These April Fools’ jokes for kids will give your merry pranksters a good laugh
Parents, your kids probably already think you are the coolest but also the weirdest, so why not just own it and prank the heck out of them this April Fools’ Day? The following April Fools’ pranks are (relatively) harmless so you can have a little good fun, all in the name of the game. Once you’ve picked your favorite April Fools’ joke to play on your kids, check out our favorite spring jokes for kids for more seasonal fun.
April Fools’ Pranks for Kids
1. Swap Beds
This prank is perfect for heavy sleepers (and kids that don’t already crowd you in bed). Once the kids have hit the hay, pick them up and move them into different beds! They’ll wake up in the morning and wonder, “What just happened?”
2. Serve Dinner for Breakfast
Breakfast for dinner is a family favorite, but dinner for breakfast? Spaghetti? Cheeseburgers? Tacos? Just make sure that you serve them something you know that they’ll eat… or else the cranky, hungry kids that you’ll face the rest of the day will make it seem like the joke was on you instead!
3. Jell-O Drinks
It may look like your kiddos’ favorite drink, but there’s a surprise waiting! Follow the steps from Story Piece on how to use Jell-O to turn that beverage into a solid, and watch as your littles try and take a sip.
4. Make “Grilled Cheese” for Dinner
Your kids won’t mind this April Fools’ prank once they take a big bite. This “grilled cheese” is dessert! Take slices of pound cake and colored buttercream frosting that looks just like cheese, then grill in a pan. We say, why not have dessert for dinner once in a while? Check out more details on this fun prank at The Craft Patch.
5. Mess with the Remote Control
This trick is an oldie but a goodie. When no one is looking, cover up the sensor on your TV remote control so that it won’t work when your kiddos are trying to change the channel!
Related: Here Comes the Pun: 300+ Best Jokes for Kids
6. Let Them Know the Milk Has Gone Bad
Leave a little head’s up to the fact that the milk has taken a turn for the worse. Then, when they open the fridge and see a frowning milk carton, get ready for laughs.
7. Hide Bubble Wrap in Unsuspecting Places
This prank will get everyone up and moving. The night before Apr. 1, hide a few sheets of bubble wrap under bathmats, rugs, and doormats so that anyone who walks over it will get a nice (loud) surprise!
8. Turn the House Upside Down
Before you head to bed, go through the main living spaces and turn as much furniture upside-down as you possibly can—armchairs, benches, tables, and even the stuff on your kitchen countertops. And, the best part: when they come running into your room the next morning, screaming that everything is upside-down, pretend like things are 100 percent normal! If your living room already looks upside down, you’re not alone.
9. Freeze Their Breakfast
The night before April Fool’s Day, pour some cereal and milk into a bowl, then put it in the freezer overnight. When it’s time to dig in, let your kids try and enjoy the frosty treat!
10. Have Fun with Their Lunch
One day of a super sweet lunch won’t kill them, right? When lunchtime rolls around try one of these pranks: Top a bagel with frosting or replace the raisins in the box with chocolate chips. You can also take the foil wrap off of chocolate Easter egg-shaped candy (the small kind) and wrap the foil around grapes.
11. Tie Their Shoes Up
This April Fool’s Day prank won’t work on Velcro or slip-on shoes! Tie all of their shoelaces together before you go to bed the night before—you can either tie pairs of shoes together or, tie every single shoe they have into one long string!
12. Switch Out the Sweet Stuff
Whether you do it to cinnamon buns or OREO cookies, swapping out the frosting for something like mayo is an April Fools’ joke the kids can’t help but laugh about.
13. Put a Tiger in Your Living Room (or a Panda on Your Porch)
Use Google’s new 3D animal feature and snap a photo of an animal on the back porch, yard, living room, or bathtub. Then convince your most gullible kids what you found/saw. If all else fails, send the picture to Grandma or Grandpa and tell them the local zoo is now doing in-home visits.
14. Bug Their Ice (or Drawers, or Backpacks)
Another classic April Fools’ joke for kids, pop a few frozen insects into an ice cube tray and when they ask for a cold drink, serve up a surprise. It’s also easy and fun to throw one in their bathroom drawer or their lunch bag or backpack.
15. Put Googly Eyes on Everything
When we say everything, we mean everything. This April Fools’ joke is so easy to pull off, and the fun could last longer than one day if you go all out and put those crafty eyes on everything from food to family pictures.
Related: 30 Silly Spring Jokes That’ll Brighten Your Day
—with additional reporting by Amber Guetebier and Karly Wood
