How do you celebrate April Fool's Day in your classroom? Do you celebrate it at all? I love getting in on the fun and playing little tricks on my class. I also like to squeeze in some learning while examining the history behind this holiday.
April Fool's Day Fun
A few years back, I was at a school where the students took April Fool's Day to the extreme. Everywhere you went on campus, you had to watch out! As soon as you opened a door, a student might put a cup of water on top of it, waiting for it to fall and dump down on you. They even went so far as to sneak out to the parking lot and toilet paper the cars of their teachers! Luckily, I taught the little guys and was not on the receiving end of this one!
The teachers got in on it too. From the principal showing up with a tattoo sleeve, to the famous "brown E's" prank, and don't forget the April Fool's Day quizzes and word searches, the whole day was lighthearted and lots of fun.
April Fool's Day Learning Activities
I want my students to have fun, and we do, but also why not bring some April Fool's Day learning fun into the classroom as well. It hit me that many kids love these little traditions, but how much do they really know about the holiday and how it all got started? That's when I decided to create a resource for them that did just that! My students were excited to learn about the holiday and the traditions behind it with lots of reading and writing activities!
Fun Reading and Writing Activities for April Fool's Day
The topics I used with my students included a section on the history of April Fool's Day. How , when, and where did this silly holiday get started? Next, we looked at what the holiday is like in different parts of the world. We also learned about some famous tricks that have been played. I included matching and comprehension questions to hold students accountable for their learning.
As a response to the reading passages, students chose one prank and wrote about the steps
they would take to perform it. They also wrote about a prank they played on someone. In all, it was a fun way to learn, celebrate, and enjoy the holiday.
Check out this blog post for more prank ideas for April Fool's Day.
If you would like to purchase a copy of this resource, you can find it over here.
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