Friends – Laughter is good medicine. With April Fools Day just around the corner, why not add a little fun? While I’m not a big prankster, I do love having FUN! Every year, we come up with a fun prank to play on our kids for April Fool’s Day. Here are some of our favorite pranks and some new ideas for this year. Shhh – don’t tell my kids!

Why April Fools Day?

April Fools Day is the perfect time to inject some joy and laughter into your family’s routine. It’s an opportunity to bond, create memories, and let loose with some harmless fun. Even if you’re not a big prankster, simple and light-hearted tricks can bring smiles to everyone’s faces.

Our Favorite April Fools Pranks

Every year we try to come up with a fun prank to play on our kids for April Fool’s Day.  We’ve surprised the kids with CHEETOS for lunch, poked holes in water bottles on a hot day, and served brown-E’s for dessert.  It doesn’t take a whole lot of extra planning, but I do like to be prepared.  When my kids were little, they loved “closing” the bathroom with a handmade CLOSED sign.  Now they make up their own jokes and their own signs (see below).

Here are our April Fools pranks for this year as well as ideas from past years, shhhhhh – don’t tell my kids!  I can’t decide if the “Chocolate Grapes” or the “Doorbell Broken” sign are my favorite.  What do you like?  Older kids will definitely get a kick out of these!

1.  Chore Camp

One year we put out a pretend Chore Camp brochure from Disney at breakfast.  This made me laugh so hard (parent humor)!  Unfortunately, they’ve changed their site and no longer have it posted, but you get the idea.  The funniest part… my son’s response “Funny but… NO!” 🙂

April Fools Fun with kids

2. Poked Holes in Water Bottles

On a hot day, give your kids water bottles with tiny holes poked in them. They’ll be puzzled as to why they can’t seem to quench their thirst! We filled up some water bottles and put pin pricks in them.  The water doesn’t come out unless they’re squeezed.  We left them outside and sent the kids out to retrieve them.  Fun all around! Save this one for a nice day.

3.  Brown-E’s for Dessert

A fun Aprils Fool prank is to serve your kids some Brown E’s.  Get it?  Brownies?  I made sure I had some real ones so they didn’t think I was too mean.  I probably gave myself away by serving it on my fancy Dollar Store platter, rather than a paper towel!

April Fool Jokes Fun for Families

4. Out of Order Sign

My son surprised us all by making the sink “out of order”.  Pretty cute.

5. CHEETOS for Lunch

Surprise your kids by packing their lunch boxes with Cheetos. Watch their faces light up when they open their lunch to find this cheesy delight instead of the usual fare.

April Fools Pranks for kids

Now ready for my April Fools Fun….. Baked Cheetos… I mean CARROTS!

Open the bag by the bottom and add the carrots.  Glue the bottom back together.  Lunch box surprise!

April Fools Family Fun

6.  Chocolate Grapes

Grapes fit right into the Hershey’s chocolate egg wrapper.  Just carefully unwrap the chocolate.  Eat it. 🙂 Then, wrap the grape back up!  I thought about sending these to school, but I think they’d get crushed in the lunch box and ruin the surprise.  I think instead I’ll offer up some of “my” Easter candy as dessert on April Fool’s Day (April 1).  Surprise – they’re grapes!  I’ll make sure to have some real ones (with chocolate inside) too, so they’re not too disappointed!

April Fools Prank for kids - Switch out the chocolate eggs for grapes. Simple April Fools Joke!

7.  Broken Doorbell

Have you seen the hilarious door mats that say “Doorbell Broken.  Yell “Ding-Dong!” really loud.”  My husband hadn’t and thought this was super clever.  I’m going to put it on my front door for when the kids get home from school.  We’ll see if they fall for this trick.  (Doubtful, but it should be a good laugh).

April Fools Prank for kids - Yell Ding-Dong really loud! Perfect for the middle school jokers in your life

Simple Pranks for Younger Kids

When my kids were little, they loved “closing” the bathroom with a handmade CLOSED sign. Now, they create their own jokes and signs. Here are a few easy pranks for younger children:

  • Fake Bugs: Place plastic bugs in their cereal bowl or on their toothbrush.
  • Jello Juice: Replace their juice with Jello in a cup. They’ll be surprised when they try to drink it!

Tips for Successful Pranks

  • Be Prepared: A little planning goes a long way. Gather all your materials and set everything up the night before.
  • Keep It Light: Ensure that your pranks are harmless and fun. Avoid anything that might cause stress or upset your kids.
  • Get Creative: Use your imagination to come up with new and exciting pranks that suit your family’s sense of humor.

April Fools Day is a fantastic opportunity to create lasting memories with your family. Whether you opt for classic pranks or try out some new ideas, the key is to have fun and enjoy the laughter. What are your favorite April Fools pranks? Share your ideas and let’s spread the joy!

Looking for MORE April Fools Pranks for Kids

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Laughter is good medicine.  I’d love to hear what you plan to do this year.

Happy April Fools!

Other Family Traditions We Love:

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