Have Some Good-Natured Fun With These April Fools' Day Pranks

april fools day pranks
Funny Pranks to Try for April Fools' Day This YearBuff Strickland


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If you ask Ree and Ladd Drummond, any day is a good day for a prank. "I know it's difficult for some people to understand a married couple pranking each other with fake snakes," she explains. "Actually, I don't really understand it either. All I know is that Marlboro Man and I have perpetrated this prank against each other for years. Decades, even!" She's even passed on the same exact prank to her children to continue the family tradition.

For most people, the best opportunity to prank someone is April Fools' Day. And as April 1 approaches, you might be gearing up to share some April Fools' Day jokes or catch your friends and family with some texting pranks or gag gifts. But if you're lucky enough to see someone in person, why not go all out and try one of these in-person April Fools' Day pranks?

These prank ideas are all pretty easy to execute and are sure to rile a response. And they all have one thing in common: They're all done in good fun. But beware: The recipient will probably get you back somehow! Ree and Ladd joke that they "have actually developed a fear of fake snakes. Not because we are scared of plastic toys, but because we are deathly afraid of being one-upped by the other." 😂 Good thing you have all these examples here to keep a similar cycle going!

Swap Out Family Photos.

See how observant your family is by swapping out one or more of your family photos and see who notices. You can either superimpose a celebrity into an existing photo or simply use the display picture that often comes with a store-bought frame.

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april fools day pranks photos
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Bake 'Cinnamon' Rolls

Spoiler alert: There is definitely no cinnamon in this recipe. While everyone will expect a sweet treat, they're actually filled with pulled pork and barbecue sauce. So while tasty, they're certainly not something they'll expect for breakfast or dessert.

april fools day pranks cinnamon rolls
Caitlin Bensel

Freeze Breakfast

On March 31, pour bowls of cereal and milk and stick them in the freezer. In the morning, serve them to your kids and watch their faces as they can't get anything on their spoons!

april fools day pranks cereal
Carlina Teteris - Getty Images

Cover the Office in Plastic Wrap

Work in an office? Prank your favorite coworker by wrapping all of their desk supplies in plastic wrap before they get to work. Think: stapler, mouse, keyboard, or even their chair. The more you cover, the funnier.

april fools day prank in the office
KEVIN J. MIYAZAKI

Hide Fake Snakes

You think this list wouldn't include the classic Drummond prank? It's hiss-terical. Simply buy a rubber snake and hide it in a spot you know they'll end up like in bed, in the shower, or in the silverware drawer.

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april fools day pranks rubber snake
Ree Drummond

Issue Fake Parking Tickets

Anyone who drives would have a momentary freak out if they see a parking ticket on their windshield. But if you make it fake and make it funny (add a hilarious note of why they got the violation, for instance), they'll definitely chuckle.

april fools day pranks parking ticket
Peter Dazeley - Getty Images

Flip Someone's Computer Screen

If your family or coworkers use a PC with a Windows operating system, you can flip the display screen upside down by pressing CTRL, ALT, and the downward arrow key. (Don't worry, it's easily reversible by pressing CTRL, ALT, and the upward arrow key!)

april fools day pranks computer screen
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Give the House Some Eyes

Who doesn't find googly eyes hilarious? Pick something visible, say your houseplants or maybe everything in your fridge and decorate them with googly eyes. Everyone will crack up!

april fools day pranks googly eyes
Paula Daniëlse - Getty Images

Hide All the Utensils

Before everyone wakes up or maybe before dinner, hide all of your forks and spoons and see the surprise on everyone's faces when they go to grab the essentials and find them all gone!

how to clean silver
Jessica Shaver Photography - Getty Images

Hide a Whoopee Cushion

If you're over a certain age, you'll definitely remember the hilarious prank of hiding a whoopee cushion under someone's seat. We bet the little ones have no clue, and the older ones don't think they still exist, but they do.

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april fools day pranks whoopie cushion
Amazon

Put Your House Up for Sale

You don't really need to put your house up for sale, but if you put a sign in your yard, your kids will think you did for a day! A generic one won't fool too many interested adults, though.

april fools day pranks for sale sign
Phillip Spears - Getty Images

Color Your Milk

Add a few drops of food coloring to your milk container and watch everyone's shock when they go to pour it. The same could be done with the creamer at the office!

april fools day pranks food coloring
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Swap Everyone's Laundry

Switch out the contents of everyone's sock or underwear drawer and watch them scramble to get dressed! Eventually, they'll all realize they have the same problem and figure it out.

april fools day pranks food coloring
Image Professionals GmbH - Getty Images

Confuse Your Favorite Chat Buddy

Download a GIF of the anticipatory "typing dots" message indicator and send it to your favorite unsuspecting chat buddy. They'll think you're about to send a message all day long!

april fools day pranks texting
Chadchai Ra-ngubpai - Getty Images

Swap Out the Toilet Paper

Switch out your regular toilet paper for a roll of white packing tape and watch everyone roll with laughter when they realize. You can leave real toilet paper out, too, so they're not stuck.

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april fools day pranks toilet paper
Peter Dazeley - Getty Images

Move the Clocks Forward

If you have alarm or wall clocks in the house, move them all an hour or two ahead! That goes for the clocks on the microwave and all other appliances, so they're all consistent.

april fools day pranks move clocks
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Give Them an Overnight Growth Spurt

Want to confuse the family? Stuff the fronts of their shoes with tissues or toilet paper and have them wonder if their feet suddenly grew really fast overnight.

april fools day pranks stuff shoes
Tara Moore - Getty Images

Scare Them in the Shower

Add a cardboard life-size cutout or wall decal of someone in shower and hear them screech when they open the shower curtain!

april fools day pranks shower
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Serve Veggies for Dessert

Did you know that if you dip Brussels sprouts in chocolate and let them dry, they look like chocolate truffles? Better yet, if you add a lollipop stick, they look like cake pops.

april fools day pranks veggies
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Spill the Milk

You can use old school glue like Elmer's to create a giant white splatter pattern. Let it dry and then lay it across someone's keyboard. It will look like you've spilled milk and give them a moment of panic.

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april fools day pranks spilled milk
Simon Katzer - Getty Images

Wish Your Spouse a 'Happy Anniversary'

Do you have a significant other that kind of forgets that it's your special day? Confuse them even more by presenting them with card, balloons, and a gift and see the panic wash over their face. Inside the card it can read, "April Fools!"

april fools day pranks anniversary
Hispanolistic - Getty Images

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