20+ Funny April Fools Day Pranks for Kids
April Fools Day Pranks are a fun tradition at our house. A kids prank is always best if it is simple enough for them to do most of the set up by themselves while delivering the maximum amount of laughter afterward.
At my house, the kids start planning April Fools pranks weeks in advance.
The point of April Fools Day (at least at our house) is to do something unexpected that will make your child smile – or better yet giggle hysterically!
Here are just a few of the ideas we have planned for this year!
Easy Funny Pranks for Kids
College Prank
Ok, we actually call this the Sleeping Boy Prank, but it always reminds me of one of those silly early TV shows that would display the hijinks of college life. I am very happy about using the word hijinks in a sentence…
As your child is sleeping color on their face – if they are awake, have them pretend to be sleeping. They will still think it’s hilarious!
Toilet Paper Secret Message Prank
This uses way less toilet paper than TP’ing a yard and could be a super sweet message year round, but for April Fools we call it the TP Note Prank.
Your child will think they are pulling the toilet paper, but a note will pop out and surprise them!
You Grew Out of Your Shoes Practical Joke
As a mom, this prank isn’t that funny. It is life. But for kids the Stuffed Shoes Practical Joke seems hilarious because they don’t foot the bill (get it, foot?). The pranks goes like this…
For older kids, fill just the toes of their shoes with a funny item (cotton balls, deflated balloon, small bouncy ball, etc.). For younger kids, fill the whole shoe with something unexpected. And when they put on their shoes they will think they have outgrown them!
Elusive Dollar Trick
This kids prank takes a little more set up, but it is totally worth it. For the Catch a dollar Practical Joke, you will need a dollar bill, some tape, fishing line or light thread and a “fishing pole” whether real or makeshift.
Place the dollar in the grass at the park and go hide, see who tries to pick it up and reel it in as they reach for it and watch them run after it.
Scary Glowing Eyes Prank
Fill a TP tube with a glow stick and hide a set of eyes somewhere in the kids room to make the silly TP Tube Glowing Eyes prank. This is best for older kiddos because it can be a little scary. This is something fun kids could play on a parent as well.
Just a tip, don’t leave glow sticks in the room with tots. We want April Fools to be all about fun.
Where’s My Toy Practical Joke
This only works if the toys are put away, but it can be really funny to switch out the toys in the toy bin with:
- shoes
- socks
- other clothing
- the washed recycling items
Or grab five things that your kids *know* where they are kept and put them in a “wrong” place.
Shrink Wrap Prank
Two year olds are mesmerized when you shrink wrap their toys. Half the fun is unwrapping them. It’s Christmas all over again! Be sure to supervise so this practical joke is safe for the kids.
Saran Wrap Door Prank
This is a popular one, but be careful because it can turn out a little violent. I suggest not aiming for the practical joke subject’s head but lower.
Watch the short video how to do the Cling Wrap Practical Joke:
Never Ending Gift Trick
Give your child a small silly gift.
…only put it in a small box, wrap it. Put that in a medium box. Wrap it. Put that in a larger box, etc., etc. etc. They will have fun finding their gift.
Frozen Cereal Practical Joke
Freeze your child’s breakfast with this super easy and silly cereal prank. Fill your child’s bowl with cereal and milk – then stick it into the fridge! The kids will be frustrated as they try to eat their breakfast (be sure to have a regular bowl of food nearby).
Marshmallow Tree Prank
Let’s go Marshmallow Picking! What? Marshmallows do NOT grow on trees!
Well, marshmallows definitely grow on trees this April Fools Day! Stuff marshmallows onto the tips of branches in your yard. Tell the kids that the bushes started growing puffy berries and watch them race to pick the “berries”.
Thick Milk Trick
Do a pudding swap. Instead of a glass of milk for breakfast, give your kids a glass of pudding! This is actually grosser than you might expect!
{Giggle}
Pillow Prank
Pull the balloon prank on your child’s pillow. Fill your child’s pillow with balloons at nap time. Watch them giggle when they discover what their pillow is *really* made of!
If your child is younger, this is another one you want to closely supervise for maximum fun!
Blue Milk Practical Joke
Dye the Milk……and pretend you have NO clue it’s a different color! This literally gets funnier and funnier the longer you can keep a straight face.
It totally makes sense that cows only give blue milk on April Fool’s Day!
Faucet Jokes to Play
Pull this bath water prank on your kids which is a simple color your bath water joke. Swab the water faucet with gel food dye – later when the kids go to turn on the bath, the water will burst out with a fun color!
Kissing Surprise
Have some fun with Surprise Kisses! When your child thinks you are going to kiss them, fool them, by blowing raspberries instead, or grabbing them and tickling, or whispering April Fools in a goofy voice.
Eyes in My Drink Prank
Eyeball Ice CubesMake a batch of ice cubes that will gross your kids out – until they ask if they can eat them!
A Small Dinner Practical Joke
Mini- Meal
Grab the doll dishes and call your kids to dinner… only instead of the regular plates and portions, give them a “tiny” meal.
Balloon Prank
Play a practical joke that is a balloon surprise over the door. It is kind like the pail of water above the door, but much more fun and less mess. After your kids go to sleep, close their door. Tape a garbage bag to the outside of the door and fill the gap between the bag and the door with balloons. When your kids open the door, balloons will fall on them.
Yummy Fake Cake
Make a fake cake. Your kids will love making this fake cake! Have them “ice” an empty container with shaving cream or as we did in this video, ice a sponge…
Watch Short Video How to Do the Fake Cake Prank
More Jokes & Fun from Kids Activities Blog
- Oh so many funny funny jokes for kids
- Don’t miss these printable dinosaur jokes for kids – they make a fun addition to a kids lunch
- And you will have the kids giggling all the way back to school with these school jokes for kids
- Oh so many animal jokes for kids
- Check out these practical jokes for kids
- These fun and random facts will have the whole family giggling!
What is your favorite easy prank for kids?
Hey Rachel Thanks for this Post. These are Hilarious and Best April fools Pranks……
Had a Laugh reading them…
Here’s a simple magic trick that kids can try out on their friends and family.
Ideal for April Fool’s Day, you can convince everyone of the magnetic properties of plastic.
Take a look. It’s easy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgXoNK-Zehk
These are such cute ideas! I’m thrilled to see some FUN pranks for kids!
Ha ha! There are many excellent ideas. I definitely will try to draw something on my kid’s face while they’re sleeping and see their reaction lol Thank you!
I love that threes are all silly and not scary or mean. I had already planned to die our milk to look like chocolate milk to see if they could “taste” it. They were convinced the green milk tasted different no matter how many times I promised it was regular milk colored for st Patrick’s day.
April 1st is a fun holiday around our house. We put sugar in the salt shaker and salt in the sugar bowl, rubber band on the sink sprayer, colored water for Kool-aid, and (my personal favorite) mashed potatoes with chocolate syrup ( looks just like vanilla ice cream!)
Clear sarine wrap over the toilet is always a good one haha
GREAT Ideas!!! My son & i had “April Fools’ MONTH — because one day was simply NOT enough time to contain all our planned Tom Foolery! Some things I’ve done in the past:
*Safety pinned ALL his underwear (or socks) together… he pulls out one, he gets ’em ALL! (safety FIRST, and use Big pins so you don’t put holes in the pants!)
*when he was 2 or 3, I made a meatloaf in a cake pan & frosted it w/ tinted mashed potatoes & told him we were having Chocolate Cake for dinner — but I tried a new recipe… I REALLY did fool him (AND his Grandpa, too!)
*Bubble Wrap on the floor by his bedside after he fell asleep (kinda didn’t work, but he laughed at the idea & jumped up & down…)
*My FAVORITES — I “hid” every LEFT shoe (he was in 3rd grade???) …. I moved him –he’s a super-sound sleeper!– to the Spare Bedroom in the middle of the night (he woke up at 4am & came to me “WHY am I in “the blue room?!?!” so it kinda back-fired, but he loved it… bought jelly beans & took ALL the green & orange & formed them to look like frozen peas & corn… (someone said that starburst works good, too…) — he’d ask for THAT veggie dish ALL. Year. Through!
Thanks for the fresh ideas!!! Gonna try some of yours on my Mom! 🙂
Leave the plastic wrap on a slice of cheese when you make their lunch for School, works every time
My sons birthday falls on April fools day, so on his seventh birthday we bought him a tutu, a magic sparkle wand, a Barbie doll, a tiara, and a Disney princess puzzle (all from the dollar store). We wrapped them in boy themed bags and paper. As he opened each gift he looked more and more perplexed. By the time he opened the last gift, he looked at me and said “Mom, don’t you know I’m a boy, not a girl?!”
Don’t worry though, after all the fun pranks he did get a real gift, a Nintendo 3DS!
My sister for years painted the toenails of all three sons and her husband! One year te youngest went to bed in his hiking boots. She took them off , painted, let dry and put them back on all while he slept!. He was surprised!!
Lol!!! Thanks for the post!! This will be the first yr I do anything big! Last yr I did take a different route to school, and when he asked….he was 3….Where were we Going, bc Schools not this way! I insisted it most certainly wasn’t, we were Finallyyyyy Going to CrAzY ToWn and this time, he is coming!! Lol! He didn’t know WHAT to think!! But, tha ks for all the ideas and thanks to the previous posters who gave more ideas!!! Can’t wait!!! Lol! ????????
Meant *Lol!!!!!!! ….that looked like I was already IN CrAzY ToWn Lol!!!!
I made meatloaf and mashed potato “cupcakes”. Bake the meatloaf in cupcake cups, in a muffin tin. Make mashed potatoes spoon equal amounts in sandwich bags. Put a different food coloring in each bag to make the “icing”. Pipe the potatoes on top of the meatloaf.
When the meatloaf is done, bake brownies or sugar cookies to mask the meat smell. Have your video camera ready to capture the expressions and conversation when they taste the icing. Classic!
I love the toys wrapped with plastic. Thanks for the ideas…I’m already planning my pranks.
so many fun pranks. My kids would love these. Thanks for linking up at Tell Me About It Tuesday. We hope you hop over and share with us again next week.
Well…. you got me thinking! I DO need to do something fun and unexpected this year! Thanks for the ideas!
giggle, all ready for April fools day. Thank you for sharing your lovely blog at the Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop xo
Last year I told all the kids that we were having brownies for breakfast. I proceeded to pull out a pan of brown E’s and gave one to each kid. It went over very well!
I LOVE these and had to share. Pranks are such a riot! April Fools is almost one of my favorite holidays!
What fantastic ideas for April Fools Day fun! Thanks for sharing. I am stopping by from the Frugal Crafty Home Party.
A few years ago when my kids were in kindergarten and second grade, I decorated the living room with balloons and all the fun stuff we normally do for their birthdays, then I made a cake, decorated it, and wrote April fools on top. My kindergarten came home around 11:00am and my second grader came home around 2:40. We lived across the street from the school, so they walked home on their own. When each of them walked in the door, we jumped out and yelled happy birthday! They looked so happy, but so confused. It was hilarious! Then I showed them their cake and they figured it out. The kids loved it so much, that they wanted to prank their friends. We invited their friends over one at a time and as each one came we jumped out and yelled “happy birthday!” After surprising every one, we ate cake and played with all the balloons I had blown up for the pretend birthday. It was afun very memorable April fools day. That was 4 years ago and they still talk about it all the time.
I pinned it! Hello from Fabulously Frugal Thursdays!
I cant wait to pull some pranks on my parents today!!!=D
Thank you for linking up to the Hearts for Home Blog Hop last week. Your post has been selected to feature on this week’s April Fools themed H4H post on Monsters Ed.
http://www.monstersed.co.za/2014/04/03/hearts-home-blog-hop-34-april-fools/
Please remember to grab our *new* “I was Featured” button.
I love the toilet paper trick – its so sweet but funny too! Thanks so much for linking this up to The Friday Frenzy!
I played a trick on my brother! I took the cream out of the Oreo and then I filled the Oreo with white toothpaste and he ate it with a surprise face! Plz try it! It’s was hilarious!
Good post. I learn something new and challenging on sites I stumbleupon everyday.
It’s always exciting to read through articles from other writers and use something from their sites.
i can’t do any of this at school but it is fun jokes can you make some to do t school? my fav one was the blue milk but i am not a grown up i i do have “baby dolls” and i pretend they are my kids but awesome jokes
Haha! The blue milk prank is so funny!
This ia amazing
April Fools Day is so much fun!
I am really excited about tomorrow because it is first day of April and it will be April fools day and I already have a trick planed for my mom and maybe dad.
Aw, have fun!