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7 April Fools' Day Pranks To Play On Kids That They'll Love

by Mishal Ali Zafar

In my house, April Fools' Day brings out the inner jokers and pranksters in my family. My husband and I try to mess with the kids, but as my kids are getting older, they’ve been pranking us right back. This year, April Fools' Day is on the same day as Easter, so naturally, I’ll be incorporating Easter eggs, hunts, and candy into my pranks. If you want your holiday to be full of surprise and giggles, here are some easy April Fools' Day pranks to play on kids that they will love.

I’ve heard some people say that pranking kids is mean, but I think it really depends on your kids’ temperament and the type of prank you play. Some children are a little more sensitive than others, and only a parent would know how far to go and what will work. One of my daughters is super sensitive and the other is tough as nails, so I prank them based on what I know they can enjoy and laugh about.

So in the spirit of laughter and surprise, if you are looking for some fun, light-hearted ways to pull one over on your kids, here are some great April Fools' Day pranks that will have them giggling all day.

1

Tell Them You Ate All Their Easter Candy

For many families, Easter egg hunts mean lots of candy, so in the spirit of Jimmy Kimmel’s Halloween Candy Challenge, hide your kids' loot and say you ate all their Easter candy. Once you get your priceless reaction, you can reveal that their candy is still intact. Their relief is sure to induce some giggles and make your Easter and April Fools' Day memorable.

2

Jell-O Juice

This great Undrinkable Juice prank, suggested by Parents, is a super easy and yummy prank to play on your kids this year, and all you need is a little prep work. Just mix a box of Jell-O according to package instructions, and pour it into your kids’ favorite juice glass. Drop in a straw and put it the refrigerator to set. When your kids try to take a sip, nothing will come up through the straw, and when they realize it’s Jell-O in their cup, not only will they get a laugh, they’ll get a treat, too.

3

Easter Egg Grapes

Every kids loves the little chocolate eggs that you put in their Easter eggs, so why not use them as a prank? For this Easter egg grape prank idea from Love Wednesday, all you need to do is unwrap the foil on the mini chocolate eggs, and then use the foil to wrap up grapes. When you present your child with the egg, they will unwrap it expecting to find chocolate. Much to their surprise (and your delight), they’ll be confused and surprised to find a grape inside.

4

Surprise Oreo

My kids can’t keep their hands out of the Oreo cookie box, so I may just prank them with this Oreo toothpaste prank from Mom Skills. All you need to do is scrape out the cream filling from a few Oreo cookies, and swap it for white toothpaste. If you have younger kids, you may want to fill them with something that’s safe in case they ingest it, like a super salty cream cheese. One bite, and they’ll know you pranked them good.

5

Frozen Cereal

Start your April Fools' Day with a prank breakfast. This Frozen Cereal prank from Alpha Mom involves pouring milk and cereal into a bowl with a spoon, and then freezing it overnight. In the morning, when your child sits down for breakfast, place the bowl of frozen cereal in front of them and watch them try to figure out why the spoon won’t move. This prank is sure to inspire early morning giggles that will last all day long.

6

Practical Easter Basket

This Easter basket prank from Oh Honestly is really funny, especially if you have older kids. Instead of filling their Easter basket with candy and toys, you can fill it with more practical items, like socks, cleaning sponges, toothpaste, or any other thing that you can explain to be something your kid actually needs. Your kids will be in shock until you surprise them with their real Easter baskets filled with treats and goodies.

7

Easter Eggs Glued Shut

With this prank idea from Get Your Holiday On, you can watch as your kids struggle to pry open Easter eggs that are glued shut. All you need to do is fill the eggs with whatever you like, as long as the kids think it’s a treat, and then glue the egg shut. You’ll see some frowns and frustration until you yell “April Fools!" and turn all that confusion into smiles and laughter.

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