Before we share our April Fools’ prank ideas, let me share one you should not do.
A couple of years ago when my children came down for breakfast, I said, “There’s no school today!” Their eyes grew wide and their sweet faces lit up. So you can imagine how much of a heel I felt like after I said “April Fools’!” and they both about cried.
So to save you from that type of mistake (not that anyone would do that except for me!), here are 9 Simple April Fools’ pranks your kids will love!
1. Cold Bowl:
Freeze a half-full cereal bowl of water overnight. On April Fools’ morning pour your child’s cereal on top and add a bit of milk. Hand them the bowl and a spoon and watch what happens next!
2. Moving Target:
Tape a piece of thread to the back of a $1, $10, or $20 dollar bill — the bigger the better! Lay the bill on the ground outside your front door. When your child walks by and bends over to get the bill, you are now hiding around the corner and pull the thread and the bill yanks away.
3. Switcheroo:
Move your children’s clothes around — socks in the underwear drawer, underwear in the shorts drawer — you get the idea.
4. Ice, Ice Baby:
Just before your children slip into their school shoes, put a plastic bag filled with ice in the tip of their shoe.
5. Not Best Dressed:
Greet your children on April Fools’ morning dressed with crazy clothes, crazy makeup or crazy hair. Act like you are going to walk out the door looking just like that. Then say, “April Fools’!”
6. Big and Little:
If your children are little, give them the big utensils at breakfast – a serving spoon instead of a teaspoon, a huge dinner plate, and a large (plastic) cup. If your children are older, give them the smallest utensils you can find!
7. Mixed Bag:
Switch the bags from two different boxes of cereal.
8. Sweet Surprise:
Tell your children you made them brownies and then give them a plate of brown “E”s cut out of brown construction paper. (Have a real pan of brownies ready too!)
9. Pasta Tree.
Hang cooked spaghetti from a bush or tree. Tell your kids your “pasta tree” is finally blooming.
