversary of Saint George. St. George’s Day is widely observed globally in England, the Republic of Macedonia, Canada, Greece, Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, and Portugal. Examples of St. George’s Day activities and ideas include St. George’s Day trivia, St. George’s Day parade, wearing a rose, and St. George’s Day dress-up. The purpose of these activities is to educate students about the heroic acts of St. George and instill a sense of national pride.
The ideas on this list work well as online classroom activities or virtual morning meeting ideas.
This list includes:
- St. George Day games
- St. George Day classroom activities
- virtual St. George Day activities
- St. George Day activities for kids
Let’s get to it!
List of St. George’s Day Activities & Ideas For Students
From dragon’s chase, word jumbles to teddy mascots, here is our list of St. George’s Day celebration ideas for students and schools.
1. Paper plate dragons
Making paper plate dragons is one of the simplest St. George Day classroom activities. However, preparation is essential for this craft.
For this activity, students will need;
- Paper plates
- Two different colored paints
- Scissors
- Glue
- A red stick
Instructions:
- Students will paint two paper plates in contrasting colors.
- Students will cut the paper plates in half and stick the front plate to the back plate.
- Let students cut the other plate into dragon head, wings, and tail.
- Then, students can color the dragon’s body parts and draw the dragon’s eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Once done, the students will stick the dragon head, tail, and wing into the half paper plate.
- Students will attach the colored stick between the half paper plates.
You can make the St. George’s dragon as a class or divide students into small teams. For a virtual St. George’s Day activity, let the students make the dragon and share it on a collaborative platform. Encourage students to follow instructions and still be creative when making the dragon. You can have an incentive where you reward the most creative student.
2. St. George’s flag craft
St. George’s flag is a common item in any St. George’s Day celebration. The flag has a red cross on a white background and is also the flag of England. You can make the flag with the students and then fly or hang it in the classroom. You can also instruct the students to make the flag at home and share the results with other students on Zoom or use the flag as a virtual background for your online St. George’s Day lesson or party.
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3. St. George’s trivia
Trivia questions are among the best St. George Day games. Students will have fun and learn more about Saint George during this exercise. When preparing categories, base questions on your students’ capabilities. However, you can always add challenging trivia to keep your students on their toes.
Here are starter questions:
To make St. George’s trivia captivating, award a prize to students who get the most trivia questions right. For instance, you can bake dragon biscuits and give seconds to students who guess correctly.
Check out this guide to playing trivia remotely.
4. Dragon coloring
If you are looking for St. George Day classroom activities for younger children, then you must try dragon coloring. First, find and print images that include a hidden dragon. Then, provide students with colored crayons. Students will find the dragon image and color it. You can use dragon coloring to teach younger students the different colors and remind students of the story of St. George slaying the killer dragon.
5. Wear a rose
Wearing a rose is a simple way to observe St. George’s Day. The significance of this symbol is that St. George received a red rose after slaying the infamous dragon. You can make this activity more interesting by going for a rose picking session at a nearby flower garden where each student will pick a flower.
If you are looking for simple virtual St. George Day activities, then wearing a rose is your best bet. For a virtual version, you will instruct students to look for a rose and share a picture pinning a rose blossom to the breast pocket or lapel. Students can also encourage family members to wear a rose and pose for a picture or set a bouquet of roses at home.
6. Attend a parade
Parades are a fun way to observe St. George’s Day. You can take advantage of St. George’s Day parades in your area to promote classroom bonding between students. You can look for traditional celebrations and parades such as church services, dances, and fetes. For instance, the Feast of St George in Trafalgar Square is one of the most popular parades in London.
Be sure to choose parades that are safe for students. Also, remind students of the importance of togetherness during such a trip. Students should not wander too far away from the entire team.
Students can also dress up and design signs to have their own parade in the classroom, or you can live stream a parade.
7. St. George’s Day, dress up
Dressing up is a fun St. George’s Day activity for students. Students will look for St. George’s themed outfits and wear them to school for this activity. Encourage parents and guardians to help students find costumes.
Here are some dress-up themes;
- The dragon
- The princess
- St. George
- Knights
- Blue outfits
Blue is St. George’s favorite color, and wearing blue clothing is a great way to observe the holiday. For a virtual St. George’s Day celebration, students can take and share pictures of their families in blue outfits.
Let students get creative with outfits. You can even hold a contest for best dressed.
Here is a guide to holding a virtual costume contest.
8. Word jumbles
St. George’s Day-themed word jumbles are a great way to teach students about St. George. To make the game, find words related to St. George’s Day, scramble the letters, and ask students to figure out the words. You can group the students into small teams and have the team leader note down how many jumbles each student gets right.
Here is a printable game template:
You can make this more riveting by including incorrect word jumbles. You will have a field day as students struggle to figure out the incorrect word.
Check out more vocabulary games.
9. Dragon’s chase
If you are looking for fun St. George Day activities for kids, then you must try the dragon’s chase. For this activity, you will need a large group of students, preferably more than 20. Ensure that there is a large open space where students can run.
Instructions:
- Select one student and let them dress as the fearful dragon. Other students will dress as princesses or knights.
- Princesses and knights will stand one meter away from the dragon.
- Instruct the dragon to charge at princesses and knights and catch as many as possible. The student caught by the dragon becomes a dragon.
- All dragons will charge other students and add more to the dragon team.
- The dragon’s chase will continue until there is only one princess or knight left, who is the winner.
You will need to encourage students to observe safety measures for this activity. For instance, if a student falls during the chase, then all students will stop the game until the student is back on their feet. This precaution will prevent accidents.
10. Slay the dragon pinata
A pinata is a hollow vessel made of paper or cardboard and filled with candy or small prizes. Breaking a pinata is a common party game. To commemorate St. George’s Day, you can buy a dragon-themed pinata and fill it with sweet treats. Depending on the time you have to celebrate the day, students can help you make the dragon pinata and fill it with candy. The students will take turns trying to break the pinata while blindfolded.
11. Make a knight’s shield
A battle without a knight’s shield is incomplete. Students will love to celebrate St. George’s Day with a knight’s shield crafting activity. You can also use the knight’s shield activity to teach your students art and creativity. For this exercise, you will provide students with the items required to make a knight’s shield. You can also share a link students can use to purchase the materials.
The students will need:
- One large card
- Paint
- Glue
Instructions:
- Ask the students to cut a large shield shape from the card. You can share a picture of the shield so that the students can get the shape right.
- Students will paint a red cross across the cut card, which will divide the shield into four parts. They will paint the top left and bottom right quarters with a similar paint, and the bottom left and top right with a similar color.
- Ask the students to draw the Coat of Arms on a different paper with a white background.
- Students will use glue to stick the Coat of Arms at the center of the shield.
Feel free to encourage creativity when making the knight’s shield. For instance, you can ask the students to use different techniques to make the cross on the shield. For example, crafters can use red beads to mark the cross. Students can also make beaded knight’s shields using white beads on the outer part and red beads as the cross.
12. Visit a local museum
There are tons of museums where students can visit and learn more about St. George. A visit to a local museum is an excellent opportunity to take students on an out-of-school fun and learning day.
Here are museums that you can visit
- The Dragon’s Lair Gallery
- St. George’s Historical Society Museum
- The British Museum
- Lady Lever Art Gallery
If your students are learning from home, then virtual St. George’s Day activities like a museum visit will ensure that students commemorate St. George’s Day from afar. You can organize a virtual museum trip and explain fun facts about St. George and other historical facts. Students can also visit a museum with their families and write a report on what they learn.
Here is a guide to virtual field trips.
13. Visit a zoo
Students will love the experience of seeing a dragon at close range. There are a variety of reptiles that you can use to teach students about St. George’s victorious acts, such as the komodo dragons.
You can visit a nearby zoo where guides will teach students about giant reptiles. Students will also see and learn about other animals during the excursion. You can look for a zoo or reptile farm in your area or research virtual zoo visits.
14. Dragon scavenger hunt
A dragon scavenger hunt is one of the most interactive St. George’s Day activities for students.
In this activity, you will set up clues in the class that students will follow to find St. George-themed items.
For St. George’s Day scavenger hunt, students will find:
- A dragon
- A shield
- St. George’s flag
- Dragon biscuits
- A student wearing blue
To make the game more interesting, hold the hunt in an outdoor space. You can ask students to find animals with similarities to a dragon, such as a lizard.
Check out this list of DIY scavenger hunt ideas.
15. Bake dragon biscuits
Baking dragon biscuits is a fun St. George’s Day activity. For this activity, you will share a recipe that students will use to bake biscuits. Students will use St. George’s Day themes to shape biscuits.
Here are some examples
- Dragon wings biscuits
- Princess biscuits
- Cookie castles
- Hero biscuits
- Knights shield biscuits
Feel free to let students get creative with St. George’s Day biscuit shapes and decorations. You can encourage parents to partake in this for safety reasons. You can also have this activity at school where you will bake dragon biscuits with the students.
For more culinary activities, check out this list of online cooking classes.
16. Teddy mascots
A mascot is any animal, object, or human representing a group with a common public identity. Mascots are also objects believed to bring luck. St. George’s Day teddy mascots are one of the most exciting commemoration ideas for kids.
For this activity, ask your students to bring their favorite teddy to school. The students will dress the teddies in St. George Day-themed items.
Here are some ideas:
- Stick the St. George flag into the teddy’s hand or hat
- Dress the teddy in blue
- Stick the knight’s shield on the teddy’s chest
- Slip a St. George ribbon flag around the teddy’s shoulder
- Make a sword and helmet for teddy
Teddy mascots are a fun St. George’s Day activity for younger students. The students will be happy to bring their favorite teddy to school. For a virtual teddy mascots activity, let the students make the teddy mascot at home with the help of family and share the final results on Zoom.
17. Make a St. George’s ribbon keychain
Keychains are one of the simple items that you can make with students. You can either make St. George’s ribbon keychains as a team or ask students to make keychains individually.
You will need:
- Beads- white and red
- A thin ribbon- Any color
- A keyring- This is optional. Students can tie the ribbon on a steady item or surface
Instructions:
- Tie the ribbons to the steady surface or the keyring
- Insert the beads into the ribbon. Students can either interchange white and red beads or use equal numbers of red and white beads.
- Tie a knot and leave an inch of the ribbon hanging loose
This craft is also a great St. George’s Day virtual activity for students. For a virtual activity, instruct the students to buy items needed for the St. George’s ribbon keychain and share the results when done. You can give an award for the most creative ribbon keychain.
18. An English breakfast party
Starting your St. George’s Day activities with a full traditional English breakfast is a great way to ensure your students remain energized throughout the day.
Here are some breakfast ideas:
- Bacon
- Sausages
- Baked beans
- Tea
- Marmalade
- Black pudding
- Eggs
- Cucumber sandwiches
- Strawberry jam
An English breakfast party is a great way to get your St. George’s day activities started. For instance, if you are planning on attending a St. George match or a museum, then you can tell students the story of St. George as they enjoy breakfast.
19. St. George face paint
If you are looking for an engaging and fun activity, then let students use St. George themes to paint faces. Students will paint the St. George flag on their faces for this activity.
You will need:
- Face paint- White and red
- Paper towels
- Brushes
- Clean water
- Water bowls
- Mirror
Instructions
- Display St. George’s flag where all students can see it.
- Let students choose a partner who will draw their face and vice versa.
- Let students see their drawn faces in the mirror.
Teachers looking for St. George Day activities for kids cannot go wrong with a St. George face painting activity. You need to ensure that students are clean and that parents do not mind the mess. If a student has an open sore on any part of their face, instruct the other student to draw the flag on another area.
20. Recite the poem “Jerusalem”
The poem “Jerusalem” is a national hymn that commemorates St. George’s Day. Reciting the poem “Jerusalem” is an easy way for students to commemorate St. George’s Day. Reading the poem is also a clever way to invoke the spirit of national pride in students.
For the “Jerusalem” poem activity, you can read and teach the poem to students. You can also group students into teams where they will present the poem to other students. Older students can analyze the meaning of the poem as well.
Conclusion
St. George’s Day activities and ideas are acts used to celebrate St. George in the classroom. You can use St. George’s Day to invoke the spirit of togetherness and national pride in students. You can also use these ideas to teach students creativity, communication skills, and history. To ensure that your students have fun while observing the holiday, select an activity suitable for their age. Also, encourage participation and give pupils positive reinforcement.
Next, check out this list of fun team building ideas for kids.