April Fools Pranks to Play on Your Kids

When I was a child, I loved when adults were playful and would play April Fools pranks on us. These harmless tricks were lighthearted and made the grown-ups in my life less intimidating.

Now that I’m the adult and one who tends to take life too seriously sometimes, I love having an excuse to be a little silly. April Fools Day is a perfect opportunity!

Since the point of these tricks is to have fun WITH my kids, I didn’t want anything too mischievous. Below you’ll find plenty of fun April Fools pranks that will leave your kids giggling, not crying or pouting.

 

April Fools Pranks to Play on Your Kids in the Morning

The best time to prank your kids for April Fools Day is in the morning before they remember what day it is! Here are some fun April Fools pranks you can play on the kids that morning.

• Before everyone wakes up, turn items throughout the house upside down (e.g. pictures, furniture, decorations). Or, replace pictures of family members with photos of celebrities or cartoon characters in the picture frames throughout your home.

 

• Change everyone’s clocks to read one hour later than it really is, then take everyone to breakfast when they realize they’re up an hour earlier than they need to be.

 

• Swap the clothes in two different drawers (e.g. swap the sock drawer with the underwear drawer).

 

• Rub some food gel dye on the inside rim of the bathroom faucet. When your kids turn on the water to wash their hands, they’ll be surprised at the colored water.

 

• Play this harmless prank with their toothpaste.

 

• Write a funny message on the toilet paper roll and roll it back up so it can’t be seen until someone needs some and has to unroll it.

• Put googly eyes on items in the refrigerator.

 

• Swap the bags of cereal in two different cereal boxes. The kids will be confused to see Cheerios pouring out of the Cinnamon Toast Crunch box!

 

• If you have older kids, you can play this harmless prank with the cereal instead.

 

• If you have older kids, switch the language on their phones or tablets.

 

• Convince your kids they’re getting a call from a celebrity. You can download a Fake Call app (in the Google Play store and in the App Store) that makes it look like someone famous is calling.

 

• Grow a Candyland yard. Stick lollipops in the ground to make it look like they’re growing like flowers and stick marshmallows on the ends of tree branches.

April Fools Pranks to Play on Your Kids After School

No time or energy to set up tricks in the morning? Don’t worry! Here are plenty of April Fools pranks you can play on the kids when they get home from school.

• Greet your kids after school with this 3-part brownie prank.

 

• Download a prank wallpaper for the family computer that looks like a cracked screen or a computer error.

 

 

• Write “Happy April Fool’s Day!” on a sticky note and attach it to the bottom of the computer mouse. The mouse won’t work with the note there and they’ll discover it eventually when they flip the mouse over to see if it needs new batteries.

 

• Serve up this April Fool’s dinner, where nothing is what it seems. Cupcakes made of meatloaf with mashed potato “frosting,” french fries made out of apples, and meatloaf that’s really dessert!

 

• Or serve up some rock for dessert. These chocolate rocks look like real stones!

• End April Fool’s Day with a happy surprise. Leave a friendly note or small gift on each family member’s pillow.