This post contains calendar observances and themed activities for April 2014. If you’d like an updated calendar for any year, you can find it in my April Themed Activities for Kids. This calendar is different because the calendar observances with changing dates are added into the list of April dates, making it less likely that you’ll miss an event.
I love using unit studies and themed activities for holidays and calendar observances. You’ll find all my unit studies and holiday posts in my “Should You Use Unit Studies?” post. You might choose to plan unit studies based on your child’s interests. Many unit studies, such as a dinosaur unit or transportation unit, work well at any time of the year.
Some unit studies naturally fit best into specific seasons or months. And many others can be used at any time but are extra fun when combined with a holiday or calendar observance.
You’ll find more links for calendar observances in my “Enliven Your Homeschool with Some Calendar Fun” post. The post has links to resources for calendar observances for any level. I mainly focus here on April themes for preschoolers through early elementary, although you’ll find calendar observances here for any age.
Monthly Observances for April
Monthly observances can be used for themed activities throughout the month or for one or two weeks during the month.
- Deaf History Month (Mar 13-Apr 15)
- National Autism Awareness Month – Montessori-Inspired Special Needs Support
- Car Care Month
- National Card and Letter Writing Month
- Confederate History Month
- National Financial Literacy Month
- National Frog Month – Montessori-Inspired Frog Activities, Kids’ Frog and Leap Year Activities Pinterest Board
- International Guitar Month
- National Humor Month
- Jazz Appreciation Month
- Keep America Beautiful Month
- National Kite Flying Month
- Lawn and Garden Month
- National Mathematics Education Month
- Month of the Military Child
- Month of the Young Child
- National Pecan Month
- Pet First Aid Awareness Month
- National Poetry Month- Montessori-Inspired Poetry Activities
- Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month
- Records and Information Management Month
- School Library Month – Montessori-Inspired Dr. Seuss Activities, Montessori-Inspired Eric Carle Activities, How to Help Your Child Treasure Books, Simple Tips for Organizing Your Homeschool Library, Montessori-Inspired Ideas for Enjoying Books with Your Child or Students, Montessori-Inspired Activities for the Tortoise and the Hare, , Montessori-Inspired Activities for Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, Free Mitten Printables and Montessori-Inspired Mitten Activities, Literature-Based Activities Pinterest Board
- National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month – Discussing Difficult Topics with Kids: What’s Worked for Me
- National Soyfoods Month
- Stress Awareness Month – Finding Balance Pinterest Board (for Parents), Stress-Free Kids Pinterest Board
- World Habitat Awareness Month
- National Youth Sports Safety Month
Spring Themes and Activities
Montessori-Inspired Spring Themes and Activities has lots of ideas for spring unit studies.
April Dates that Can Be Used for Themed Activities
Calendar observances are great for mini units or even units that might last the whole month.
- April 1-19: Lent (March 5-April 19, 2014) – Montessori-Based Lenten Activities, Homeschool Lent and Easter, Lent Pinterest Board
- April 1: April Fools Day – April Fools’ Day Pinterest Board
- April 1: International Fun at Work Day
- April 1: One Cent Day
- April 2: World Autism Awareness Day – Montessori-Inspired Special Needs Support
- April 2: Author Hans Christian Anderson Born, 1805 (For a thorough children’s author birthday calendar, see the right sidebar of Happy Birthday Author)
- April 2: International Children’s Book Day – How to Help Your Child Treasure Books, Montessori-Inspired Ideas for Enjoying Books with Your Child or Students, Montessori-Inspired Language Activities
- April 2: National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day
- April 2: Reconciliation Day
- April 3: First Documented Ice Cream Sundae Made, 1892
- April 3: Find a Rainbow Day – Montessori-Inspired Rainbow Activities, Montessori Color Mixing Activities – Rainbows of Color, Rainbow Unit Study Pinterest Board
- April 3: Tweed Day
- April 3: Pony Express established, 1860
- April 4: First U.S. flag approved, 1818
- April 4: National Walk to Work Day (First Friday of April)
- April 4: Walk Around Things Day
- April 4: School Librarian Day
- April 5: National Read a Road Map Day – DIY Cosmic Nesting Boxes, Map Towers, and “Me on the Map” Activities
- April 5: Educator Booker T. Washington Born, 1856
- April 6-12: Week of the Young Child
- April 6: North Pole Discovered, 1898 – Montessori-Inspired Arctic and Antarctic Unit, Kids’ Winter Activities Pinterest Board
- April 6: U.S. entered World War I, 1917
- April 7: No Housework Day
- April 7: World Health Day, established 1948
- April 8: Zoo Lover’s Day – Montessori-Inspired Zoo Animal Unit, Montessori-Inspired Zoo Animal Unit (2012), Zoo Animal Unit Study Pinterest Board
- April 8: All Is Ours Day
- April 8: Draw a Picture of a Bird Day – Montessori-Inspired Bird Unit, Montessori-Inspired Life Cycle Activities, Bird Unit Study Pinterest Board
- April 9: Name Yourself Day
- April 9: Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant, 1865
- April 9: Winston Churchill Day
- April 9: Golfer’s Day
- April 10: Encourage a Young Writer Day
- April 10: National Farm Animals Day – Montessori Grammar Farm,Montessori-Inspired Corn Unit, Montessori-Inspired Farm Unit, Safari Ltd. Farm TOOBS and Keys, Free Farm Printables and Montessori-Inspired Activities Using Farm Replicas and Printables, 40+ Farm Sensory Tubs, Inexpensive, Simple-to-Prepare Montessori Grammar Farm, Farm Unit Study Pinterest Board
- April 10: National Sibling Day – How to Help Each of Your Children Feel Special, Preventing Choking in Babies and Toddlers with Older Siblings, Top 5 Ways to Reduce Sibling Rivalry
- April 10: U.S. Patent System Established, 1790
- April 11: President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act, 1964
- April 12: National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day
- April 13: Palm Sunday
- April 13-19: National Library Week (2nd Full Week in April) –Montessori-Inspired Dr. Seuss Activities, Montessori-Inspired Eric Carle Activities, How to Help Your Child Treasure Books, Simple Tips for Organizing Your Homeschool Library, Montessori-Inspired Ideas for Enjoying Books with Your Child or Students, Montessori-Inspired Activities for the Tortoise and the Hare, , Montessori-Inspired Activities for Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, Free Mitten Printables and Montessori-Inspired Mitten Activities, Literature-Based Activities Pinterest Board
- April 13: 3rd President Thomas Jefferson born, 1743
- April 14:Webster’s Dictionary Published, 1828
- April 14: Look up at the Sky Day
- April 14: International Moment of Laughter Day
- April 14: National Pecan Day
- April 14: Reach as High as You Can Day
- April 14-22: Passover or Pesach
- April 15: Titanic Remembrance Day (Titanic Struck an iceberg shortly before midnight on April 14. It sank at 2:20 AM on April 15.)
- April 15: Income Tax Day
- April 15: Rubber Eraser Day
- April 15: Artist/Inventor Leonardo Da Vinci born, 1452 – Montessori-Inspired Art Appreciation, Art Appreciation and Creation for Kids, Kids’ Art Appreciation Pinterest Board
- April 16: National Librarian Day
- April 16: National Stress Awareness Day – Finding Balance Pinterest Board (for Parents), Stress-Free Kids Pinterest Board
- April 16: Aviator Wilbur Wright Born, 1867 – Montessori-Inspired Transportation Unit, Transportation Unit Study Pinterest Board
- April 17: Blah, Blah, Blah Day
- April 17: National High Five Day (3rd Thursday in April)
- April18: Good Friday – Montessori-Based Lenten Activities, Homeschool Lent and Easter, Lent Pinterest Board
- April 18: Paul Revere’s Famous Ride, 1775
- April 18: Great San Francisco Earthquake, 1906.
- April 18: International Juggler’s Day
- April 19: Humorous Day
- April 19: Revolutionary War began, 1775
- April 20: Easter – Montessori-Inspired Easter Activities, Montessori-Inspired Easter Activities (2012), Free Spring Printables and Montessori-Inspired Spring Math Activities, Homeschool Lent and Easter, Free Easter Egg Printables and Montessori-Inspired Easter Egg Activities, Easter Egg Rainbow Practical Life and Sensorial Activity, Kids’ Easter Activities Pinterest Board
- April 20: Scientists Marie & Pierre Curie isolate radium, 1902
- April 20: Volunteer Recognition Day
- April 21: Kindergarten Day – Montessori-Inspired Kindergarten Readiness Activities
- April 21: Patriot’s Day (3rd Monday in April)
- April 22: Earth Day, Established 1970- Free 3-Part Recycle Cards, Montessori-Inspired Earth Day Activities, Montessori-Inspired Activities for Earth Day Every Day, Montessori-Inspired Earth Day Activities (2012), Montessori-Inspired Lorax Activities, Free Earth Day Printables and Montessori-Inspired Earth Day Activities, Montessori-Inspired Arbor Day Activities, Kids’ Earth Day Every Day Pinterest Board.
- April 22: National Jelly Bean Day
- April 23: Home Run Day (Hank Aaron hits his first home run, 1954)
- April 23: William Shakespeare Born, 1564
- April 23: World Laboratory Day
- April 24: Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day (4th Thursday of April) – Free Police Printables and Montessori-Inspired Police Activities, Community Helpers Activity Trays and Sensory Tubs, Free Fire Safety Printables and Montessori-Inspired Fire Safety Activities, Community Helpers Pinterest Board
- April 25: Arbor Day (last Friday in April) – Montessori-Inspired Arbor Day Activities
- April 25: Hubble Telescope launched, 1990
- April 25: World Penguin Day – Montessori-Inspired Arctic and Antarctic Unit, Montessori-Inspired Continent Activities – Penguins of Antarctica, Kids’ Winter Activities Pinterest Board
- April 26: National Pretzel Day
- April 26: Richter Scale Day (Seismologist Charles Richter born, 1900)
- April 27: Tell a Story Day
- April 28: 5th President
James Monroe Born, 1758 - April 28: International Astronomy Day – Astronaut Unit, Montessori-Inspired Astronomy Activities, Montessori-Inspired Star and Constellation Unit, Montessori-Inspired Moon Unit, Montessori-Inspired Solar System Activities and World Space Week Blog Hop, Astronomy Unit Study Pinterest Board
- April 28: Great Poetry Reading Day – Montessori-Inspired Poetry Activities, Kids’ Poetry Activities Pinterest Board
- April 29: International Dance Day
- April 30: National Honesty Day
- April 30: Anniversary Louisiana Purchase completed, 1803
James Monroe Born, 1758Have a great month!
Photo at the top of the post by Svetlana Kolpakova
Free Printable April Calendar from iMom
Learn more about Montessori at Home or School: How to Teach Grace and Courtesy!
If this is your first time visiting Living Montessori Now, welcome! If you haven’t already, please join us on our Living Montessori Now Facebook page where you’ll find a Free Printable of the Day and lots of inspiration and ideas for parenting and teaching! And please follow me on Pinterest (lots of Montessori-, holiday-, and theme-related boards), Twitter (blog posts by me and others along with the Parent/Teacher Daily and other interesting information), and Google+ (post updates and Montessori Community). You can find me on bloglovin’ now, too. I’m also a Parenting Expert on Sulia. Thank you for following me there. And don’t forget one of the best ways to follow me by signing up for my weekly newsletter in the right sidebar. You’ll get two awesome freebies in the process!
May be linked to Afterschool Express, Thoughtful Spot, Tuesday Tots, The Mommy Club Resources and Solutions at Milk and Cuddles and Crystal & Co., Mom’s Library, It’s Playtime, The Weekly Kid’s Co-op, Homeschool Link-up, Hearts for Home Blog Hop, Learn & Link, TGIF Linky Party, Preschool Corner, Ultimate Homeschool Pinterest Party, Sharing Saturday, Saturday Show & Tell, Share It Saturday, Show-and-Share Saturday, The Sunday Showcase, Link & Learn.
I’m stopping by from Link and Learn. I was searching for a list of ‘special days’ to help with content planning for my blog but also for tot school, this list is better than anything else I’ve seen! I’m pinning it and will have a look around your site for activities for my twins too.
You always have the best round ups and lists. April can sure be a busy month! Thanks for sharing at the After School Link Up.
Wow! Great resource! Thanks for sharing at After School!
Oh wow! What a fantastic list. April is jam packed isn’t it?
Thank you for stopping by the Thoughtful Spot Weekly Blog Hop this week. We hope to see you drop by our neck of the woods next week!
These observances and activities you’ve lined up for April are great. I’m sure they’d create awareness for whatever theme you might prefer… as in the National Autism Awareness month. You might even want to start this in your community or office.
Before you know it April will be here. Be prepared.
Check out: http://www.thehouseofawareness.com