Boy in a yellow jacket smiling against a bright yellow background, exuding a playful and cheerful vibe.

April Fool's Pranks for Kids

For the family that likes to get in on the good-natured fun (take our poll to let us know if this is you!), this list is a resource of easy and fun ideas for kid-friendly April Fool's pranks!

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  •   -   03/06/2020

    Switch the bags inside your boxes of cereal.

  •   -   03/06/2020

    Pour a cup of juice and freeze it overnight. Have this waiting for them to "drink" at the breakfast table.

  •   -   03/30/2021

    Take an empty donut box and put fruit and veggies inside, close it and let your kids open it on their own for a healthy and funny surprise!

  •   -   04/17/2020

    If you go into your “General” Settings on an iPhone, select “Keyboard” then “Text Replacement” to create shortcuts. This useful feature becomes a hilarious prank when you substitute commons words with silly ones, like “the” with “collywobbles”. My tween has played this one on me quite a lot, and it cracks me up every time!

  •   -   03/11/2020

    Put a few drops of food coloring at the bottom of their cereal bowl, and let the kids pour in their own milk and watch the color change!

  •   -   04/01/2020

    Take a screenshot of your tween or teen’s home page on their phone and set it as their new home screen and lock screen wallpaper. My daughter just did this to me and it had me scratching my head for longer than I’d like to admit. 😁

  •   -   03/11/2020

    Serve a glass of jell-o with a straw instead of juice at the breakfast table.

  •   -   03/11/2020

    Switch your kids into their siblings' beds while they are sleeping.

  •   -   03/31/2020

    If you've kept your ice cube trays in these days of automatic ice makers, add a plastic bug or two to this next batch for the good old "bug in your drink" trick! Tip - the closer the water is to boiling point when you pour it into the tray, the clearer the ice cubes will be when they freeze.

  •   -   03/06/2020

    Stick googly eyes on all of the food in the fridge, or all of the fruit in the fruit bowl.

  •   -   03/06/2020

    Wear your clothes backward and act like nothing is out of the ordinary!

  •   -   03/29/2021

    Use a Sharpie to write "Happy April Fools' Day!" on a sheet of toilet paper that is still on the roll for some surprise reading when they are in the bathroom! Even better, write a short joke: www.upparent.com

  •   -   03/31/2021

    Frozen cereal: pour a bowl of cereal with milk, and include the spoon too. Freeze it overnight for an April's Fools Day breakfast.

  •   -   04/02/2020

    If your kiddo has a phone, send them a text with a “loading” GIF image and a message like, “check out this funny GIF!” They might be waiting a while to see that GIF load...😁

  •   -   07/17/2021

    If it's a school day, wake them up by telling them it's a snow day! When they squeal and look out the window, they will know your prank (unless it really IS a snow day which it was one April Fool's for us!)

  •   -   03/11/2020

    For breakfast, make a pretend egg by topping a puddle of vanilla yogurt with a canned peach half.

  •   -   03/06/2020

    Use toddler dinnerware to serve your older child breakfast...sippy cup, tiny spoon, divided plate, etc!

  •   -   03/31/2021

    Offer your kids a brownie for dessert ... the letter E written with a brown marker.

  •   -   03/31/2021

    If your kids would laugh later at this...tell them it's "Wacky Wednesday at school" and remind them to wear their best mismatched crazy outfits.

  •   -   04/03/2024

    My son's first grade class got a Spring Word Search to do at school with words like flowers, sunshine, grass, etc - except none of the words were actually in the puzzle! We all thought it was such a funny April Fool's prank for kids - though it would have been even better if the only words in the puzzle were "April" and "Fools" :)

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