Planning lessons around holidays, historical events, and seasonal themes can be a fun way to homeschool. It’s an excellent way for kids to learn about the world around them, including topics that aren’t usually covered in a textbook. Our family has enjoyed occasionally adding seasonal and holiday-themed lessons to our homeschool routine.

Below is a list of free unit studies, lesson plans, and activities for April. All of the holiday dates given are for 2024. Because the dates of some holidays vary, I will update this post each year. If you are looking for other months, check out our monthly unit studies and lesson plans page.

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Free April Unit Studies and Lessons for Month-Long Themes and Observances

Autism Acceptance Month (all April)

Autism Acceptance Month was created to build a better awareness of the signs, symptoms, and realities of autism. This month was previously called Autism Awareness Month, but it has been renamed to focus on acceptance and inclusion.

Organization for Autism Research– video lesson
Teachers Pay Teachers– mini book and lesson
Teachers Pay Teachers– writing prompts

National Deaf History Month (all April)

National Deaf History Month recognizes the accomplishments of people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Peanut Butter Fish Lessons– Helen Keller unit study
Classics for Kids– Ludwig van Beethoven lesson plan
American Sign Language University– sign language lessons
Signing Time– sign language videos

Keep America Beautiful Month (all April)

Keep America Beautiful Month is a time to reduce waste, prevent litter, and beautify communities.

The Fill– how to plan a community cleanup
Toddler Approved– litter pick up scavenger hunt

National Frog Month (all April)

National Frog Month is set aside for learning about and observing frogs of all types.

Homeschool Share– frog lapbook
Year Round Homeschool– unit study
The Crafty Classroom– unit study
The Homeschool Scientist– lesson

National Garden Month (all April)

National Garden Month began in 2002 when National Garden week was extended to last the entire month. This month take some time to plant a garden, tend your garden, or visit a local botanical garden.

7Sisters Homeschool– gardening planner
Freedom Homeschooling– container gardening ideas
Freedom Homeschooling– composting information and lessons
The Homeschool Scientist– plant life cycle lesson

National Poetry Month  (all month)

The Academy of American Poets started National Poetry Month to increase awareness and appreciation of poetry.

Freedom Homeschooling– poetry curriculum
Woo! Jr. Kids Activities– introduction to poetry worksheets

National Turn Off the T.V. and Read Month (all April)

National Turn Off Your T.V. Month’s goal is to increase awareness of the adverse effects of excessive screen time. Participate by turning off the T.V. and spending time reading instead.

Freedom Homeschooling– downloadable ebooks
Freedom Homeschooling– downloadable vintage readers
Freedom Homeschooling– reading lists
Freedom Homeschooling– how to choose books for your children

Scottish American Heritage Month (all April)

Scottish American Heritage Month highlights Scottish heritage and remembers the Scottish Americans who have impacted U.S. society.

National Today– informative article
Insanely Good Recipies– Scottish recipes
Teachers Pay Teachers– Scotland lesson plan

Arab American Heritage Month (all April)

National Arab American Heritage Month is a time for celebrating the history, contributions, and culture of Arab Americans.

Arab America– curriculum kit
Arab American National Museum– virtual galleries and educator resources
Woo! Jr. Kids Actvtivities– unit study

Free April Unit Studies and Lessons for Week-Long Themes and Observances

National Wildlife Week (April 5th to 9th)

National Wildlife Week is a time to learn more about the incredible animals native to North America, their habitats, and how to help them thrive.

Homeschool Giveaways & Freebies– animal tracks unit study
Freedom Homeschooling– nature reader ebooks
Freedom Homeschooling– printable bird watching journal and other resources
The Homeschool Scientist– wildlife crossing lesson
Homeschool  Share– animal lapbooks

National Library Week (April 7th to 13th)

The American Library Association sponsors National Library Week to motivate people to read and support libraries. It’s observed in April each year, but the dates may vary.

Homeschool Helper Online– library skills lapbook
Teachers Pay Teachers– Dewey Decimal System PowerPoint lesson and printables
Teachers Pay Teachers– Dewey Decimal System worksheets

Free April Unit Studies and Lessons for Holidays, Historical Events, and Fun Days

April Fool’s Day (April 1st)

April Fool’s Day is a fun day for playing practical jokes or pranks on friends and family.

Family Education– prank ideas
Milwaukee With Kids– prank ideas

One Cent Day (April 1st)

One Cent Day is a holiday dedicated to the penny. Celebrate by learning about the history of the penny, making a small purchase entirely in pennies, or leaving pennies in the “need a penny, take a penny, have a penny, leave a penny” tray at a store checkout.

Teachers Pay Teachers– worksheet set
US Coins Guides– history of pennies article
Teach Engineering– science experiment
Teach Beside Me– science experiment

International Children’s Book Day (April 2nd)

International Children’s Book Day is a yearly event sponsored by the International Board on Books for Young People. The event’s goal is to inspire a love of reading and call attention to children’s books. April 2nd was chosen because it’s Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday.

Freedom Homeschooling– ebooks
Freedom Homeschooling– audiobooks
Freedom Homeschooling– book guides

National Find a Rainbow Day (April 3rd)

National Find a Rainbow Day is a day dedicated to searching for rainbows. If the skies are clear in your area, you can also celebrate by wearing rainbow colors, creating a rainbow-themed craft, or even doing a rainbow science experiment.

Homeschool Scientist– lesson and activities
Fantastic Fun and Learning– science experiments
Easy Peasy and Fun– crafts

Pony Express Established (April 3rd)

The Pony Express delivered mail using relays of horse-mounted riders. It operated between Missouri and California from April 3, 1860, to October 26, 1861.

DIY Homeschooler– unit study
National Pony Express Association– lesson plan

National Spelling Day (April 4th)

National Spelling Day celebrates the importance of spelling. Practice spelling skills, look for misspelled words, or have a spelling bee.

Freedom Homeschooling– spelling curriculum
All About Learning Press– spelling practice games, posters, and teaching tips
Teachers Pay Teachers– spelling practice worksheets
Teachers Pay Teachers– spelling activities

National Read a Road Map Day (April 5th)

On National Read a Road Map Day, unfold a traditional road map and plan a trip or teach your children how to use a road map.

Teachers Pay Teachers– create a road map activity
Math Worksheets 4 Kids– map scales worksheet
Rainy Day Homeschooling– maps unit study
Homeschool Giveaways & Freebies– how to read maps unit study

Booker T. Washington’s Birthday (April 5th)

Booker T. Washington, who founded the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute in Alabama (now known as Tuskegee University), was born on this day in 1856.

Teachers Pay Teachers– reading comprehension worksheets
Teachers Pay Teachers– printable mini-book
Up From Slavery– Booker T. Washington’s autobiography (ebook)

U.S. Entered World War I (April 6th)

On April 6, 1917, two days after the U.S. Senate voted to declare war against Germany, the U.S. House of Representatives endorsed the declaration, and America formally entered World War I.

Homeschool Giveaways & Freebies– research and notebooking unit
History on the Net– worksheets
Teachers Pay Teachers– lesson plan
The Daily Bellringer– video playlist

World Health Day (April 7th)

World Health Day is a global health awareness day celebrated each year to draw attention to a specific health topic, which changes each year. The World Health Organization sponsors the day.

Freedom Homeschooling– health and P.E. curriculum
KidsHealth– health lesson plans

National Encourage a Young Writer Day (April 10th)

National Encourage a Young Writer Day is a day to encourage the budding young authors in your life.

Freedom Homeschooling– writing prompts
Freedom Homeschooling– references and tools for writers
Freedom Homeschooling– composition curriculum

Beverly Cleary’s Birthday (April 12th)

Beverly Cleary, an American fiction writer, was born on April 12, 1916. She wrote numerous books for children and young adults, including the Ramona series.

Teachers Pay Teachers– Beezus and Ramona book study
Reading to Kids– teacher’s guide for Henry Huggins
Rainbow Horizons– worksheets for Romona the Pest

The Titanic Struck an Iceberg (April 14th)

The Titanic hit an iceberg on the evening of April 14, 1912, and sank early in the morning of April 15, 1912.

History on the Net– worksheet set
Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus– lapbook printables
Teachers Pay Teachers– unit study

International Bat Appreciation Day (April 17th)

International Bat Appreciation Day encourages us to learn more about bats and their important role in nature. Bat Conservation International started the holiday.

The Homeschool Scientist– lesson
Royal Baloo– unit study

Tax Day (April 15th)

Tax Day is the day in America that income tax returns are due to be submitted to the Internal Revenue Service. Tax Day typically falls on or just after April 15th. The date is delayed when the 15th falls during a weekend or on a public holiday. It may also be delayed because of natural disasters or public health emergencies.

IRS.gov– lesson plans
Texas Education Agency– lesson plan

 Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride (April 18th)

Paul Revere rode to Lexington on April 18th, 1775, to warn patriot leaders that the British troops were coming.

Read Write Think– lesson plan
EDSITEment!– lesson plan
Teachers Pay Teachers– activity packet

Great San Francisco Earthquake (April 18th)

The earthquake struck San Francisco at 5:12 A.M. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. Its magnitude is estimated to have been 7.9 on the Richter scale. More than 3,000 people died, and over 80% of the city of San Francisco was destroyed.

DIY Homeschooler– unit study
K12 Reader– worksheet

Humorous Day (April 19th)

Humorous Day is a fun time to find humor in everyday situations, share jokes, and tell funny stories.

Teachers Pay Teachers– crack the code joke worksheets
Teachers Pay Teachers– jokes with idioms printable
Teachers Pay Teacher– joke cards printable
Teachers Pay Teachers– jokes coloring book

Revolutionary War Began (April 19th)

The Revolutionary War began with the confrontation between British troops and local militia at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, on April 19, 1775.

Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus– unit study and lapbook
Liberty’s Kids– video series
The Daily Bellringer– video playlist

Marie and Pierre Curie Isolated Radium (April 20th)

On April 20, 1902, Scientists Marie and Pierre Curie successfully isolated radioactive radium salts from the mineral pitchblende in their laboratory in Paris.

Teachers Pay Teachers– fact worksheets
Teachers Pay Teachers– mini book
Teachers Pay Teachers– worksheets

Earth Day (April 22nd)

Earth Day’s focus is on protecting our planet. This includes preventing pollution and deforestation, recycling, picking up litter, reducing water and electricity usage, and other actions that benefit the environment.

Learn in Color– lapbook
Learn in Color– recycling book
Think Earth– unit studies
Freedom Homeschooling– composting activities and lessons

National Jelly Bean Day (April 22nd)

On National Jelly Bean Day, we celebrate this sweet and colorful candy.

The Preschool Toolbox– math activities
Wunder Mom– science experiments and activities

William Shakespeare’s Birthday (April 23rd)

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, in April 1564. The exact date of his birth was not recorded, but his birthday is usually celebrated on April 23rd. This date was selected because Shakespeare’s baptism was recorded on April 26, 1564, and it is assumed that he was about three days old at baptism.

Freedom Homeschooling– teaching resources
Peanut Butter Fish Lessons– unit study

Pigs-in-a-Blanket Day (April 24th)

Pigs-in-a-Blanket Day celebrates the popular comfort food – pork sausage baked in pastry.

Delish– pigs-in-a-blanket recipe
Homeschool Share– pigs lapbook

Hubble Space Telescope Launched (April 24th)

The Hubble Space Telescope was launched into orbit by space shuttle Discovery on April 24, 1990, and a day later was deployed into low Earth orbit.

DIY Homeschooler– unit study
The Waldock Way– unit study
Hubblesite– informative website

World Penguin Day (April 25th)

World Penguin Day’s purpose is to encourage people to learn more about penguins and their habitats. The date was chosen to coincide with the annual northern migration of Adelie penguins.

Year Round Homeschooling– unit study
Homeschool Share– Mr. Popper’s Penguins unit study
The Homeschool Scientist– Antarctica and penguins unit study

Arbor Day (April 26th)

Arbor Day’s purpose is to encourage people to plant trees. National Arbor Day is celebrated on the last Friday of April. However, many states observe Arbor Day on different dates throughout the year based on their area’s best tree planting times.

Arbor Day Foundation– education resources
Teachers Pay Teachers– printable reader with comprehension worksheets
Teachers Pay Teachers– printable lesson
Trees Every Child Should Know– ebook

National Pretzel Day (April 26th)

National Pretzel Day recognizes one of America’s favorite snack foods.

Utah Education Network– yeast pretzel lab
Nasco Education– lesson plan

Maryland’s Statehood (April 28th)

Maryland became a state on April 28, 1788.

DIY Homeschooler– unit study
Ben and Me– unit study

National Zipper Day (April 29th)

National Zipper Day commemorates when the patent for the modern zipper was issued on April 29, 1913.

Teachers Pay Teachers– reading comprehension worksheet
Teachers Pay Teachers– word search printable
Bright Hub Education– preschool zipper activities

Louisiana’s Statehood (April 30th)

Louisiana became a state on April 30, 1812.

Ben and Me– unit study
Learn in Color– state report lapbook
The Daily Bellringer– Louisiana Purchase video playlist

Have fun learning this April! I will add more free unit studies and lessons next year. Be sure to pin this post so you can find it next April. When you’re ready to start planning for next month, check out our May Unit Studies and Lessons.

 

This post was originally published on March 19, 2022, and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.