For some people, April Fools' Day is one of the most humorous holidays of the entire year. Yet for others, like me, it's a day that has "disaster" written all over it. I know I can't be alone when I say that I have spent many April Fools' days constantly looking over my shoulder, holding my breath, and feeling downright paranoid and suspicious of every little thing. But it turns out that there are some surprisingly harmless and even kid-friendly April Fools' Day pranks you can pull without causing or receiving too much trouble.
In fact, playing these benign jokes could actually be a creative way for the whole family to bond and relieve a little tension. If you're being totally honest with yourself, it would be pretty hilarious to see the confused look on your toddler's face when they discover their juice is, in fact, gelatin. Consider it payback for all the times your baby has spilled their drink in your car.
So why not start a new tradition with your friends and family that will be fun for everyone involved? Get your cling wrap and Jello mix ready and check out these kid-friendly pranks just in time for April Fools' Day.
1Creepy Crawly Fake-Out
I'm not sure where this prank originated, but I've pulled it on quite a few people. This is especially funny if the person you're setting up tends to be on the squeamish side. Prepare for screams when they find there is nothing under the cup.
2Jello Juice
Lauren of the hilarious parenting blog, Oh, Honestly!, charted the reactions of swapping a child's juice for Jello. A word to the wise, Lauren advises having real juice on stand-by in case of a meltdown.
3Tech Trick
This one can be played on children and adults alike, but will probably have better results on someone who already isn't very computer savvy. Alison of Sparkly Shoes and Sweatdrops recounted when her son pulled the ultimate tech trick by setting up a wireless keyboard to control a laptop from the other room. You'll have them scratching their heads with this one.
4Dough-Not
Pretty much every kid loves doughnuts. Again, you might want to have the real deal on stand-by, but there's a timeless prank where you put veggies (or anything "yucky") inside an empty doughnut box.
5Sour Apple
Another fun food prank, courtesy of Angela Tague on Parenting, is where you dip onions instead of apples in caramel for a truly sour surprise.
6Make A Splash
If you don't mind a bit of cleanup, this one is perfect. Sarah W. Caron on Today shared the idea of placing clear tape on the faucet to ensure your kid's next trip to the restroom will have an unexpected (and splashy) ending.
7Size Swap
You can either pick up some inexpensive clothes or pull old clothes out of storage for this growth-spurt prank. Lay your child's clothes out for the morning, but have them all be a few sizes to small so they will think they've magically grown overnight.
