Warmer weather, blossoming flowers, and the first real step toward summer. But spring isn’t over yet, and it brings plenty more than April showers. Spring is an excellent time to do some hands-on learning. Study the plants that grow around where you live and see how they change over the month. Your child can also take care of their own plant and track its growth indoors. Taking care of a plant can teach children about responsibility as well as plant ecology. Plus, going to pick a plant can be a fun outing!
The beginning of April can be a bit tricky (get it?). April Fool’s Day can catch you by surprise, but some light-hearted pranks and tricks can be an excellent way to destress and engage your child’s mind creatively. Consider trying some simple card tricks or making a Rube Goldberg chain-reaction machine out of household items. If you want some inspiration, check out fun joke books like Do It Now! Tricks, Rad Stunts & Sneaky Pranks by Weldon Owen.
Whether you celebrate Easter or not, two of its major traditions are excellent for hands-on learning. You can use Easter egg colouring to teach your child about primary and secondary colours while engaging their creative side. Drawing patterns on eggs is a fun way for your child to practise their hand-eye coordination and pattern recognition skills. Easter egg hunts can help develop critical thinking skills and spatial awareness. Turn your hunt into a scavenger hunt! Your child can practise their reading skills, too. There are also many cute storybooks centred around Easter, like The Littlest Bunny in Calgary by Robert Dunn.
National Library Week – April 5-9
Libraries are essential hubs of learning and community, and the pandemic has only highlighted how important they are.
Many people access books through libraries that they wouldn’t be able to afford on their own. Literacy classes, book clubs, social groups, and skill development courses are just some of the important activities hosted at libraries. Take some time to visit your local library and see what services are available. Try curbside pickup if your library is still closed. Don’t forget to thank your librarians for all their work!
World Health Day – April 7
As COVID vaccine efforts ramp up, it’s more important than ever to talk about health and what it means to your family. This year’s theme is building a fairer, healthier world. Help your child think about ways to make your community healthier, whether that’s through organizing a trash pick-up, helping deliver groceries to seniors and other vulnerable populations, or just discussing how you can be safer while outside the home.
National Scrabble Day – April 13
What’s the word? National Scrabble Day is the word! This day celebrates the birth of Scrabble inventor Alfred Mosher Butts, but it’s also a day to celebrate words and spelling. Help your child add some new and interesting words to their vocabulary and play a game of Scrabble!
Can you get a triple word score?
National Gardening Day — April 14
Spring is the perfect time for planting! Celebrate National Gardening Day with a fun indoor garden activity that will teach your child about plant ecology and personal responsibility. Plus, going to pick a plant can be a fun outing!
Take a cardboard egg carton and cut the top off it.
Poke drainage holes into the bottom of each egg section, and use the carton lid as a drainage tray.
Have your child fill each egg section half-full with potting soil.
Choose seeds. Have your child add two seeds to each cell and cover the seeds with potting soil.
Use a spray bottle to water the seeds. The soil should be just moist and not soaked.
Place the indoor garden in a sunny place.
Have your child water the seedlings regularly according to the instructions on your seeds.
Study the plants to see how they change over the month. Take pictures!
Earth Day – April 22
End out the month with Earth Day. Protecting our planet is important. Brainstorm with your child ways you can contribute, including turning off lights when you leave a room, replacing lightbulbs with energy-efficient ones, and buying more food locally. You can check out a list of over fifty tips at https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-tips/
NEW! Updated, Revised and Enlarged Super Skill Builder Workbooks
Here at Canadian Curriculum Press, we’re excited about our updated, revised and enlarged
Super Skill Builder workbooks are now available in-stores at Costco, Canada. The 328 pages of colourful Math, Reading, Writing learning activities available for Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and Grade 1. The updated math section features early coding activities. There are also fun learning puzzles at the end of each book.
Flash Card of the Month
In celebration of Library Week and Scrabble Day, April’s flash card of the month is Troublesome Spelling Words. These flash cards help kids with tricky words like though and receive.
Next month is all about moms, so we’ve also got some fun outdoor activities to keep the kids occupied for a little me time. May also means World Laughter Day and National Paper Airplane month, so come down with a case of the giggles and get ready to take to the skies. Plus, it’s May the Fourth and Cinco de Mayo, so we want to celebrate in style with an astronomy activity and some tasty treats. See you then!
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Have a lovely April!
