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April Fool's Day is the perfect excuse to let your inner prankster come out to play, guilt-free. And who better to trick than your kids?
After all, they spend the rest of the year outsmarting you, sneaking extra snacks, and pulling their own little stunts on you. This is your chance to turn the tables and have some fun.
Whether you're already a seasoned prankster or just getting started, this list of 30 April Fool's Day pranks will have your kids second-guessing everything. From simple switch-ups to surprises that will get a good laugh out of them, these ideas are guaranteed to keep your family entertained this April Fool's Day.
30 April Fool’s Day Pranks To Do On Your Kids
Before we get to it, let's go over a few ground rules. You have to keep it lighthearted, make sure it's age-appropriate, and always aim for laughs, not tears. The goal is to create funny memories, not give anyone a reason to start therapy early!
Googly Eyes Everywhere
Stick googly eyes on every single thing in your fridge. Imagine your kids opening the fridge to grab a snack just to be greeted by the milk carton, and jar of pickles staring back at them. It's a super simple prank but imagine the surprise factor, it'll be huge. You can even add googly eyes to their favorite snacks or drink cups.
Fake Gift
Wrap up a box with something ridiculously simple inside, like a banana or a snack. The bigger the box, the better. Hand it to them and watch them be confused by getting something so random as a gift. Be warned that they might not be too thrilled. Confused yes, but definitely not thrilled.
Sticky Note Bike
If your kids ride their bikes a lot. Then cover their bikes completely in sticky notes. You can write silly messages on each sticky note if you're up for it. This prank works especially if they are in a hurry to leave on their bikes for school or to a friend's house. They'll probably be in two minds, between it being a really good prank and having to pick all those sticky notes off. But you'll enjoy their reaction nonetheless.
Chocolate-Wrapped Grapes
Unwrap small chocolate Easter eggs and replace them with grapes in the wrappers. Hand them out as you normally would and watch their reaction.
Safety-Pinned Underwear
Connect all their underwear together with safety pins one by one so when they pull one out, the rest will keep coming as well. It's a simple, silly prank, but they'll surely be amused by it.
Fake Lost Tooth
For younger kids, tell them you wanted to check their teeth because you found a tooth on the floor. Hand them a fake tooth or a piece of corn. They'll be confused and amused at the same time when they realize it's a joke.
Drawn-On Faces
Instead of you always being the victim of being drawn on. It's now their turn. Use washable markers to draw eyebrows, a mustache, and other funny things on their faces while they're sleeping. They won't notice until they look in the mirror. Then you'll see how big their eyes can really be.
'Running Water' Prank
Line up water bottles in their shoes from the bathroom or from the refrigerator and act like a crazy person in an emergency and tell them that water is running from the bathroom or fridge. They'll be rushing to see what the ruckus is only to find water bottles in shoes 'running'.
Taped Faucet
Cover the bathroom faucet opening with clear Scotch tape. When they turn on the water to wash their face and brush their teeth, water will spray everywhere. They might get mad, but surprised, they definitely will be.
Spooky Noises
If you already have walkie-talkies at home, this would be a fun one. Hide a walkie-talkie in their room and when you know they're in there playing, especially quietly, make spooky or animal noises from another room. Watch them come running to you.
Loose Thread Prank
Hide a spool of thread in your sleeve with the loose end sticking out from your sleeve. Ask them to pull it for you, but make sure you have your hands full before asking them to help pull it for you, if not they'll be wondering why you can't do it yourself. They’ll keep pulling and pulling, only to realize it’s never-ending.
Toothpaste-Filled Oreos
Carefully scrape the cream from Oreo cookies and replace it with white toothpaste. Give them to your kids and wait for their reaction. They'll take a bite expecting the chocolatey creamy goodness, only to get a minty surprise. They'll probably be spitting it out before you know it in case you're afraid they might swallow the toothpaste.
Mashed Potato Ice Cream
Scoop frozen mashed potatoes into ice cream cones and serve them as dessert. Your kids will be confused by the taste since they'll be expecting a vanilla ice cream, but instead, they'll get a savory surprise. Who knows, they might even like it?!
Caramel Onions
Dip onions in caramel to make them look like caramel apples. You can go all out and put sprinkles on them and whatever else you would normally put on your caramel apples. Give them the 'apples' and enjoy the look on their faces when they get a mouthful of onion!
Brussels Sprout Cake Pops
Similar to the caramel onions you can make cake pops from Brussels sprouts covered in chocolate and sprinkles. They’ll look like a sweet treat, but one bite will reveal the truth. You might want to parboil the Brussels sprouts first to make it softer. Just make sure you have the real ones on standby!
Mayonnaise Jar Pudding
Empty and wash a mayonnaise jar, then fill it with vanilla pudding. Casually eat it with a spoon in front of them and offer it to them to taste. They’ll be grossed out until they realize it’s just yummy vanilla pudding.
Colored Milk
Add a few drops of food coloring to the milk carton and shake well. Watch your kids surprise when they pour their milk onto their cereal for breakfast. They'll probably think something's wrong with the milk, but it's just a harmless trick and they can still eat it. It'll be a fun surprise.
Lego Cereal
Replace all the cereal in the cereal box with Legos. They won't even notice anything as they grab the cereal box in the beginning because when you shake the box it sounds almost the same, but they'll get a surprise when they start watching legos get poured into their cereal bowl.
Frozen Cereal
Set up their bowl of cereal milk the night before and freeze it. In the morning just splash a bit of milk on it to give it a fresh look and serve. Watch their jaw drop and eyebrows raised.
Fake Bug in the Sink
Place a realistic-looking plastic bug in the bathroom sink. When they turn on the water, they'll think it's alive. This prank works incredibly well when they're least expecting it, like first thing in the morning or while brushing their teeth at night.
Fake Spider in Shoes
Hide a plastic spider inside your child's shoes. Just make sure they're not absolutely terrified of spiders because then it'd be too cruel. But if they're not, it'll just be a harmless scare when they put their shoes on.
Fake Bug in Ice
Place a small plastic bug in an ice cube tray, fill it with water, and freeze. Serve your kids a drink with the buggy ice cube. They won’t notice until the ice starts to melt, and the bug “appears” in their glass. It's a simple prank but still very effective.
Jello in a Glass
Make Jello that matches the color of their favorite drink and put it in a clear drinking glass with a straw. They’ll try to drink it, only to find it’s solid.
Upside-Down Cup
Fill a cup with water, cover it with cardboard, and invert it on the table. Tell your child to help you put the cup in the sink. When your child lifts the cup, water will spill. This prank is a bit messy, but it's quick and easy, and it’s sure to get a reaction.
Fake Spilled Water
Use white craft glue to create the illusion of spilled water on the table or floor. Ask your child to help you wipe the spill and watch them try and be confused at the same time.
Fake Dog Poop
Especially if you have a dog, this will be a great one. Mold brown modeling clay into the shape of dog poop, or you can get yourself a fake dog poop and place it on their bed, or in their shoes. Your kids will be grossed out and maybe even annoyed, before they start playing with it when they realize it's fake.
Glow-in-the-Dark Surprise
Use glow-in-the-dark washable markers or paint to write a silly message or draw something on their bedroom wall. They won’t notice until they turn off the lights at night. Imagine their surprise when they see “April Fool’s!” or a smiley face glowing right back at them.
Fake Time Change
Set all the clocks in the house ahead by an hour and act like they’re late for school or somewhere they have to be. They’ll panic, and frantically get dressed. Just as you know they'll be running out the door, you calmly announce "April Fool" and hope they don't start crying. Better for slightly older kids. But it's a great trick to have up your sleeve on any day when you need to be somewhere on time!
Chips Surprise
This is an easy one if you get the ready-to-go snake in the can of chips. Just ask your kid to open the can of chips for you and watch their face change.
Surprise Them with 'Cars'
This is especially for your teen drivers. Announce that you got them a car, a Porsche, a Ferrari, a Mustang, whatever. Watch their eyes light up and lead them to the front door and open it. At their feet, waiting for them will be their brand new Hot Wheels Porsche. Don't worry, they'll survive.
These pranks are meant to fun and memorable. The key is to keep them lighthearted and make sure everyone ends up laughing so, happy pranking!
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, if you purchase something using my links, I may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you.
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