April Foolās Day is the perfect time to get creative with harmless, silly tricks that bring laughter to the whole family. Instead of tricky, messy or scary surprises, simple and lighthearted pranks can make the day extra fun.

April Fool’s Day is another holiday, like Halloween, where I’ve leaned more toward the silly than the really tricky or scary. In our family it’s much easier to laugh if you haven’t been scared out of your socks! This year, a few easy pranks delivered big laughs for the whole family!
Fun and Easy April Foolās Day Pranks for the Whole Family

Pudding Coffee Prank
One of the best ways to pull off a great prank is to target daily habits. Since coffee is an essential part of the morning routine, it became the perfect setup for a joke. Instead of brewing a fresh cup, chocolate pudding was made the night before and poured into a favorite coffee mug. The next morning, the ācoffeeā was placed on the counter, complete with googly eyes for an extra touch of fun. While some may argue that the eyes gave the trick away, they were just too hard to resist!

Jell-O Juice Surprise
A classic prank that never fails is replacing juice with Jell-O. Lemon Jell-O was prepared in advance and poured into juice cups, leaving just a thin layer of real apple juice on top for added realism. The weight of the cups nearly gave the trick away, but at least one person was totally fooled when they tried to take a sip!
Fake Spill
Pour white glue onto a plastic surface and let it dry completely. Once dry, peel it off and place it on a dark surface to resemble a dried spill. Watch as someone tries to clean it up, only to realize it’s fake.
Boiled Egg in the Milk
Peel a hard-boiled egg and place it in someone’s milk glass. When they take a sip, they’ll be surprised by the unexpected “obstacle.”
Shoe Mix-up
Take shoes and put them in the wrong closet. Sure to cause good-natured confusion but don’t take it too far! Make sure that you can still get the kids to school on time!
Remember, the best pranks are those that are lighthearted and make sure that everyone involved can share a laugh. Always consider the feelings of others and avoid pranks that could cause distress or harm!
More Great April Fools’ Day ideas:
- Fake Eggs and Bacon
- Tricks for Last-Minute Prankster Parents
- Ten Fun April Fools Food Pranks and for Kids
- April Fools Candy Bugs
- Ten Fun and Easy April Fools Tricks for Kids
- April Fools Fun ā Three No-Fail Ways to Get Kids Laughing
- How to Make Candy Sushi
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Thanks for the cute ideas! I agree that it’s tricky when April 1 is a weekend!
you got it, Sarah!! thanks for reading!!!
Thanks for the great ideas. We did egg cupcakes last year and they freaked some people out! http://2flowerslearn.com/2012/03/31/april-fools-egg-cupcakes/
I love getting new ideas, cheers.
thanks, Chris!! Cannot wait to check out your egg cupcakes!! Thanks, friend!!
So cute! I especially loved you putting your family’s faces in the circulars. Too too creative! I will remember that one for sure!
Last year I did the pan of brown E’s for everyone for dessert. Which they totally loved. This year I didn’t plan anything, but Annabelle did and I didn’t know anything about it. She excitedly called us into the kitchen saying that there was a whole lot of blue jays on the back deck. Turns out, she had taped blue J’s out there. She said she came up with the idea last year with my brown e’s and decided then that she would do it this year. The whole family loved it!
Thanks, Brandy!! I LOVE the pan of brown E’s–so funny! And Annabelle sounds like her mother’s daughter, don’t you think?! LOVE IT!!
What fun memories your children will have, and better watch put when the are older, you are teachung rhem well! Carolyn
What fun memories your children will have! But watch out when they are older, you are teaching them well! Very fun.