The Ultimate List of April Holidays And Fun Activities for Toddlers & Preschoolers
April is full of playful and creative opportunities to engage little learners! Whether you’re an in-home childcare provider or a parent looking for simple ways to make everyday moments special, this list is packed with low-prep, engaging activities that fit easily into your routine.
From making magical unicorn crafts for National Unicorn Day to hunting for colors on Find a Rainbow Day, these hands-on activities will spark joy, encourage learning, and make April a month to remember!
How to Use This Guide
This list makes it easy to celebrate all month long! You can: 
Check out this post for more fun days to celebrate in April Pick one activity per day or choose a few to focus on each week. Mix and match activities based on what interests your group. Use this as a quick reference for planning themed crafts, snacks, and playtime. Bookmark this post so you’ll always have fresh ideas at your fingertips!
April Holiday-Themed Activities for Toddlers & Preschoolers
Week 1: April 1 – 7 (Silly Fun & Outdoor Play)
April 1: April Fools’ Day & International Fun at Work Day
Silly Sensory Bin – Fill a bin with unusual textures (cold cooked spaghetti, pom-poms, dried beans) for a playful surprise. Backward Day – Let kids wear their shirts backward, sit backward at circle time, or have snack before playtime!
April 2: International Children’s Book Day & World Autism Awareness Day
Storytime & Blue Day – Read a favorite book and wear blue to support autism awareness. Sensory-Friendly Play – Offer soft lights, cozy corners, and quiet music for a calm space.
April 3: Find a Rainbow Day & National Play Outside Day
Rainbow Scavenger Hunt – Find items in every color of the rainbow outside or indoors. Rainbow Crafting – Try out this fun rainbow paper plate craft, rainbow cotton swab painting, and rainbow do a dot activity!! Color Mixing Bags – Fill ziplock bags with red, blue, and yellow paint. Let kids squish and mix colors together!
April 5: Deep Dish Pizza Day & Dandelion Day
Play Dough Pizza – Use red, yellow, and brown play dough to create pretend pizzas.
Dandelion Crown – Pick dandelions and weave them into a simple crown. Dandelion painting – Pick dandelions and use them in a fun unique painting activity.
April 7: National No Housework Day
Messy Play Day – Let kids freely explore sensory bins, shaving cream play, or finger painting.
Week 2: April 8 – 14 (Animals & Magical Fun)
April 8: Zoo Lovers’ Day
Animal Walks – Crawl like a bear, stomp like an elephant, and hop like a kangaroo! DIY Zoo – Set up stuffed animals in different “zoo” areas and let kids be zookeepers.
April 9: National Unicorn Day
Unicorn Horn Headbands – Make paper horn headbands with glitter and stickers. Magical Color Changing Milk – Use food coloring and dish soap to create a swirling rainbow experiment!
April 10: Farm Animals Day & National Sibling Day
Farm Sensory Bin – Fill a bin with corn kernels, toy animals, and tiny hay bales. Muddy Pigs Art – Paint pigs using brown paint mixed with a little flour for texture.
April 12: Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day & Big Wind Day
DIY Snack – Let kids “make” a pretend sandwich with felt bread and fabric cheese.
Windy Day Experiment – Take scarves outside and watch the wind move them!
April 13: Scrabble Day & Plant Appreciation Day
Letter Tile Hunt – Hide letter tiles (or paper squares with letters) and let kids match them to their names.
Plant a Seed – Decorate cups and plant grass seeds for kids to watch grow.
Week 3: April 15 – 22 (Creative Learning & Nature)
April 15: World Art Day
Outdoor Painting – Let kids paint with water on sidewalks or use nature brushes (leaves, sticks).
April 18: International Jugglers Day & Velociraptor Awareness Day
Dinosaur Obstacle Course – Pretend to be dinosaurs climbing, jumping, and stomping!
April 22: Earth Day & National Jelly Bean Day
Recycled Art – Use bottle caps, egg cartons, and cardboard for a creative upcycling craft. Mess Free Earth Painting – Try out this fun mess free earth day paper plate project. Nature Walk – Go on a “litter hunt” and pick up trash (with supervision).
Week 4: April 23 – 30 (Movement & Exploration)
April 25: World Penguin Day
Penguin Waddle Game – Place bean bags on kids’ feet and see if they can waddle like penguins.
April 26: National Pretzel Day & Alien Day
Pretzel Play Dough – Roll play dough into “pretzels”.
Alien Sensory Play – Use green slime (colored aloe or hair gel works great too!) and googly eyes for an alien-themed bin.
April 29: International Dance Day & National Arbor Day
Dance Party – Play music and have a free dance session!
Tree Rubbing Art – Place paper against tree bark and rub with crayons.
April 30: Tie Dye Day
Coffee Filter Tie-Dye – Color coffee filters with markers and spray with water to create a tie-dye effect.
Wrapping Up a Month of Fun & Learning
April is such a fun month to lean into creativity, nature, and all those quirky little holidays that make learning feel like play! These developmentally appropriate activities are perfect for adding a spark to your in-home childcare days or your time at home with little ones—while still building skills like fine motor development, language, and creativity.
The best part? You can easily adjust each activity to fit your group—whether you’ve got busy toddlers or imaginative preschoolers (or a mix of both!). With just a little prep, every day can feel special, intentional, and full of joy.
