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Ten Fun and Easy April Fools Pranks for Kids

by Teach Mama
Calendar page with April 1

April Fools Day is the perfect time for kids to have some harmless fun with family and friends! These lighthearted pranks are easy to pull off and guaranteed to bring lots of laughter. From wacky breakfast surprises to silly tricks, here are ten fun and easy kid-friendly April Fools pranks to try this year.

Calendar page with April 1

We tend to limit the practical jokes around our house to this time of year because…things can get out of hand! But for one April Fools Day we can keep it under control. Here are ten ideas for practical pranks your kids can use that should cause more laughs than aggravation!

10 April Fools Pranks That Kids Can Pull

Frozen Cereal

Pour a bowl of cereal with milk the night before and freeze it. Hand it to an unsuspecting brother or sister in the morning and watch as they struggle to scoop their first bite!

Juice That’s Really Jell-O

Make Jell-O in a cup with a straw and leave it in the fridge. When someone tries to take a sip, they’ll be surprised when nothing comes up!

Hand tying the laces of a red tennis shoe and a yellow tennis shoe together

Shoe Pranks

Swap shoes from closet to closet so that brothers and sisters have to hunt a bit before getting dressed or tie their shoelaces together. Be careful with this one! It could make everybody late for school and cross the line from funny to frustrating. This is a good opportunity to help kids understand that line…

Unopenable Snack Bag

Carefully open a bag of chips from the bottom, take out a few (so people can see you eating them), then glue or tape it shut. When someone tries to open it from the top, they’ll be totally confused!

Color-Changing Milk

Add a few drops of food coloring to the milk carton and wait for their reaction when they pour green or purple milk into their cereal!

Tape on the Light Switch

Put a small piece of clear tape under a light switch to make it harder to flip. It’s a simple prank that will leave people scratching their heads!

Short Sheet the Bed

Tuck the top sheet in at the top of the bed and fold it back up so that, when someone climbs in, their legs won’t stretch all the way. It’s a classic prank that’s more funny than frustrating! (My Dad, who served in the Army during WWII, first pulled this one on me when I was a kid).

Reversed Mouse

Tape a small piece of paper over the sensor on a computer mouse. When someone tries to use it, the cursor won’t move, leaving them momentarily stumped!

Crazy Alarm Clock

Change a sibling’s or parent’s alarm sound to something silly, like a duck quacking or a robot voice. It’s a hilarious way to start the day!

Bubble Wrap Surprise

Tape bubble wrap under a rug or a chair cushion. When someone steps or sits down, they’ll get a loud popping surprise!

Three kids peering through a sliding glass door with surprised looks on their faces

These harmless pranks will keep kids giggling all day long. Just remember—what goes around comes around, so warn your kids to be ready for a prank or two in return!

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19 comments

Dawn Morris March 30, 2011 - 7:31 am

What cute ideas! Thanks!

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amy March 30, 2011 - 10:30 am

you’re welcome, Dawn! Thanks for writing!

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Lauralee Flores March 30, 2011 - 12:15 pm

You got my creative juices flowing. Thanks for this! I can’t wait to see what you have planned this year!

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amy March 30, 2011 - 1:08 pm

thanks, Lauralee–will share soon!

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Melissa Taylor March 30, 2011 - 12:19 pm

very cute, Amy!

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amy March 30, 2011 - 1:08 pm

thanks, my friend!!

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Dana March 30, 2011 - 12:23 pm

April fools is one of my favorite days! One year i froze their cereal and last year I did jello juice! This year I’m planning major trickery! I think the kids are planning some too so I’d better be on my toes on Friday! Familyfun has tons of ideas of course!

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amy March 30, 2011 - 1:08 pm

oh my gosh, DANA!! Jello juice? Frozen cereal??? Totally doing it.
THANKS!!

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gracie March 31, 2011 - 3:28 pm

one year my husand and I put small dog biscuits in pancakes as they cooked on the griddle. Kids had no idea they were there until they tried to cut into them. Of course we stopped them before they ate them!

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amy March 31, 2011 - 3:37 pm

WOW!! That’s one for next year…but that is SO funny!! Thanks for sharing!

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