10 Hilarious April Fools' Pranks For Kids

Why do we love April Fools' Day? Because we all get a free pass on playing pranks! From jokes you can play on your spouse in cahoots with your kids to sweet ways to surprise your tots, these 10 kid-friendly April Fools’ jokes will fill your house with laughter. Couldn’t we all use that?

1. April Fools’ Joke: The Pineapple Surprise

Picture your child opening the door to the fridge to find a snack—only to discover that everything inside is looking back at them! All you need is a bunch of peel-and-stick wiggle eyes to turn your food into an in-home version of the Shopkins™ world. Pro prankster tip: Set up this prank during naptime or right before the kids come home from school.

2.  April Fools’ Joke: The Frozen Bowl

For this silly trick, pour a bowl of milk and cereal the night before April Fool’s Day, and then place it in the freezer overnight. In the morning, add a splash of milk to the bowl and serve up breakfast—your kid will be shocked to find their spoon bounces off the surface of their cereal! “What the…?!”

3.  April Fools’ Joke: Endless Underwear

While your spouse or partner is out of the house, help your child sneak all of their parent’s socks or underwear out of the dresser drawers and, with a single piece of thread and a needle, connect every piece together into one long chain. The next morning when they go to grab some clothes, they’ll get a whole chain of socks or underpants!

4.  April Fools’ Joke: Box of Surprises

Before breakfast, take your kid’s favorite cereal and remove the bag from the box. Empty the cereal contents into another container for safekeeping, and refill the bag with toys like Legos, stickers, crayons, or toy cars. They’ll be giggling about this one for days.

5.  April Fools’ Joke: The Money Chaser

Here’s another great one to play on your spouse with help from your child. Tape a long length of fishing line to a $5 bill, then have your child hide out of sight while holding on to the end of the string. Place the bill in the middle of the floor where your partner will see it, and when they lean down to pick it up, have your child yank the line so it slips out of reach.

6.  April Fools’ Joke: The Mega Present

Who doesn’t like opening a gigantic present? Make your child really work for the gift by wrapping something tiny in an endless series of nested boxes! Take a small toy and wrap it in paper, then place it in a small box. Wrap that box, and place it in a larger box. Repeat the process until you have a huge present that will surprise your kid!

7.  April Fools’ Joke: The Breakfast Blues

Before you pour a bowl of cereal for your kid, add a few drops of food coloring to a pitcher of milk—blue is especially surprising—and watch their faces when they see their toasted O’s swimming in a pool of blue milk.

8.  April Fools’ Joke: The Sponge Cake

Does someone in your family have a sweet tooth? This is the perfect trick for them. Buy a few new, clean sponges and a container of icing and sprinkles. (Make sure you look for natural sponges without added chemicals or cleaning solution, especially if your little one will be tempted to taste the fake treat.)

Then assemble a “layer cake” using the sponges, with icing between each sponge and a layer of icing on the outside. Top the whole thing with sprinkles and leave it on the counter for someone to try to take a forkful: They’ll be so surprised when their fork bounces off the “sponge cake!”

9.  April Fools’ Joke: Jiggling Juice

This one is a classic, but so funny. Simply make a batch of Jell-O in a few juice cups, making sure to pick a color or Jell-O that matches juice that your kid likes to drink (think red Jell-O for cranberry juice). When your child picks up the cup to take a sip, the Jell-O will stay put!

10.  April Fools’ Joke: The Brownie Buster

What kid wouldn’t want a tray of brownies? Your emerging reader will be surprised when they peel back the tin foil to find…a tray of “e’s” and “E’s” you’ve cut from brown construction paper! Ha-ha. Pro prankster tip: It’s best to have a real brownie waiting in the wings somewhere, lest the trick lead to a disappointment and/or a meltdown.