Free Resources & Activities to Celebrate April Holidays

April can be an exciting month in many classrooms. Not only are we beginning to really settle into springtime, but for many students, April is a time when the end of the school year first comes into view. But even as those very early daydreams of summer begin to stir, there's still lots of learning to be done. Celebrating April holidays with your class can help you engage students in fun activities that are just as educational as they are entertaining. Check out some of our favorite free classroom resources for the April holidays, including those below.

International Children’s Book Day – April 2

Every year, on or near beloved fairy tale author Hans Christen Anderson’s birthday (April 2), people worldwide celebrate International Children’s Book Day to mark the importance of reading and literacy for all children across the globe.

Celebrate in your classroom this year with Edmentum’s free International Children’s Book Day Classroom Resources. Inside, you’ll find fact sheets, critical thinking questions, activities, and reference sheets exploring the history and significance of this fun reading-themed celebration.

Earth Day – April 22

From its beginnings in 1970, Earth Day has evolved into a day of global environmental awareness, celebrating the natural beauty of the planet and the innovative ways people have helped reduce, reuse, and recycle all over the world.

To help you celebrate our planet and discuss with your class all the different ways we can help make our world a cleaner, safer place, we have prepared a free Earth Day resource packet from Edmentum, stuffed with fact sheets, a critical thinking prompt, an activity, lesson plans, and posters.

As a consumer, you make choices every day that affect your health and the environment. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has shared labels to look for when making your next purchase that will also directly impact the quality of the world around you. Use this as an opportunity to improve your own environmental consciousness while also making Earth Day relevant by sharing some of these real life examples with your students.

National Math & Statistics Month

April isn't just a time for spring flowers and preparing for the end of the school year; it's also National Math & Statistics Month. As educators, we can use this month to engage our students in exciting activities that highlight the importance of these subjects. Whether you’re a math teacher or simply want to infuse some numerical fun into your classroom, here are some ideas to make the most of National Math & Statistics Month:

• Math Challenges and Puzzles: Encourage students to solve math puzzles, brain teasers, and challenging problems. You can organize a weekly math challenge or create a “Problem of the Day” board. Make it competitive and rewarding.
• Statistics in Real Life: Show students how statistics impact their daily lives. Discuss topics like probability, data analysis, and surveys. Explore real-world scenarios where statistical thinking is crucial—for example, analyzing election polls or understanding health-related data.
• Math Art and Creativity: Combine math with art and explore geometric patterns, tessellations, and symmetry. Have students create mathematical art projects using shapes, angles, and mathematical concepts. It’s a great way to foster creativity while reinforcing mathematical principles.
• Famous Mathematicians: Introduce students to influential mathematicians throughout history. Highlight their contributions and discoveries. From Pythagoras to Ada Lovelace, there’s a rich tapestry of mathematical pioneers to explore.
• Math Literature: Celebrate math through literature. Read books that incorporate mathematical themes or feature mathematicians as characters. Discuss how math enriches storytelling and vice versa.
• Math Games and Quizzes: Organize math game tournaments or trivia quizzes. Use interactive apps or traditional board games. Make learning math enjoyable and interactive.
• Data Visualization: Teach students how to create effective graphs, charts, and infographics. Discuss the power of visualizing data and how it influences decision-making.
  

BONUS Fun for April Holidays: The Edmentum Brain Game

The Edmentum Brain Game is a fun, descriptive game that puts an interactive twist on flashcard review by challenging players to describe terms with a partner or group. There are multiple ways to play the game, so your imagination is the limit. Plus, the cards are easy to download and print, so your students can play wherever they are.

We’ve assembled a variety of decks for all grade levels in subjects, including:

• Authors (middle/high school),
• Animals (elementary),
• Math terms (elementary),
• U.S. state capitals,
• U.S. presidents,
• ACT/SAT vocabulary (middle/high school), and more.

Download The Edmentum Brain Game today to get started. Interested in exploring more content to celebrate April holidays and events? Browse Edmentum’s Free Resources page for fun, interactive toolkits, downloadables, activity packets, and more.