Spring and April Writing Prompts

Creative Writing Ideas and
Journal Topics for Spring and April

April and Spring Writing Prompts: Are you looking for a creative list of writing prompts and journal ideas to use during the month of April?

Below, you will find a list of general April writing topics and a list of specific calendar dates for April which contain creative writing ideas related to that particular date in April.

I have created this list of Spring and April writing prompts and ideas for elementary school teachers and students, but many of these creative writing ideas and topics would also be appropriate for other grade levels.

You will find some Spring and April writing prompts below that contain underlined links. If you click on an underlined link:

• You will be directed to another page on Unique Teaching Resources that contains detailed lesson plan ideas and printable worksheets for those April writing prompts.
• You will be directed to another website that contains useful information related to those particular April writing prompts.

General Spring and April Writing Prompts:

• Write a S.P.R.I.N.G. acrostic poem.
• Click on the link below to view the page where this S.P.R.I.N.G. acrostic poem can be found:
  S.P.R.I.N.G. Rainbow Poetry Templates
• The best part about Spring is ...
• Ideas for what to do on a rainy day.
• The best thing about a rainy day is ...

• Bee yourself!
• Click on the link below to view the page where this spring bee worksheet can be found:
  Spring Bee Worksheet
• This spring I am going to be a busy bee and ...
• I am going to "bee helpful" this spring by ...
• Have you ever been stung by a bee or another insect?
• Write a spring story from a bee's point of view.
• Bee Cool by ...
• Click on the link below to view the page where this Bee Cool worksheet can be found:
  Bee Cool Worksheet
• A cool person that I admire is ...
• Bee Cool and stop bullying by ...
• Bee Cool and read this book ...
• Bee Cool and practice the 3R's this spring: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.
• Describe 5 ways that anyone can help the environment every day of the year.
• Click on the link below to view the page where this Earth Day April 22 worksheet can be found:
  Earth Day April 22 Creative Writing Worksheet
• Create a poster about the importance of reducing, reusing, and recycling.
• Write an E.A.R.T.H. acrostic poem.
• Click on the link below to view the page where this Earth Day acrostic poem template can be found:
  Earth Day April 22 Acrostic Poem
• What do you think is the Earth's most serious environmental problem? What can children do to help?
• Make a list of ideas of how your school, community, or family can be friendly to the environment and celebrate Earth Day this year.
• Earth Day is celebrated on April 22. Write a letter to your family describing one way that your family can be more environmentally friendly this year.
• Think about the water cycle and write why you think that rain is important for the Earth.
• If I was a butterfly for a day ...
• Click on the link below to view the page where this butterfly worksheet can be found:
  Spring Butterfly Worksheet
• Spring is a beautiful time of year because ...
• Spring is a colorful time of the year because ...
• Design a venn diagram comparing spring and fall.
• Write a spring story that has a beginning, middle, and end. Write each part of your story in one of the butterfly's wings. Draw a picture in one of the wings. This unique creative writing project measures 14 x 14 inches when it has been assembled together.
• Click on the link below to view the page where these unique butterfly story writing templates can be found:
  Butterfly Writing Templates
• Describe the life cycle of a caterpillar/butterfly using the beginning, middle, and end sections of these butterfly shaped creative writing templates.
• Spring has sprung!
• Click on the link below to view the page where these spring flower worksheets can be found:
  Spring Flower Worksheets
• Describe the colors of spring.
• Describe the smells of spring.
• I am an "egg-cellent" student/friend/son/daughter because ...
• I have a "blooming" great idea!
• Click on the link below to view the page where these unique sunflower shaped creative writing templates can be found:
  Sunflower Creative Writing Templates
• This book is "blooming" great because ...
• Integrate science and English together by writing a description about the life cycle of a seed or plant.
• Many people do spring cleaning in April. Do you have a messy room, desk, or locker? What do you need to clean and organize this spring?
• Describe your spring break vacation.
• Write a poem about April using kite shaped poetry templates.
• Click on the link below to view the page where these kite poetry templates can be found:
  Kite Poetry Templates
• Write poem about a time that you "flying high" in the air and happy.
• Write a poem about a time that you were proud of yourself.
• Flying high in Grade ___.
• Write a story about an April thunderstorm.
• Research rainbows and then describe what causes a rainbow to sometimes form in the sky after it has rained.
• Write a story from the point of view of a caterpillar that has become a beautiful spring butterfly.
  
  
  
  • Write the beginning, middle, and end sections of the story in one template of the caterpillar's body. Draw a picture in the last section.
  • This unique creative writing project measures 30 x 9 inches when it has been assembled together
  • Click on the link below to view the page where these caterpillar story writing templates can be found: Caterpillar Writing Templates
• Describe the life cycle of a caterpillar/butterfly using the beginning, middle, and end sections of these caterpillar shaped creative writing templates.
• For spring, have each of your students write a poem about caterpillars. These unique caterpillar shaped templates will help you to create an extra long poetry display in your classroom this spring.



• Before completing this poetry assignment with your students, you could read them The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.
• For this unique poetry project, each students writes a poem in one section of the caterpillar.
• If you have 25 students in your classroom, you can create an extra long caterpillar poetry display that is over 15 feet with this unique set of poetry lesson plans.
• Click on the link below to view the page where this long caterpillar poetry project can be found: Caterpillar Poetry Templates
• Are you looking for fun reading projects that will help you to design a colorful spring bulletin board display in your classroom? Try one of these unique book report projects that are ideal for spring:
  
  
  • Butterfly Book Report Projects
  • Caterpillar Book Report Projects
  • Sunflower Book Report Projects
  • Cause and Effect Tree Book Report Projects
• Are you looking for unique spring themed sticker charts that will help you to motivate and encourage your students to reach a goal that you set for them this April? Try one of these unique sticker chart templates that are ideal for spring:
  
  
  • Reading Umbrella Sticker Charts: This umbrella sticker chart template has 20 raindrop shaped sticker boxes to reward your students for reading books.
  • Reading Rainbow Sticker Charts: This rainbow sticker chart template has 25 sticker boxes to use for encouraging your students to read books independently.
  • Spring Flower Sticker Charts: There are 12 different flower templates in this set (only one is shown on the right). You can design a colorful garden themed spring bulletin board display filled with flower sticker charts in a variety of shapes and colors!

Specific April Writing Prompts:

Celebrations, Events, Holidays, and Dates in History:

Scroll through this page, or click on the links below, to read
about each of these April writing prompts and holidays.

• April - National Poetry Month
• April - Keep America Beautiful Month
• April 1 - April Fools' Day
• April 2 - International Children's Book Day
  April 2 (1805) - Hans Christian Andersen's Birthday
• April 3 (1860) - Pony Express Began
• April 12 - D.E.A.R. Day (Drop Everything and Read Day)
  April 12 (1916) - Beverly Cleary's Birthday
• April 12 - First Space Shuttle Launch
• April 21 - Kindergarten Day
• April 22 - Earth Day
• Last Friday of April - National Arbor Day

April - National Poetry Month

The first National Poetry Month was held in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets. This month was created to introduce more Americans to the pleasures of reading poetry, to celebrate and highlight poetry in education, and to make poetry a more important part of the school curriculum.

Canada also celebrates National Poetry Month in April and Great Britain celebrates it in October.

"National Poetry Month offers us a welcome opportunity to celebrate not only the unsurpassed body of literature produced by our poets in the past, but also the vitality and diversity of voices reflected in the works of today's American poetry... Their creativity and wealth of language enrich our culture and inspire a new generation of Americans to learn the power of reading and writing at its best." ~President Bill Clinton - April 1, 1996

• On Poets.org National Poetry Month teachers can read more information about this month and find poetry lesson plan ideas.
  
  
  • Download a free copy of the National Poetry Month April 2012 Poster from Poets.org.
  • 30 Ways to Celebrate National Poetry Month
  • Poetry Tips for Teachers
• You can find detailed poetry lesson plan activities and unique poem templates on this page of my website: Poetry Lesson Plans - Make Poetry Fun!
• Below are links to fun poetry activities that are available on Unique Teaching Resources that would be appropriate to use during National Poetry Month:
  
  
  • Spring Acrostic Poem (rainbow templates)
  • Earth Day Poems (April 22)
  • Kite Poetry Templates
  • Caterpillar Poems and Templates
  • All About Me Poems (pencil templates)
  • Simile Lesson Plans (snake templates)
  • Color Poems (ice cream templates)
  • Thank You Acrostic Poem

April - Keep America Beautiful Month

Keep America Beautiful Month focuses on keeping America's communities cleaner, greener, safer, and more livable.

• What are some ways that you can help keep your own community beautiful?
• What is your favorite park or beautiful place to visit in your community? Describe this place.
• What is the most beautiful place that you have seen in America? Describe this place.
• Design a poster for Keep America Beautiful month.
• On Earth 911's websiste, your students can read about 8 Ways to Help Keep America Beautiful.
• "America the Beautiful" is a famous American patriotic song. It was first published in 1910. The lyrics were written by Katharine Lee Bates and the music was composed by Samuel A. Ward.
  
  
  • Have your students read the lyrics to America the Beautiful. Then, students can draw a picture of the image that the lyrics painted in their minds.
  • Bates originally wrote the words to America the Beautiful as a poem, so this will tie in well with National Poetry Month, which is also in April.
• Why do you think it is important to have National Parks? Have you ever visited a National Park? Write about a National Park that you have visited or a famous National Park that you would like to visit.
  • On the National Park Service website, students can find information about state by state national parks and there are also resources for teachers.

April 1 - April Fools' Day

April Fools' Day is observed on April 1 and is sometimes referred to as All Fools' Day. On this day, people play harmless pranks on others or try to get them to believe ridiculous things.

• Write about the best April Fools' Day joke that you have played on someone, or write about a joke you would like to play on someone. Remember that your joke must be safe and not hurt anyone's feelings.
• Have your students read some of the Top 100 April Fools' Day Hoaxes of All Time.
  
  
  • Many of these jokes were advertising methods used by companies to get people's attention.
  • Have your students design an advertising April Fools' Day joke for a well known company such as McDonalds, Coke, or Nike.

April 2 - International Children's Book Day
April 2 (1805) - Hans Christian Andersen's Birthday

International Children's Book Day is celebrated on (or near) April 2, which is Hans Christian Andersen's birthday. He was born in Odense, Denmark on April 2, 1805.

Hans Christian Andersen is famous around the world for his fairy tales. In his lifetime, he wrote more than 150 fairy tales, which have been translated into over 100 languages.

One of the highest prizes in children's literature is the Hans Christian Andersen Award. This international award is presented to one author and one illustrator every two years by the Queen of Denmark.

• What is your favorite fairy tale? Explain why.
• Write a fairy tale set in modern day times.
  • On my creative writing templates page, you will find some uniquely shaped writing projects. Some of my favorite templates to use for writing stories with my own students include:
  • sword creative writing templates (example shown on the right)
  • butterfly creative writing templates
  • caterpillar creative writing templates
  • sunflower writing templates
• Students can read some of Hans Christian Anderson's fairy tales and play games on Anderson Fairy Tales website.
• Of the books that you have read this year, which book would you recommend to receive the Hans Christian Andersen Award? Explain why.
  
  
  • Your students would enjoy completing this reading response activity using the First Place Trophy book report projects that are shown below.

April 3 (1860) - Pony Express Began

The Pony Express began on April 3, 1860 and it only lasted for about 18 months, until August 1861. This fast mail service delivered mail and news that was carried by horseback riders across the prairies, plains, deserts, and mountains of the western United States.

During its 18 months of operation, The Pony Express reduced the time for messages to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to about ten days.

• Describe how the delivery of mail has changed since 1860 to the present.
• An advertisement for riders to join the Pony Express could have read as: "Wanted. Young, skinny, wiry fellows. Not over 18. Must be expert riders. Willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred." Design a poster advertising the Pony Express.
• The youngest Pony Express rider was 11 years old. Pretend that you are this 11 year old and write a letter to your family back at home describing your new job.
• Visit Wikipedia's Pony Express page to learn more about this fast mail service from 1860 - 1861.
• On Ponyexpress.org page, students can read about the history of the Pony Express.

April 12 - D.E.A.R. Day (Drop Everything and Read)
April 12 (1916) - Beverly Cleary's Birthday

Drop Everything And Read Day is a special reading celebration day that was designed to encourage families to make reading together each day a family priority and habit. On April 12, families are encouraged to read and enjoy books together for at least 30 minutes.

April 12 is also the birthday of the children's author Beverly Cleary. Beverly Cleary received many letters from students who enjoyed D.E.A.R. time at their school.

After reading these children's letters about Drop Everything And Read time, Beverly Cleary decided to have her character Ramona Quimby enjoy D.E.A.R. time in her book Ramona Quimby, Age 8.

• D.E.A.R. time is when kids can read and enjoy the books they want, just for the pleasure of reading and with no questions asked! If you do not have this time set aside at your school, consider having it with your own students.
• Start reading a book by Beverly Cleary to your students today and have them respond to the first section of the book that you read to them.
• What book do you plan to read tonight with someone in your family?
• Which book is "dear" and special to you? Why?
• There is a special website devoted to Drop Everything And Read that explains D.E.A.R. Day, contains D.E.A.R. book lists, and resources for teachers.
• On Reading Rockets D.E.A.R. page, there are resources for teachers that they can use on this reading celebration day.
• Students will enjoy visiting Bevery Cleary's web page where they can read her biography, learn more about her books, and play fun games.

April 12 - First Space Shuttle Launch

The Columbia Space Shuttle was the first space shuttle. It was launched on April 12, 1981 and it returned on April 14 after orbiting the Earth 36 times.

• You have just won the National Science Fair competition and the prize is to join the next group of astronauts on their space mission. How will your science experiment or invention help the astronauts on their next mission?
• NASA has selected you for the next space mission that will last over 6 months. You are allowed to bring 2 personal items with you. Which two items would you choose and why?
• You have been selected as the pilot for the next NASA space flight and you get to choose your destination. What planet or other space destination would you choose to visit and why?
• Students can visit NASA.gov K-4 and NASA.gov Space Shuttle to learn more about NASA and the space shuttle program.
• On NASA Kids Club page, children can learn more about space and play some fun games.
• April 12 is a great date to begin a fun reading project that has a space theme with your students. The video below shows examples of the Rocket Book Report Projects that are found on Unique Teaching Resources.

April 21 - Kindergarten Day

April 21 is Kindergarten Day. Friedrich Froebel founded the first kindergarten in Germany in 1837. He created this social experience for children as a transitional stage from home to school.

The word kindergarten is a German word that means "children's garden." Friedrich Froebel believed that young children should be nourished in "children's gardens" just like plants are nourished and grow in a garden.

• Write about a memory that you have from kindergarten or about your kindergarten teacher.
• Pretend that you are visiting a kindergarten today as a guest reader. What book will you choose to bring with you to read to the kindergarten students? Explain why you selected this book.
• Design a venn diagram that compares the grade that you are currently in with kindergarten.

April 22 - Earth Day

I have an entire page on my website devoted to Earth Day lesson plans and activities.

On my Earth Day web page, you will find the following lesson plan activities:

• Earth Day Parts of Speech Powerpoint: Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, and Adverbs
• Earth Day Stationery and Matching Banner Set
• E.A.R.T.H. Day Globe Shaped Acrostic Poems
• Think Green: Environmental Awareness Teaching Resources Set

Click on the link below (or the large banner) to go to my web page that is devoted to activities and lesson plans for Earth Day.

Last Friday In April - National Arbor Day

The word arbor comes from the Latin word meaning tree. Arbor Day is a holiday in which people are encouraged to plant and care for trees in their community.

Arbor Day was founded in 1872 by J. Sterling Morton in Nebraska City, Nebraska. On the first Arbor Day, April 10, 1872, an estimated one million trees were planted. Morton's simple idea of setting aside a special day for tree planting is now more important than ever.

In 1970, President Richard Nixon proclaimed the last Friday in April as National Arbor Day in the United States. All 50 states celebrate Arbor Day, although the dates may vary from state to state depending on their local climates.

• Write an acrostic poem with the word A.R.B.O.R. to express the importance of planting new trees.
• Arbor Day in the Classroom has lesson plan ideas for English, math, science, social studies, and P.E.
• Many states observe Arbor Day on different dates according to their best tree-planting times. Check the Arbor Day Map and Dates Across America to find out when your state observes Arbor Day.
• A great picture book to read to your students on Arbor Day is The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.
• Click on the link below to view the page where you can view my lesson plan activities for this book:
  The Giving Tree Lesson Plans For Teachers
• During the last week of April prior to Arbor Day, have your students learn about their roots by completing a unique family tree project (shown below).
• For a fun reading response project related to Arbor Day, assign your students a cause and effect tree book report project (shown below).

End of April Writing Prompts

Below are some examples of Spring powerpoint lesson plans
that are ideal to use during the month of April:

Below are some ideas and examples of teaching resources
that can be used for some of the Spring and April
writing prompts that are found on this page:

Below are some examples of sticker charts that
are ideal to use for Spring and April themes:

Click on one of the calendars
below to go to a specific page
of monthly writing prompts: