April Nature Calendar Freebie
I hope that you enjoy the activities and read-alouds that I’ve carefully curated for this special month.
One thing that I want you to keep in mind with each of my monthly calendars: they are designed more to be used as a menu. Take what you want from them and leave the rest.
The calendars are packed full of dozens and dozens of book ideas, activity ideas, etc. but it would be a LOT to do every single thing each month. By all means, if you are in a season of life where you can or want to – go for it! But most likely, you’ll pick and choose or even do things a bit out of order… and that’s okay!!
I want these calendars to feel low-pressure for you. They are meant to be a source of inspiration for you to enjoy each season. I absolutely don’t want them to feel like ‘just another thing’ on your plate. Have fun with them! Use them as a menu and pick and choose what you like and what works for your family and the season you are in and leave behind anything that doesn’t fit.
You can find the link to the free calendar at the bottom of this post – you can navigate to it using the table of contents too.
Inside each of my free nature calendars, you will find:
- nature facts with sources to learn more
- plenty of read aloud suggestions that fit the season
- weekly poetry tea time ideas that fit the season
- at least one idea for giving back to the community
- simple activity ideas
- ideas to encourage outdoor time
- questions that spark curiosity about nature (this can lead to so much learning!)
Activity Links
Here is where I’ve broken it all down for you – you’ll find more information about the activities, nature facts and sources, and read aloud choices for each day of the month.
Disclaimer: The ABCs of Motherhood is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, which helps me run my website. Read more about these links in my disclosure policy.
Week 1: Farm Week
April 1st: Set up a farm-themed sensory bin and read A Year at Maple Hill Farm.
Fun Fact: I have an entire blog post dedicated to a whole week of farm-themed activities complete with free printables, which you can view here.
My favorite farm-themed sensory bin is a dried corn sensory bin (it’s featured in the above mentioned blog post!). Of course, what farm-themed week would be complete without reading A Year at Maple Hill Farm? It’s one of our favorite books that details life on a farm through each month of the year.
April 2nd: Poetry Tea Time: Read “April” from A Year of Poetry and “Spring Story” from The Complete Brambly Hedge and enjoy carrot cake.
Brambly Hedge + carrot cake = two of the best things! This carrot cake recipe has stolen my heart (the cream cheese frosting is perfection).
April 3rd: Tour a local farm or visit a petting zoo.
Did you know that if you aren’t able to visit a local farm or petting zoo, you can do a free virtual tour of a bunch of them? I thought this was pretty cool! Here is one site that I found interesting with a dairy farm tour.
April 4th: On average, one U.S. farm feeds 169 people annually in the U.S. and abroad.
This is a great time to open up a discussion regarding the importance (necessity) of farms. (source).
April 5th: Shop at a farmer’s market and make a meal using items purchased.
It may be a little too early still for farmer’s markets to be open – in which case you can have a discussion about the many different foods farms can provide.
Week 2: Baby Animals + Conservation
April 6th: Animal moms may show aggression at this time of year in an effort to protect their babies.
It’s always good to teach our children to respect wildlife and no better time to reiterate this lesson than now, when wildlife moms everywhere are starting to show aggression and are needing some space.
April 7th: Read Make Way for Ducklings.
Robert McCloskey’s Make Way for Ducklings has stolen reader’s hearts for generations. First published in 1941, it went on to win the 1942 Caldecott Medal for it’s beautiful illustrations.
The book has become so popular that a statue in the Boston Public Garden was erected in it’s honor, depicting a mama duck and her eight ducklings. (source).
April 8th: Create and decorate play dough Easter eggs and bunnies.
This is a fun play dough activity we like to do every year! Check out my reel detailing all of the information.
April 9th: Poetry Tea Time: Read The Lorax and make Lorax-themed snacks.
The Lorax is one of our favorite Dr. Seuss stories – and I thought these Nutter Butter “Lorax” treats (scroll about halfway through the post) looked SO cute and fun – and perfect for tea time.
April 10th: Look for signs of baby animal life on a hike.
Bring a camera to capture the fun!
April 11th: Chat about Earth conservation and why it’s so important. Watch a bit of Planet Earth together.
Growing up, I was always fascinated by the Planet Earth DVDs – nowadays, I’m sure there are a bunch of similar programs out there, so pick one you love to watch and be amazed at our beautiful planet as you discuss the importance of protecting it.
April 12th: Plan ways you can improve conservation at home. Listen to S2E6 “Speak Up, Francine” from the Arthur Podcast.
The Arthur Podcast is a favorite around here – this episode not only addresses speaking up (even when it’s hard), but also touches on the importance of Earth conservation.
Week 3: Weather
April 13th: Warmer temperatures and longer daylight hours are a result of the Earth tilting toward the sun.
How cool is that?!
April 14th: Read The Adventures of Sophie Mouse: It’s Raining, It’s Pouring.
We just love Sophie Mouse books – they are the sweetest.
April 15th: Make boats like Sophie Mouse did in yesterday’s read aloud and see if yours floats or sinks.
Use whatever you’d like!
April 16th: Poetry Tea Time: Read Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and enjoy chocolate donut holes.
I wasn’t able to find a website link for these – but they look way too fun to pass up making. Here’s a Pinterest picture. Essentially, they are chocolate donut holes with a little bit of red frosting on top and a little bit of drizzled white chocolate underneath to resemble spaghetti and meatballs.
I just know the kids will get such a kick out of these paired with a classic read aloud book.
April 17th: Enjoy a picnic on the next sunny day.
Fingers crossed for some sunny days mixed in with the April showers.
April 18th: Warmer temperatures and increased rainfall help plants, trees, and flowers bloom in the spring.
Oh how we’ve missed those beautiful blooms. Thank you springtime! (source along with a bunch of other fun facts about spring for kids).
April 19th: Book the first camping trip of the year.
If you are on the fence about camping and have access to a backyard – mark a date on the calendar to tent camp in your backyard instead. I promise, it’s just as fun for kids!
Week 4: Pollinators
April 20th: Bees aren’t the only pollinators. Hummingbirds, butterflies, bats, and even some flies and ants are pollinators.
April 21st: Read a stack of picture books about flowers and gardening.
Check out my booklist below for a bunch of picture book options!
April 22nd: Set up a flower planting sensory bin.
This is another sensory bin that I repeat every year, with items originally found at the dollar store and saved year to year. Check out my reel* with all the details. *This reel actually shows a 2 in 1 activity, a flower shop + the flower planting sensory bin.
April 23rd: Poetry Tea Time: Read a stack of picture books about bees and make cinnamon biscuits with honey butter.
Ever since I stumbled upon this pin, I knew I needed to try this cinnamon biscuit with honey butter recipe. I haven’t made it yet, but the reviews were all great and they look amazing.
Check out my booklist below for picture book ideas about bees.
April 24th: Visit a bee keeper and buy some local honey.
On of our local shops sells honey sticks in an array of different flavors and we love to visit! Fun fact: locally made honey sticks were our wedding favors a decade ago!
April 25th: Pollinators need native wildflowers for survival, which are those that naturally grow in an area.
April 26th: Support a local florist and buy a beautiful bouquet of flowers.
Bonus: buy two and gift one bouquet to someone you love.
Week 5: Ponds
April 27th: Name some living things that need ponds to survive. Read There’s a Hole in the Log at the Bottom of the Lake.
Source / Inspiration. This picture book is so silly and fun!
April 28th: Begin reading The Trumpet of the Swan.
I snagged a copy of this classic at a thrift store recently and have been so eager to begin reading it aloud. Now is the perfect time to get started on it!
April 29th: Set up a frog habitat sensory bin. Read There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Frog.
There are a TON of ideas on Pinterest for this – but this is the one we will probably replicate!
April 30th: Poetry Tea Time: Read the Frog and Toad series and enjoy chocolate chip cookies.
Chocolate chip cookies pair perfectly with Frog and Toad… “We must stop eating!” cried Toad as he ate another. HA!
April Nature Calendar Booklist
The Year At Maple Hill Farm – Alice and Martin Provensen
A Year of Poetry for “April” – Anne Grahame Johnstone
The Complete Brambly Hedge for “Spring Story” – Jill Barklem
Make Way For Ducklings – Robert McCloskey
The Adventures of Sophie Mouse: It’s Raining, It’s Pouring – Poppy Green
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs – Judi and Ron Barrett
Ideas for Picture Books about Flowers and Gardening:
The Reason For a Flower – Ruth Heller
We Are the Gardeners – Joanna Gaines
Miss Rumphius – Barbara Cooney
Sidewalk Flowers – JonArno Lawson
A Season of Flowers – Michael Garland
The Golden Glow – Benjamin Flouw
The Big Book of Blooms – Yuval Zommer
Ideas for Picture Books about Bees
The Bumblebee Queen – April Pulley Sayre
What If There Were No Bees? – Suzanne Slade
The Honey Makers – Gail Gibbons
The Bee Tree – Patricia Polacco
There’s a Hole in the Log at the Bottom of the Lake – Loren Long
The Trumpet of the Swan – E.B. White
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Frog! – Lucille Colandro
The Frog and Toad Series – Arnold Lobel
Enjoy Your April Nature Calendar
Grab your FREE copy of the April Nature Calendar by clicking here.
You can print your own copy. I suggest printing in color, laminating, and hanging it up on your fridge within eyesight!
Happy April!
Leave a Reply