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18 Awesome April Fools' Day Pranks for Kids!

By Barbara Evangelista, Publisher March 25, 2015

It’s time to release the pranks!  After this long winter, we all need a good laugh or two. We looked for the best pranks to play on your kids on April Fools’ Day and found some great ideas. Our criteria? Pranks that are quick, easy, free or inexpensive, and make the kids laugh. No tears on April Fools’ Day!

Put the kids’ cereal and milk in cups and juice in their cereal bowls.

The night before, put cereal and milk in a bowl and freeze it. Top with a bit of fresh cereal and milk in the morning and serve with a strong spoon.

Switch the inner bags in their boxes of cereal, so the Cocoa Puffs fan ends up with Shredded Wheat!

Carefully open the bottom of a snack-sized bag of chips or cookies, remove the contents, wipe out, and fill with baby carrots, celery sticks, or grapes. Tape the bottom closed with invisible tape.

If your kids like a cup of juice during the day, plan ahead and create jello juice cups. Prepare a batch of jello, fill a few of your child’s favorite juice cups, and let set in the fridge. Give the kids a few minutes to try to drink it, then hand them spoons!

Make meatloaf cupcakes and frost with mashed potatoes.

Use this recipe to make candy sushi the kids will love!

Cut a bunch of lower case “e” and upper case “E” from brown construction paper and put them in a baking pan. Add a note that says “April Fools!” Cover with foil. Let the kids know that there’s a pan of brownies (brown “e”s) in the oven for an after-school snack.  (And then pull out a pan of real brownies!)

Freak the kids out by adding self-adhesive googly eyes to all the boxes and bottles in the pantry, or everything in the fridge.

Make “grilled cheese” sandwiches with toasted or grilled slices of pound cake with dyed frosting sandwiched in between.

Stuff the toes of your kids shoes with wadded up paper.

Change the settings on your kids’ mouse or track pad.

Change the wallpaper or tablet screen image to something silly.

Put your clothes on backwards in the morning and see how long it takes for the kids to notice.

Set alarms and timers to go off throughout the house, all within a few minutes of each other. The kids will be confused at first but then it will be fun racing to find the next alarm.

Superglue some coins to the driveway or sidewalk (even better, do it at the bus stop and drive all the kids nuts!)

Wear a funny wig when you pick the kids up at school.

Create a fake milk spill. Pour some white glue on a silicone cutting board or plastic wrap, spread it out into a “spill”, and let dry.  Peel off and place on the table or on an older kids’ keyboard.


Have fun!!