Materials
- April Foolishness by Teresa Bateman
- paper and marker
What to do
* April Fool's Day is celebrated on April 1st. April is also National Humor Month.
1. During the last week of March, explain to the children that April Fool's Day is celebrated on April 1st.
2. Ask them if they know what it means to do foolish things. Record their responses and print them on a chart to display.
3. Read April Foolishness by Teresa Bateman. Talk about the foolish things the people in the story do.
4. Ask the children if they would like to do some foolish things to celebrate
April Fool's Day. Make a list. For example:
- Wear clothes backwards or inside out
- Wear shoes on the wrong feet
- Say goodbye instead of hello
- Walk backwards
- Sit on chairs backwards
5. Send the following letter home a couple of days before April 1st:
Dear Parents,
We will celebrate April Fool's Day by doing some foolish things in the classroom. On April 1st, please allow your child to wear his/her clothes backwards or inside out; wear his/her shoes on the wrong feet, and wear his/her coat backwards or inside out. When you and your child arrive at school, please say, "Goodbye" to the people you greet rather than saying, "Hello," and "Hello" instead of "Goodbye" when you leave.
6. Encourage the children to follow the foolish plans they made. The children will have a great time! Make sure that you don't force anyone to participate.
More to do
- Art: On April Fool's Day, make funny headbands. Simply tape two strips of colored construction paper together to fit each child's head. Have the children draw designs on their headband with markers or crayons. On the front of each band, print "Happy April Fool's Day."
- Snack: Have a foolish snack by sitting on the floor and eating off a chair. For this activity, have a simple snack. Spread a large vinyl tablecloth on the floor for the children to sit on so they won't touch the floor while eating.
- Naptime: Have a foolish nap by letting the children sleep on top of their blankets and cover up with their sheets. Do this only if you think the children will really sleep!
-Virginia Jean Herrod, Columbia, SC
