April Calendar with Rhyming Multisensory Stories

A big thanks, as always to Victoria for supplying us with ideas for your classroom in April! Enjoy!

Teaching ideas, activities, and inspiration for sensory learners of all ages to celebrate the month of April, including Vaisakhi, Shakespeare Day, The Titanic, National Pet Month, Earth Day, World Art Day, National Superhero Day and more…

Dates at a Glance

1st April – 1st May – National Pet Month
3rd April – Find a Rainbow Day
7th April – World Health Day
13th April – Vaisakhi
15th April – Anniversary of the Sinking of the Titanic
15th April – World Art Day
22nd April – Earth Day
23rd April – Shakespeare Day
28th April – National Superhero Day

Just for fun!

22nd April – National Jellybean Day

29th April – National Zipper Day

The April Sensory Garden

In the 3rd – 4th weeks of April sow in pots then cover: beans, cabbage, cauliflower, courgettes, cucumbers, kale, squash, and sunflowers.
Sow outdoors in sunny areas (cover with cloches) leeks, lettuce, peas, potatoes, rocket, spinach, chard.
Plant hanging baskets (keep away from frost)
Tidy and pull up any weeds.

What to Look for in Nature

Flora and Fauna

Alexanders, bistort, burdock, chickweed, comfrey, cowslips, crocus, daffodils, dandelion leaves, gorse, hawthorn tips, orache, primulas, rampion, salad burnet, violets, wild garlic, wood sorrel.

The April Kitchen

Purple sprouting broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, chicory, Jersey potatoes, kale, onions, radish, turnips.

Bird of the Month

The Cuckoo

The first cuckoo call can be heard mid-April.

Activity Idea

Play a sound effect of a cuckoo.
Explore feathers

Extend Learning

Can the student count how many Cuckoo calls they can hear?

1st April – 1st May

National Pet Month

Raising awareness of responsible pet ownership.

Activity Idea

Set up a Pet Store Role Play Area

Excerpt from ‘Jobs and Work Experience’ Sensory Story and Teaching Pack

Told as a multisensory story, this resource explores the world of jobs and work experience.

The extension activities are set up to appeal to appeal to a range of ages and abilities.

Early Years and Reception and Year 1 students can explore the world of work through role play and classroom-based activities.

PMLD students can explore the world of work through the sensory props and themed activities.

For post-16 students there are ideas for work experience within the whole school and suggestions for where to look for work placements in the wider community.

3rd April

Find a Rainbow Day

A day to celebrate the rainbow which symbolises hope. The rainbow also symbolises inclusivity, diversity, and friendship.

Engage in Scientific Investigation

Make a Rainbow

You will need

Torch
Glass
Water
Sheet of White Paper

Method

3/4 fill a glass with water.
Place a white sheet of paper on a table.
Hold the glass above the paper.
Shine the torch from the top of the glass above the water
Adjust the position of the paper until you see a rainbow.

The Science Bit!

When the light passes through the water it breaks up into all the colours it is made from creating a rainbow.

Rainbows End Treasure Hunt

This activity promotes problem solving skills and physical development.

Hide multicoloured ‘treasure’ items around the room, garden, or outdoor area: acrylic gems, baubles, buttons, coloured clothing pegs, costume jewellery, Lego/Duplo bricks, fabric & material, pom poms, ribbon, tinsel.

Provide clues to help students to locate the treasure. This can be done verbally, through the ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ game, riddles, visual clues or provide a map.
Provide a box or bag for the sensory explorer to store their discovered treasure as they find it.
Alternatively provide a tick list or create a laminated visual board for the sensory explorer to tick off or circle as the treasure is found.

Alternative Treasure Hunt Activity

Place multicoloured ‘treasure’ inside a box of coloured shredded paper.

Can the student(s) use their sense of touch to find the items?

Provide a torch to explore how the treasure sparkles and reflects in the light.

Explore a Kaleidoscope.

Can the student(s) rotate the dial independently and watch the images and patterns created as the colourful beads, feathers and small pieces of glass rotate?

Colour Sorting Game

Develop fine motor skills and colour recognition

Can the sensory explorer use safety tweezers/chopsticks/their fingers and thumbs to pick up coloured buttons, Lego bricks, pom poms, gems, and rainbow drops?
Can the sensory explorer sort items of the same colour into boxes/baskets.

Rainbow Sensory Umbrella

Thread the ribs of an umbrella with multicoloured LED battery lights (tape the battery pack to the handle of the umbrella)

Tie colourful ribbons, streamers, and mirrors (to reflect the colours) to the ribs of the umbrella.

Rotate.

7th April

World Health Day

World Health Day is dedicated to promoting the benefits of good health and wellbeing.

The theme for 2024 is ‘My Health, My Right’

You may wish to focus on healthy eating, exercise, or mental wellbeing.

Find out more

13th April

Vaisakhi

Vaisakhi is a Sikh spring harvest celebration.

Activity Ideas

Explore yellow and orange fabric and material. Use this as an opportunity for individuals to explore their likes, dislikes, and sensory preferences.

Listen to folk music. Can the student(s) play along to the music using a drum, recorders/flutes, shakers, bells, and other percussion instruments?
Watch footage of Bhangra dancing. Would the student(s) like to join in?
Smell, touch and taste foods traditionally harvested in the spring: Chickpeas Pears Lentils Linseed (Flaxseed)

15th April

The Anniversary of Sinking of the Titanic

Activity Idea: Make boats from materials that float.

For the Boat Base: Balsa, Cardboard Box, Cd’s, Corks, Cupcake Cases, Feathers, Margarine Tubs, Match Sticks, Plastic Bottle Tops, Plastic Bottles, Lids Dishes and Plates, Sponges, Straws, Styrofoam, Twigs, Wooden Craft Sticks.

The Sail: Balloons, Card, Feathers, Foam Shapes, Leaves, Material.

Experiment Make egg box and paper boats.

Explore Cause & Effect Can the sensory explorer direct a fan (battery operated fan/dynamo ‘squeeze’ fan/hand-held fan, paper/silk fan) at the boat to move it across the water?

Compete Hold a boat race.

Can the students predict the boat that will win based on the materials it is made from?

Explore Add cargo to the boats.

Test Durability

Add Ice cubes to the water. How well do the boats navigate these obstacles?

Engage in Scientific Investigation Add salt to the water. Does this enable the boats and materials to float easier?

Explore the properties of a variety of materials to see which materials float and which ones sink.

15th April

World Art Day

World Art Day is a celebration to promote the development and enjoyment of art around the world.

Spring Paintbrushes

This is a wonderful spring activity that engages the senses, promote fine motor skills and creativity.

You will need:

Dried grasses
Feathers
Flowers
Leaves
Herbs e.g., Lemon balm mint, rosemary & thyme)
Twigs/sticks
Seed heads
Straw
Masking tape/rubber band/string
Paper
Paint

Activity

Tape or tie different nature items onto sticks using a rubber band or string, dip in paint and get creative!
Explore lines, swirls and create patterns.

22nd April

Earth Day

A day to reflect on the importance of looking after the environment and protecting our planet.

Teach students about the impact of landfill and climate change with these two hands-on activities.

Just for Fun!

22nd April

National Jellybean Day

This is a fun activity (and we all need a little treat!)

Can the students guess the flavour of the jellybean? (To make this easier offer a choice of two possible flavours)

Can the students use adjectives to describe the flavour: bitter, buttery, citrus, floral, fresh, fruity, grapey, lemony, limey, refreshing, sour, sweet, syrupy, tangy, tart, toasty, vanilla, zesty, zingy?

Can other students guess the flavour by the description?

(Be aware of allergies and choking hazards)

23rd April

Shakespeare Day

Connect your students to classical poetry by exploring a line of a poem.

The example below shows ideas for ‘Macbeth’ by William Shakespeare

29th April

World Zipper Day!

A day to be grateful for those little inventions that make a difference to our lives and an opportunity to promote fine motor skills and independence (dressing skills)

Explore Fastenings:

Buckles, Buttons, Cuff Links, Eyelets, Magnetic Clasps, Metal Hook & Eye, Shoelaces, Sliders, Snap Hooks, Toggles, Velcro, Zips.

28th April

National Superhero Day

A day to honour all superheroes, both fictional and real.

Explore the powers of superheroes!