April 2024 (PDF)

Daily literacy-building activities to share with your child.
APRIL 2024
S U N D A Y
M O N D A Y
T U E S D A Y
W E D N E S D A Y
T H U R S D A Y
F R I D A Y
S A T U R D A Y
	 1	
WRITING
Talk a walk outside together. 
When you return home, work 
together to draw the story of 
your walk. What did you see?
	 2	
PLAYING
Take turns pretending to be 
a variety of animals. Bark 
and wag your tail like a dog. 
Wriggle like a snake. Be a 
bird flapping its wings.
	 3	
TALKING
Say a favorite nursery rhyme, 
but change an important 
word to something silly.
Hickory Dickory Dock, the  
mouse ran up the tree…
	 4	
SINGING
Has it been raining a lot? 
Sing “Rain, Rain, Go Away.”
(Words are on the back. 
)
	 5	
COUNTING
Talk about big and little 
today. Find and talk about 
items that are different sizes 
throughout the day.
	 6	
READING
Visit the library (in person or 
online) and  
check out  
books about  
spring.
	 7	
WRITING
Create a piece of art. Look at 
the sky and draw  
the clouds. Be  
sure to sign  
your name!
	 8	
PLAYING
Play follow the leader. One 
person (the leader) performs 
actions the others must 
follow. Take turns being the 
leader.
	 9	
TALKING
Use new describing words 
today. For example, say 
“enormous” instead of “big” 
and “wonderful” instead of 
“great.”
	 10	
SINGING
Sing ”Row, Row, Row Your 
Boat” during bath time.
(Words are on the back. 
)
	 11	 COUNTING
Cut a piece of toast in half. 
Say “Now we have two 
pieces  
the same  
size.”
	 12	 READING
Help your child stack blocks 
as high as you can. Count 
each block as you add it. 
How many can you stack 
before it tumbles over?
	 13	
WRITING
Make a dot painting with 
cotton swabs and paint to 
help develop fine motor 
skills.
	 14	 PLAYING
Cut out large shapes—a 
square, a triangle, a circle—
and place them on the floor. 
Take turns telling which 
shapes to step on.
	 15	
TALKING
Talk about your day and 
their day.
I’m making breakfast. You’re 
playing with blocks. We’re  
getting ready to go out.
	 16	
SINGING
Sing “I Hear Thunder.”
(Words are on the back. 
)
	 17	 COUNTING
Draw a chalk grid with 
numbers and have the child 
jump to the numbers you 
call out.
	 18	 READING
Teach letter sounds by 
playing “I Spy.”
I spy with my little eye something 
that begins with S.
Yes! A spoon!
	 19	
WRITING
Help your child experiment 
with a variety of writing 
tools. Use pencils, crayons, 
markers, and chalk on 
different types of paper.
	 20	 PLAYING
Go on a circle hunt!  
Make a list of all the  
circle-shaped  
items you  
find today. 
	 21	
TALKING
Choose a word of the 
day. Write the word down 
together. Use the word 
several times during the 
course of the day. 
	 22	 SINGING
Make up a song about 
something that is familiar or 
interesting to your child.
23	COUNTING
Count in nature. How many 
birds, rocks, flowers, trees 
do you see? 
	 24	 READING
Place pieces of paper with 
big letters written on them 
around the room. Help your 
child find them.
Where’s the letter A? On the chair!
	 25	 WRITING
Write your child’s first name 
in big block letters. Color 
and decorate it together. 
Talk about each letter.
	 26	 PLAYING
Make paper bag puppets and 
play with them. Introduce 
them to each other.
(Instructions are on the  
back. 
)
	 27	 TALKING
Go on a listening walk. 
Listen for birds, the wind, 
traffic, and point them out. 
At the end of your walk talk 
about what you heard.
	 28	 SINGING
Take turns  
singing bits  
of favorite  
songs to  
each other.
29	 COUNTING
Line up the family from 
shortest to tallest. From 
tallest to shortest. From 
oldest to youngest. From 
youngest to oldest.
	 30	 READING
Help your child notice words 
throughout the day. Point 
out street signs, words on 
food cartons, billboards, and 
more.
W W W . P L A . O R G

Check out these books at the library. If they are not available,  
ask the librarian for a recommendation.
Books to Read 
this Month
FOR READERS AGES 0–3
Bedtime for Bo
by Kjersti Annesdatter Skomsvold
Shhh! We Have a Plan
by Chris Haughton
FOR 
READERS 
AGES 3+
Telling Stories 
Wrong
by Gianni Rodari
The Book of 
Mistakes
by Corinna Luyken
Talking is one of the best ways for children to 
learn new words. 
Speak to your child often during the day and try to use many different words to 
express your ideas. Children love to imitate, and they will try to imitate your speech. 
Chances to chat include while you are getting dressed in the morning, eating 
breakfast, riding in the car, walking from the car to a store, playing together, doing 
chores, taking a bath, going to bed, and while saying goodnight. Ask lots of  
open-ended questions, those that require more than a yes or no answer.
RAIN, RAIN, 
GO AWAY
Rain, Rain,
Go away;
Come again,
Another day;
Little [child’s name]  
wants to play
I HEAR THUNDER
Sing to the tune “Frère Jacques”
I hear thunder, I hear thunder. 
(Pound hands gently on floor or lap) 
Listen, don’t you? Listen, don’t you? 
(Cup hand to ear) 
Pitter, patter raindrops; pitter, patter raindrops; 
(Wiggle fingers in falling motion in front of face) 
I’m wet through, 
(Shake body) 
So are you!
PAPER BAG PUPPETS
You will need:
•	 Crayons or Markers
•	 Small paper bags, like lunch bags
•	 Yarn or ribbon
•	 Glue stick
Directions:
1.	 Use your crayons and markers to create 
a face on the bottom of your paper bag.
2.	Use glue and yarn or ribbon to make hair. 
You can also draw your puppet’s hair.
3.	Color in the bottom part of your puppet 
to make clothes.
4.	Put your hand inside the bag and put on 
a puppet show.
ROW ROW YOUR BOAT
Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream
Merrily merrily, merrily, merrily
Life is but a dream