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13 Easy April Fools' Day Pranks For Lazy Pranksters

by Lauren Schumacker

April Fools' Day is the first day of April every single year, which makes it easy to remember (you know, for planning purposes). Each year on this day, people play pranks on their friends, family members, coworkers, and sometimes strangers. If you're pranking everyone in sight, then you'll probably want easy April Fools' Day pranks to play that are relatively low-effort, but still in the spirit of the holiday.

In my opinion, April Fools' Day pranks should be lighthearted and fun—never mean. You should be able to laugh them off pretty easily. Anything too serious or that causes too much worry, fear, or misery should ideally be avoided. Before deciding on a practical joke, think through your audience and whether they'll react well or not.

Potential prank ideas can range from telling someone something funny to playfully messing with their food, clothing, or routines. Say, for instance, you don't have any set plans with a friend that day. Texting them and asking when they'll arrive, saying you're on your way, or telling them that you're running late, but you'll meet them there will usually ultimately be harmless, but might elicit a few giggles once you've let them in on the joke. Just remember, the day is supposed to be fun and silly, and your pranks will (hopefully) be appreciated.

1Cover Soap And Lotion Bottles With Plastic Wrap

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This one is an oldie, but a goodie. BuzzFeed suggested you cover your kids, partner, or roommate's soap, shampoo, and lotion bottles (or any other bottles they use daily) with plastic wrap so that, when they try to use them, nothing comes out. Make sure you trim away any excess plastic wrap so you don't give yourself away.

2Mix Skittles, M&M's, And Reese's Pieces Together

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Make sure that whomever you play this trick on doesn't have a peanut allergy. Then, after checking twice, follow The Huffington Post's advice and mix fruity Skittles, chocolaty M&M's, and peanut-y Reese's Pieces together in the same bowl. When someone takes a handful of candy, they'll discover that it tastes . . . differently than normal.

3Fill A Juice Cup With Jello

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Does your little one drink juice every day? Parenting, suggested sprinkling a bit of gelatin in with the juice the night before and letting it sit. This way, when they go to take a sip of juice the following morning, it won't budge.

4Replace Cheese Puffs With Baby Carrots

Popsugar suggested you empty a single-serving bag of cheese puffs and fill the bag with baby carrots. Reseal the bag with a bit of glue or some double-sided tape and, whoever you've pranked won't know until they're surprised at lunch.

5Stuff Someone's Shoes

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Mommy Poppins suggested you stuff the toe of someone's shoes with tissue paper or cotton. When they try to put on their shoes, they won't fit and your friend will think they went through a growth spurt over night.

6Freeze Your Kid's Breakfast Cereal

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This prank from The Today Show requires prep the night before. According to the site, you pour a bowl of cereal and milk and stick it in the freezer over night. The next morning, when your child goes to take a bite of breakfast, they won't be able to put anything on their spoon.

7Send Glitter

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Prank faraway friends and family by sending them an envelope filled with glitter, as suggested by the website for DIY Network. As they open the envelope, glitter will go everywhere.

8Change Their Ringtone

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YourTango suggested that you swipe your partner or best friend's phone, change their ringtone (preferably to something embarrassing), and turn the volume up loud. Momentary embarrassment when it starts to ring in public.

9Make An Inedible Snack

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Swap salt for the sugar in a baked good and wait to see the look on everyone's face when they take a bite. Bonus points for asking sincerely, "so, what do you think?"

10Dye The Milk Anything Other Than White

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Add some food coloring to a glass (or better yet, carton) of milk, as advised by the website for Martha Stewart magazine. Eyes will widen and double takes will ensue as they see their expected pearly white class of milk go green, blue, or purple.

11Adopt A Pet

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Glamour wrote that a good way to prank your roommate or partner is to send a photo of a pet under the guise that you've just adopted him. This only works if you can leave the pet store or shelter without actually adopting a pet, FYI.

12Rearrange The Dresser Drawers

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In college, my roommates and I had an ongoing prank war that eventually escalated to the point where we all locked our bedroom doors whenever we left the apartment. Rearranging dresser drawers so no one knows where their belongings are was a favorite.

13Give Everything Eyes

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If you've got some time on your hands and a well-stocked collection of craft supplies, according to the aforementioned article from DIY Network, putting googly eyes on everything in the refrigerator, freezer, medicine cabinet, or anywhere else your family is sure to look will definitely make people laugh. Just make sure you remove them before biting into an apple that's been making eyes at you — literally.