How to Plan Your Year: April
April may mean showers in your neck of the woods, but it also means spring has arrived with warmer temps and blooming flowers. From fun holidays to bucket list ideas and more, here is your list of what to do in April.
Start by choosing a few fun holidays to celebrate, add a few activities from the bucket list, and tackle a home maintenance project or two. By creating a plan for your month, you can be intentional about trying something new or maintaining a cherished family tradition.
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What to Do in April: Holidays
April is National Humor Month. Challenge your kids to bring a joke to share at dinner or find funny YouTube clips you know will make them laugh.
April is also National Poetry Month. Poets.org has a list of 30 ways to celebrate National Poetry Month. Read or listen to a poem together at breakfast, write a haiku (5 syllable/7 syllable/5 syllable), begin reading a book of poetry, or find out about your state’s poet laureate.
Easter falls on April 4th this year. You may want to have a traditional Easter brunch or dinner, attend a sunrise service, or hide eggs for a backyard Easter egg hunt.
April 15th is Tax Day. Get those forms filed. This is one “holiday” you don’t want to ignore.
April List of Fun Holidays
Here are some of the quirky, wacky “holidays” that fall in April. These are fun to celebrate with your kids for a little treat, a little learning, and a whole lot of fun.
Celebrate April Fool’s Day on April 1st. Check out some fun prank ideas on my April Fool’s Pinterest board.
April 3rd is National Chocolate Mousse Day. Cookies & Cups has my absolute favorite easy chocolate mousse recipe.
National Caramel Popcorn Day is April 6th. Grab a little bag and make your kids’ day!
National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day is April 12th. Add salad or soup and call it dinner. You can stick with the classic, or try out a more gourmet version. Find 20 gourmet grilled cheese recipe options from It’s a Keeper.
April 13th is National Scrabble Day. Teach your kids to play this classic game and they’ll be practicing vocabulary and spelling without even realizing it!
National Haiku Poetry Day is April 17th. Find examples at poetry4kids.com and have fun writing some of you own.
Celebrate National Earth Day on April 22nd, followed immediately by National Picnic Day on April 23rd. Have a picnic in the park, in your backyard, or even your living room!
April 25th is National Zucchini Day. These zucchini muffins from Mommy, I’m Hungry are delicious with or without the addictive cream cheese frosting. I’ve been making these for years (halving the amount of sugar in the recipe) and my kids devour them!
National Pretzel Day is April 26th. Try your hand at making homemade pretzels, or keep it simple and easy by picking up a back of twists or sticks to dip in mustard for snack time.
Finally, April 28th is National Superhero Day. Plan to watch your favorite superhero movie, or show your kids some everyday superheroes, like the ones featured in this video from NBC News.
Grab a complete set of lists to plan your whole year with fun holidays, monthly bucket list ideas, home maintenance tasks, and more in my Etsy shop.
Complete Set of Monthly Lists
Monthly Fun Calendars / Monthly Bucket Lists / Monthly Home Maintenance + more!
Bucket List Ideas for April
My monthly bucket lists include seasonal activities, physical activity, planning or goal setting, self-care, organizing ideas, and more. Here are some suggestions for your April bucket list. Choose a few or do them all!
- decorate for Easter/spring
- plan a summer vacation
- do pushups, squats, or planks while you watch TV
- keep a daily journal
- listen to a new podcast
- do a watercolor painting
- eat a Cadbury creme egg
- make a spring pasta recipe (I like this one filled with veggies!)
- have a tea party
- plant flowers
- clean out your car
- set up a laundry routine
- listen to the rain
- visit a museum
- make a list of home improvement projects to start in warmer weather
For help with laundry routines, read How to Handle Laundry. Get tips and suggestions to find a laundry routine that works for you.
Plan Ahead in April
Here’s what’s coming up in May. Keep these dates in mind for future reference and planning.
Mother’s Day is the 2nd Sunday of May. Plan brunch or order flowers—just make sure you tell your mom how much you appreciate her. You may want to have a conversation with your husband about your own expectations for Mother’s Day. Don’t expect him, or your kids, to know what would make the day special for you!
Get a fun Mother’s Day printable poem and card as part of my monthly themed activities bundle available in my Etsy shop!
Memorial Day is the last Monday in May. Plan your 3-day weekend now, but don’t forget to take a moment to remember the reason for this holiday. Remind your kids that many have given their lives in service to our country, and this holiday is specifically to remember and pay respect to those who sacrificed their lives to defend and protect us.
Home Maintenance to Tackle in April
April is a great time to fertilize your lawn and allow a spring rain to water it in.
It’s also good to get your gutters cleaned out from winter debris.
Your trash and recycle bins could probably use a cleaning. Get out the hose, a long-handled scrub brush, and some dish soap to clean them inside and out. If your trash can is stinky, add a little vinegar to the bottom and let it soak before scrubbing and rinsing out.
Finally, give some of your kitchen appliances a nice deep cleaning. If you’ve been following along with me each month, you already cleaned your oven in January. But your dishwasher, microwave, and refrigerator might be in need of a little TLC.
How to Plan Your Year: April Lists
By taking the time to plan a few projects each month, seasonal bucket list activities, and a few holidays to celebrate, you’ll get into a rhythm of taking care of the work that needs to be done and making time for fun and family.
Use these lists of fun holidays, bucket list ideas, and home maintenance tasks as a starting point. Add your own projects and personal priorities for April and you’ll have a list of what to do in April.
My Planning List Bundle can help you create monthly plans to reuse year after year to organize your life.
Get it today and start planning your year one month at a time!
Printable List of Fun Holidays
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What to Do in April
