April Fools' Day 2024 Teaching Resources
Bring the fun of April Fools' Day 2024 into your primary classroom with printable worksheets and more teaching resources created by teachers, for teachers.
Looking to know a little more about this event before you introduce it to your students? Read on for a primer from our teacher team!
What Is April Fools' Day?
Not familiar with this event? April Fools' Day is a fun holiday that's celebrated on 1 April every year in Australia and countries around the world. It's a day when people play jokes or pranks on each other and try to trick them into believing something that's not true. The idea is to make people laugh or smile, so pranks tend to be harmless and shouldn't be mean or harmful.
Kids pulling pranks on April Fools' Day might tell someone they have a spider on their shoulder when there's really nothing there, or they might try to convince a classmate that they will have a surprise test for maths class when there's really no test on the agenda.
How Did April Fools' Day Start?
The exact origins of April Fools' Day is hard to pin down and historians can have found a variety of origin stories that compete for the one true start of the event.
One theory is that it dates back to ancient Roman festivals such as Hilaria, which were celebrated around the end of March and involved people playing pranks on each other. Another theory suggests that it began in France in the 16th century when the calendar was changed and New Year's Day was moved from late March/early April to 1 January. People who continued to celebrate the New Year in April were mocked and tricked by those who had switched to the new calendar.
No matter when it began, it's still going strong here in Australia, and kids love it!
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April Fools' Day Word Search
Learn about April Fools’ Day with this handy word search.
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April Fools' Day Mini Book
Read, research and learn about April Fools’ Day with this mini workbook.
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April Fools' Day Secret Message Worksheets
Have some fun unlocking two April Fools' Day secret messages using symbols!
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April Fools' Day Word Scramble
Have a bit of word-friendly fun with an April Fools’ Day Word Scramble worksheet.
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April Fools' Day 'Knock Knock' House Template
Create a fun classroom display of Knock Knock jokes for April Fools’ Day.
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April Fools' Day Word Game Worksheets
Celebrate April Fools' Day in the classroom with these fun word game worksheets.
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All About April Fools' Day PowerPoint
Introduce your students to the history of April Fools' Day with this 13-slide PowerPoint presentation.
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April Fools' Day Writing Prompt Worksheets
Celebrate April Fools' Day in the classroom with these fun writing prompt worksheets.
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My April Fools' Day Writing Prompt and Craft
Create a fun piece of writing around April Fools’ Day with this cute write and craft.
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Mean Vs. Nice Pranks Worksheet
Learn the difference between a mean prank and nice prank on April Fools' Day.
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April Fools' Day Comprehension Passages
Read and learn about April Fools' Day with this set of differentiated comprehension worksheets.