Here’s the collection of themes, foods, historic and scientific anniversaries, awareness days, and famous birthdays for April.
A free PDF of Special Days in April and other teaching resources can be found at the end of this list.
April’s Themes, Awareness, and Observances
- Amateur Radio
- Arab American Heritage
- Astronomy
- Autism Awareness
- Car Care
- Card and Letter Writing
- Celebrate Diversity
- Child Abuse Prevention Month
- Confederate History
- Decorating
- Financial Literacy Month
- Frogs
- Garden
- Guitar
- Holy Humor
- Home Improvement
- Humor
- Jazz Appreciation
- Keep America Beautiful
- Kites
- Landscape Architecture
- Listening Awareness
- Math Education
- Military Child
- Pet 1st Aid
- Poetry
- Recycling
- School Library
- Straw Hat
- Stress Awareness
- Young Child
- Youth Sports Safety
- World Habitat Awareness
April Food Themes
- BLT Sandwich
- Celery
- Child Nutrition
- Cranberries
- Garlic
- Gooseberries
- Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Pecan
- Soft Pretzel
- Soy Foods
- Tomato
Special Days With Varying Dates
Daffodil Sunday (1st Sun.)
Bat Appreciation Week (1st full week)
Sweet Tater Day (1st Mon.)
Walking Day (1st Wed.)
Walk to Work Day (1st Fri.)
Birding Day (1st Sat.)
Love Our Children Day (1st Sat.)
Pillow Fight Day (1st Sat.)
Garden Week (2nd week)
Student Employment Week (2nd full week)
Global Day to End Child Sexual Abuse (2nd Sun.)
Baby Massage Day (2nd Sat.)
Slow Art Day (2nd Sat.)
Boys & Girls Club Week (3rd full week)
Coin Week (3rd full week)
Boston Marathon (3rd Mon.)
Patriot’s Day (3rd Mon.)
High Five Day (3rd Thurs.)
World Laboratory Animal Liberation Week (week of the 24th)
Global Youth Service Days (3rd weekend)
Auctioneers Day (3rd Sat.)
Husband Appreciation Day (3rd Sat.)
Karaoke Week (4th week)
Princess Week (last full week)
Sky Awareness Week ( last full week)
Environmental Education Week (Mon. of last full week)
Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day (4th Thurs.)
Pinhole Photography Day (last Sun.)
Arbor Day (last Fri.)
Save the Frogs Day (last Fri.)
Eeyore’s Birthday (last Sat.)
Frog Day (last Sat.)
Go Birding Day (last Sat.)
Sense of Smell Day (last Sat.)
Veterinary Day (last Sat.)
World Healing Day (last Sat.)
Special Days Without Set Dates
Explore Your Career Options Week
Public Health Week
Holy Week (sometimes March)
Palm Sunday (sometimes March)
Passover (sometimes March)
Good Friday (sometimes March)
Easter Sunday (sometimes March)
Easter Monday (sometimes March)
Library Week
Library Day (Tues. during Library Week)
Teen Literature Day (Thurs. of Library Week)
National Gardening Week (UK)
National Park Week
Just Pray No! Weekend of Prayer and Fasting
Money Smart Week
Preservation Week
Playground Safety Week
Teach Your Children to Save Day
Week of the Young Child
Poem In Your Pocket Day
Gathering of the Nations PowWow
Fiddler’s Frolic
Infant & Toddler Immunization Week
Special Days With Set Dates
April 1
- April Fool’s Day
- Atheist Day
- Fun at Work Day
- Golden Rule Week begins
- Medication Safety Week begins
- Poetry and The Creative Mind Day
- Read a Road Map Week begins
- Reading Is Funny Day
- Tatting Day
- US Air Force Academy Day
April 2
- Author Hans Christian Andersen born 1805
- Children’s Book Day
- Ferret Day
- Ponce de Leon discovers and claims Florida for Spain 1513
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Day
- Reconciliation Day
- World Autism Day
April 3
- Chocolate Mousse Day
- Don’t Go To Work Unless It’s Fun Day
- Find a Rainbow Day
- Scientist Jane Goodall born 1934
- Johan Gutenberg 1st used movable type to print a book 1451
- Author Washington Irving born 1783
- 1st Pony Express Mail Route 1860
- Tweed Day
- Weed Out Hate/Sow Seeds of Greatness Day
- World Party Day
April 4
- Hug a Newsman Day
- Martin Luther King Jr. assassinated 1968
- NATO established 1949
- Rat Day
- Robotics Week begins
- Author/Illustrator Glen Rounds born 1906
- Tell a Lie Day
- Vitamin C Day
- Walk Around Things Day
April 5
- Deep Dish Pizza Day
- Easter Island “discovered” 1722
- Go For Broke Day
- Scientist Joseph Lister born 1827
- Plum Pudding Day
- Scientist Walter Sutton born 1877
- Activist Booker T. Washington born 1856
April 6
- 1st Animated Cartoon was copyrighted 1906
- Army Day
- Fresh Tomato Day
- North Pole discovered 1909
- Artist Raphael born 1483
- Sorry Charlie Day
- Teflon invented 1938
- Twinkie invented 1930
- US Entry Into WWI 1916
April 7
- Beaver Day
- Caramel Popcorn Day
- Metric System Day
- No Housework Day
- Poet William Wordsworth born 1770
- World Health Organization Day
April 8
- All Is Ours Day
- Buddha born 563 BC
- Draw a Picture of a Bird Day
- Empanada Day
- Roma Day
- Zoo Lovers Day
April 9
- Appomattox Day (US Civil War ends 1865)
- Cherish an Antique Day
- Winston Churchill Day (first person to become an Honorary Citizen of the United States 1963)
- Georgia Independence 1991
- Name Yourself Day
April 10
- Farm Animals Day
- Golfers Day
- Salvation Army Founder’s Day 1865
- Safety Pin patented 1849
- Sibling Day
April 11
- Apollo 13 Launched 1970
- Barbershop Quartet Day
- 8-Track Tape Day
- Pet Day
- End of Revolutionary War 1783
- Submarine Day
- Teach Your Children to Save Day
April 12
- Big Wind Day
- American Civil War begins 1861
- Author Beverly Cleary born 1916
- D.E.A.R. Day (Drop Everything and Read Day)
- Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day
- International Day for Street Children
- Licorice Day
- 1st Human Space Flight 1961
- 1st Space Shuttle launch 1981
- 1st Union Jack Flag 1606
- Walk On Your Wild Side Day
April 13
- Cowboy/Outlaw Butch Cassidy born 1866
- President Thomas Jefferson born 1743
- Scrabble Day
- Inventor Richard Trevithick born 1771
April 14
- Citizen Science Day
- Dolphin Day
- Look Up At The Sky Day
- Moment of Laughter Day
- Pecan Day
- Reach as High as You Can Day
- St. Tiburtius’ Day
- Websters American Dictionary of the English Language published 1828
April 15
- Corrie Ten Boom born 1892
- Artist/Scientist/Inventor Leonardo Da Vinci born 1452
- Jackie Robinson Day
- Rubber Eraser Day
- Swallow Day
- Take A Wild Guess Day
- The Titanic sank 1912
April 16
- Comedian Charlie Chaplin born 1889
- Day of the Mushroom
- Eggs Benedict Day
- Save the Elephant Day
- Stress Awareness Day
- Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day
- Inventor Wilbur Wright born 1867
April 17
- Bat Appreciation Day
- Blah! Blah! Blah! Day
- Cheese Ball Day
- Ellis Island History Day
- Haiku Poetry Day
- 1st Hershey Bar sold 1895
April 18
- Amateur Radio Day
- Animal Cracker Day
- Juggler’s Day
- Piñata Day
- Paul Revere’s Famous Ride 1775
- San Francisco Earthquake 1906
- Zimbabwe Independence 1980
April 19
- Bicycle Day
- Garlic Day
- Hanging Out Day
- 1st Free Fall Parachute Descent 1919
- Primrose Day
- The Shot Heard Around the World (Battle of Lexington and Concord) 1775
April 20
- Chinese Language Day
- Frog Appreciation Day
- Marie and Pierre Curie Discover Radium 1902
- Adolf Hitler born 1889
- Look Alike Day
- Volunteer Recognition Day
- Weed Day
April 21
- Chocolate Covered Cashews Day
- Queen Elizabeth born 1926
- Henry VIII Became King of England 1509
- Innovation Day
- Kindergarten Day
- Naturalist John Muir born 1838
- Rome Founded 753 BC
April 22
- Earth Day
- Girl Scout Leaders Day
- Jelly Bean Day
- Mother Earth Day
- Roller Skates patented 1823
April 23
- President James Buchanan born 1791
- English Language Day
- St. George’s Day
- Homerun Day
- Laboratory Day
- Movie Theater Day
- Picnic Day
- Slay A Dragon Day
- Take a Chance Day
- Talk Like Shakespeare Day / Author William Shakespeare born 1564 (other sources say April 26)
- Zucchini Bread Day
April 24
- Dance Week begins
- Pigs-in-a-Blanket Day
- Farmer’s Almanac Founder, Robert Bailey Thomas born 1776
April 25
- DNA Day
- East Meets West Day
- Great Fire of London 1666
- Hug a Plumber Day
- Ireland Independence 916
- Physicist Guglielmo Marconi born 1874
- Malaria Awareness Day
- Suez Canal Construction begins 1859
- World Penguin Day
April 26
- Audubon Day
- Help a Horse Day
- Hug An Australian Day
- Kids and Pets Day
- Pretzel Day
- Scientist/Inventor Charles F. Richter born 1900
April 27
- Babe Ruth Day
- Author Ludwig Bemelmans born 1898
- President Ulysses S. Grant born 1822
- Scientist Johannes Kepler born 1571
- Inventor Samuel Morse born 1791
- Prime Rib Day
- Sierra Leone Independence 1961
- Tell A Story Day
- Togo Independence 1960
- World Tapir Day
April 28
- Biological Clock Day
- Floralia
- Great Poetry Reading Day
- Kiss Your Mate Day
- Maryland Statehood 1788
- President James Monroe born 1758
April 29
- Greenery Day
- Shrimp Scampi Day
- World Wish Day
- Zipper patented 1851
April 30
- Adopt a Shelter Pet Day
- Animal Advocacy Day
- Bugs Bunny Day
- Hairstyle Appreciation Day
- Honesty Day
- Louisiana Statehood 1812
- Raisin Day
- Vietnam War ended 1975
- Walpurgis Night
Free Printable Download – Special Days in April
Collection of free ‘Special Days’ learning resources for April April Resource List
Here’s my favorite resources for help with teaching special days each month https://stilllearningsomethingnew.com/2016/07/31/learning-resources-for-special-days/
How I use Special Days lists in our homeschool blog series :
Special Days and the Evolution of Morning Calendar Time
Special Days Archive – Direct links to the most recent Special Days and Resource lists for each month
I make my monthly special days lists by using several sources including old calendars, holiday books, newspapers, and the web. If you know of a special day that I do not have listed, please comment and let me know what it is so I can add it in. Below are the links to my favorite online April calendars.
http://www.apples4theteacher.com/
http://www.holidayinsights.com/
http://www.se7en.org.za/se7ens-almanac
http://food.unl.edu/food-calendar
http://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/calendar-at-a-glance/
http://chartsbin.com/view/2295
http://projectbritain.com/calendars/index.htm
Happy April!
betty jo
Still Learning Something New 