April Fools’ Day is one of my favorite days. It’s a free pass to play jokes, be silly and creative, and laugh along with your friends and family. This year, put the mean-spirited pranks aside (please avoid the “I’m pregnant!” joke announcement on Facebook), and have some fun fooling your little ones. Here are some ideas that the whole family can get in on.
Little Kids
- “Clothes Call” – Swap your kid’s clothes with another family member’s. When they try to get dressed in the morning, they’ll be surprised that all of their choices are way too big (or small).
- “There’s Something in the Water!” – Take a dye tablet from an Easter egg kit, and put it inside the shower or sink faucet. When someone turns on the water, it will come out colored.
- “Whoops(IE)s Cushion” – Fill up a whoopie cushion, but instead of placing it under a pillow on the couch, unzip the pillow and place it inside. When someone lifts the pillow to reveal the whoopie cushion, it’ll be nowhere to be found.
- “Cereal Confusion” – Swap the cereal bags. When the kids choose a box and try to pour the cereal out, it will be a different kind.
- “Eye Spy” – Draw faces, or glue googly eyes on everything in the fridge, from eggs to the milk carton to the bananas.
- “Balloon Barricade” – Blow up a bunch of balloons, and then use streamers to hold the balloons against your child’s closed bedroom door. When she opens the door in the morning, she’ll be flooded with balloons.
Big Kids
- Change all of the clocks in the house (and in his car, if he’s old enough to drive) to a different time.
- Sneak to her school early, and fill her locker with balloons (or confetti, ping pong balls, streamers, etc).
- Print out a picture of a gross-looking bug and very carefully cut it out. Then, tape it to the inside of a lampshade. When your big kid turns on the light, it will look like there’s a huge bug crawling inside.
- Tape an airhorn to the back of a door, in line with the doorknob. When he opens the door all the way, it will press against the air horn for a loud surprise.
- After your kids go to sleep on the 31st, sneak into their rooms and swap all of the posters, photos, clothes, and even the blankets with their siblings’. When they wake up, they’ll be confused about which room they’re in.
- Edit the auto-correct on her phone, so every time she types some common words, it changes to “My mom is the best!”
