Kid-Friendly Pranks for April Fool’s Day

“April Fools!” What fun your kids have shouting that phrase! Wanna have some fun too? Here are a few kid- and parent-friendly pranks that I’ve gleaned from across the internet. From the day’s beginning to the end, we’ve got you covered with pranks.  Enjoy!

Morning Pranks

Tower of Solo Cups: After your child goes to sleep the night before April Fool’s Day, fill his floor with upended Solo cups. Stack a few on top of one another, pyramid style — IF you have enough and can keep from laughing while you set up.

Balloon Barrage: Hang streamers across your child’s bedroom door. Then put inflated balloons between the streamers and the door. When your child opens the door, a colorful avalanche of fun will cascade down into her room as a greeting.

String o’ Socks: Safety pin all his socks together in a big long string. When he pulls one out, they’ll all come out.

Not-so-fast Breakfast: For her morning meal, instead of eggs, have a bit of plain yogurt swirled onto her plate and place a peach half cut side down in the middle of the yogurt. Viola! Yummy, “eggs” that are still a healthy breakfast. Don’t do yogurt because you’re a cereal kind of family? No problem. Pour cereal and milk in a bowl the night before, add a spoon, and freeze. When your cutie comes down to eat, have his frozen fruity o’s all ready for him on the table. Watch him lift the entire bowl when he tries to move the spoon.

Bubble Wrap Goodbye: Put bubble wrap under the door rug so when your kiddos leave, there are fun popping noises to accompany them out the door for the day.

Fooling with Food

• Turn around the tab on their soda can, so that when they try to open it, they won’t get quite the leverage they are expecting. Once they figure out how to open it, pour some of the soda in a tall glass and add ice cubes. Special ice cubes. Ice cubes that you have added Mentos to before freezing. Once the ice has melted a bit, the Mentos will hit the soda and foam up nicely, surprising your little ones.
• Insert fake fingernails into the tips of the hot dogs you serve for lunch to make them look like fingers. It’s guaranteed to produce a few “ew” reactions when you suddenly drop them out of a ketchup-soaked paper towel.
• Don’t remove the cellophane wrapper from the slice of cheese you put on their sandwich. Mmmm, quite a chewy surprise.
• Replace the creamy middle of your kids’ Oreos with toothpaste. It’s a bit time-consuming but worth it.
• Cut new kitchen dish sponges down and ice them with canned frosting to make them look like brownies. Add a few sprinkles on top to entice them to take a big bite.

Peek-a-boo

• Add googly eyes to all the containers in your fridge, plants, or boxed food. Or all of the above.
• Tape a life-sized photo of a clown or celebrity face to the corner of any window of the house. Make up a reason for your child to look out the window. And laugh when they jump back in surprise
• Have a small(ish) scary-looking dinosaur in the toy chest? Put it in your mailbox and then have your child retrieve the mail for you. The unexpected addition is sure to garner a great reaction.
• Put a post-it (already cut to size) on the bottom of the mouse for your computer, covering the little red light that sends the signal. Watch as they try to figure out why it’s not working properly. When they turn the mouse over to see what’s wrong, they will be able to read the funny message you have written on the post-it.

TV Time: In your tv remote, replace AA batteries with Smarties candies that are still in the package. I haven’t tried this one, but I am told they fit very well. The sweetness will take the sting out of the prank for sure.

Outdoor Fun: Need your kids to get out in the sun a bit for exercise? Attach deflated balloons to the nozzle of a shaving cream can and fill them up. Tell your kids to head outdoors where they will find balloons in the yard. Have them bust the balloons any which way they can. Stand back and watch the white explosions of fun.

Bedtime Light Crawlers: If your family is like ours, you have a goodnight ritual that cannot be skipped over. Add a bit of fun by taping shapes of insects to the inside of their bedside lampshade. Better yet, tape their toy figurines of insects to the inside for an even more realistic look.

Happy April Fool’s!

This post was originally published in 2018 and updated in 2023.