60 Easy April Fools Day Pranks For Parents To Play on Kids in 2025
Every year, I hunt for the best (and easiest) April Fool’s Day pranks for parents to play on my kids. Last year, I got them good. So this year, we’ll need to pull out all the stops.
But first…
April Fools Pranks For Parents We Don’t Use
Glitter bombs? Um no. Who do you think is going to have to clean that up?
Like the Elf on the shelf, we keep things as easy as possible here. So, rest assured that most of these pranks can be done in a matter of minutes.
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Simple April Fool’s Day Pranks for Young Kids
These parents April Fool’s Day pranks are perfect for toddlers and lower elementary.
1. Brown-e’s
Cut out the letter E from brown construction paper. Place in pan and cover. Surprise them with homemade brownies!
2. Cereal Switch
Switch out the cereal from each box so nobody knows what they’re getting!
3. Undrinkable juice
Make red jello cups ahead of time. Offer the “fruit punch” in a cup with a straw and watch them try to figure it out!
4. Googly Eyes
Add googly eyes to anything and everything!
5. Dirty Diaper
Add a chocolate bar or peanut butter to a clean diaper and ask your spouse or older child to help with cleaning up. Maybe taste test at the same time!
6. Classic Scare
This is the classic April Fool’s prank. Jump out and scare them from unexpected places!
7. Room Swap *Only do this if your kids are heavy sleepers!
Carry your sleeping kid into their sibling’s room and switch beds. They’ll wake up in a different room to start the holiday off right!
8. Bad Milk
Add a few drops of food coloring to the milk carton and watch them squeal with surprise in the morning.
*Make a Spring Bucket List with the kids too >>
Parents April Fools Pranks To Play on Kids
Next, these pranks for kids are for middle to upper elementary and will get EVERYONE laughing until their sides hurt.
9. Dirty Fingers
Put your own chocolate fingerprints on the toilet paper roll.
10. Scary Toilet Paper
Draw a small spider on the toilet paper roll and roll it back up. Listen for the scream!
11. Pop It Fun
Add “Pop Its” underneath the toilet seat!
12. Rubber Band Trap
Take a commonly used item (think a tv remote or phone) and wrap it with layers and layers of rubber bands. Do you think their patience will last?
13. Photo Switch
Some time is needed for this one, but cut out photos of celebrities (or your one favorite) and paste them to all your family photos in the house!
14. Frozen Cereal
Freeze a bowl of cereal overnight and watch your child wonder what on earth is going on.
15. Helping Hand
Ask your child to bring you a toilet paper roll while you’re going to the bathroom. When you reach for it, “accidentally” touch their hand with chocolate fingers. Horrified faces will ensue.
Related: Funny Fingers Down Questions To Ask
16. For Sale: April Fools Day Pranks For Parents
Put out a “For Sale” sign in your front yard before the kids go to school.
17. Moldy Meal
Make your kids their favorite sandwich for lunch but add a couple of drops of green food coloring to the bread. They’ll be surprised to find a “moldy” lunch!
18. Buggy
Here’s another classic. Add a plastic bug to the ice cube tray to freeze. Then, add it to their favorite drink for a buggy surprise!
19. Water Hoax
Swipe a q-tip covered with food coloring around the edge of your faucet. When the kids turn the water on they’ll have a colorful surprise.
20. Confused Cupcakes
Bake up mini meatloaves in muffin tins (including the cupcake wrapper) and “frost” them with creamy mashed potatoes.
21. Growth Spurt
The night before, emphasizes the importance of eating your veggies to grow big and strong at dinner. The next morning, lay out clothes that are a size too small and stuff their shoes with tissue paper.
Watch their shocked faces over the power of a vegetable!
22. Poop April Fool’s Day Pranks
What is April Fools without a fake poop prank? I used a chocolate cake mix recipe last year to create these custom turds. Or try this recipe >>
23. Mayo Mayo Mayo
Mayo can be used for more than sandwiches! Switch out the morning vanilla yogurt for mayo or add “cream” to the inside of donuts.
24. Money Pranks For Parents to Play on Kids
Print a fake dollar and leave it in common places to see how many of your family members will try to pick it up! Or superglue a couple of coins to the driveway or sidewalk outside!
25. Oldest Trick
If you have a faucet sprayer attachment, use a rubber band to hold down the handle. Then ask your child to wash their hands in the kitchen sink before dinner. Enjoy the show!
*Will make a water mess*
Related: Fun Earth Day Trivia Quiz
Good Pranks for School or Work Place
Take your April Fool’s Day pranks outside of the home too.
26. Crooked Cookies
Advertise chocolate chip cookies but offer raisins only instead.
27. Hopeful Donuts
Bring in a box of “Krispy Kreme” donuts but surprise them with veggies inside instead of donuts.
28. Do Not Move
Place a colored plastic cup upside down on a desk with a note that says:
“Do not lift unless you’re ready to kill it!”
Better yet, use a paper cup and make a little hole in it so it looks like whatever it was has already escaped!
29. Signage
If you have an office or classroom, place a sign that says “Please use the other door” and watch how many people are confused, especially when you only have one door to enter!
30. The Office
Copy Jim from The Office! Stick a stapler in jello and put it on the desk of a teacher or coworker.
31. Mixed Treat
Mix together M&M’s, Reeses, and Skittles into a bowl. Those who grab a handful will be in for a treat!
*Looking for another April holiday? Check out:
Fun April Fool’s Day Pranks for Your Spouse
And don’t forget your significant other in the fun and games!
32. Happy Travels
Add a “honk and wave” sign to the back of your spouse’s car to confuse and cheer them up for the day!
33. Shortcut
Change the keyboard shortcut on your spouse’s phone to drive them crazy with different words and incorrect grammar.
34. Saucey Text
Text your spouse a spicy text message. Then immediately text “wrong person, sorry.”
35. Email Sign Ups
Sign your spouse up for annoying email subscriptions. Think–Cat Facts, Pun of the Day, Jelly of the Month Club, etc.!
36. Taste Tester
While making dinner, ask your spouse to taste test a new recipe you’re making. But instead, offer a bite of weird mixed-together ingredients to see if they’ll be disgusted or politely enthusiastic!
37. Out of Control
Tape over the remote control or gaming console censor and watch to see how long it takes them to figure it out.
38. Sorry Not Sorry
Text your spouse “sorry” and then not respond for some time. Wait for the panicked text or phone call back!
39. Cards
Place a deck of cards on the bedroom ceiling fan and wait for it to fly!
40. There’s a leak!
Call your husband up to the bathroom in a panic that there’s a water leak in the bathroom. He’ll be surprised to find a vegetable leek instead!
(Or you can also put water bottles everywhere and panic that there’s water all over.)
Related:
Kids April Fools Day Jokes
Finally, these April Fool’s Day jokes are fun for parents to try out on kids.
41. What monster plays the most April Fools’ jokes?
Prankenstein.
42. Who is the king of all jokes?
Jo-King!
43. Did you hear about the guy who swapped the labels on the pumps at the gas station?
It was an April Fuels’ joke.
44. Which day of the year do monkeys like best?
The first of Ape-ril.
45. A and C were going to prank their friend…
But they just letter B.
46. I don’t always joke on April Fools’ Day.
Just kidding, I do!
47. Which day is the worst to propose on?
April Fools’ Day.
48. What did April Fools’ Day say after it won an award?
Prank you.
49.
They like practical yolks.
50. There are some friends you know will never pull an April Fools’ Day prank.
Because they think it’s still March.
51. Babies born on March 31st are the easiest to prank on April Fools’.
They were literally born yesterday!
52. Why was everyone so tired on April 1st?
Because they just finished a long 31-day March.
53. What did April Fools’ Day say when it won an award?
Prank You!
54. Why can April jump so high?
It’s spring!
55. How do April flowers kiss?
With their tu-lips! (Check out this spring trivia for more cool stuff about flowers!)
56. Can February March?
No but April May
57. What’s the difference between Thanksgiving and April Fools’ Day?
On Thanksgiving you’re thankful and on the other you’re prankful.
58. What would you get if you crossed Halloween with April 1st?
April Ghoul’s Day
59. When does April come before January?
In the dictionary!
60. What goes up when April showers come down?
An umbrella
*Find good joke books for kids here for more >>
To Consider With April Fools Day Pranks For Kids
I hope these get your family laughing and enjoying time together. I know in my house, as soon as I do a prank, my kids go on a mission to get me back. It becomes a fun little battle!
Next, keep the fun going with April Trivia!
Sources: Parents April Fool’s Jokes & Pranks
today.com, parade.com