Having a day for humour and jokes is the perfect way to brighten up a dreary weekend due to rain or snow. This would also work for April Fool’s Day.

I’ve never been a big fan of April Fool’s Day. My mother used to trick me every year with the same trick: “Quick, girls! Look out the window…there’s a rabbit in our yard!” Every year, she’d trick me and my sister (you think we'd learn). As harmless as that joke was, it was my little sister’s prank that really made me wary of April Fool’s…she woke me up one 1st of April morning to offer me a glass of apple juice (how sweet) that was really pickle juice (how horrid!). Long story short, I’ve never really honoured the April Fools tradition with my children. However, my kids love jokes and riddles so I thought we’d have some fun with that for this Theme Day!

Print out the Family Theme Day Planner and decide which activities you’d like to do and in what order.

Nursery Rhymes in and of themselves are often very silly and fun so you could always read some old favourites for this Theme Day.

Also, there are some delightful and silly poems by such authors as Shel Silverstein and Dennis Lee (check under Jokes: Reading and Writing for examples).

More funny rhymes for kids can be found in children’s limericks (check under Jokes: Reading and Writing for examples). For some examples online check here:

or here:

http://www.brownielocks.com/kidlimericks.html

Note: For instructions on how kids can write their own limericks

check here:

http://www.poetry4kids.com/blog/lessons/how-to-write-a-limerick/

For instructions on how to get kids to write a Silly Song Parody of their own check here: http://www.poetry4kids.com/blog/lessons/how-to-write-a-silly-song-parody/

Joke Theme Day/ April Fools' Day

SONGS:

For some songs that capture the spirit of joking try some parodies.

Weird Al Yankovic’s “Eat It” is a favourite with my boys.

I showed them Michael Jackson’s Beat It first so that they would understand what a parody exactly is:

INTRODUCTORY DISCUSSION

You may want to also use this Theme Day as an opportunity to talk about kindness. Explain that jokes are funny when they bring joy and laughter to everyone but they aren’t nice when they are hurtful and at the expense of others.

For some history about April Fool’s Day check here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_fools_day

RHYMES:

NOTE: If your kids don’t want to write their own limericks perhaps they will want to illustrate some like my boys did.