I recently asked my son to rank his favourite days of the year and I was surprised that April Fool’s Day came right after his birthday and Christmas Day! He’s always been fascinated by the day destined to bring jokes aplenty, and last year he succeeded in making us look foolish on several occasions.
Whether you fancy being the joker yourself, or if you want to nudge your kids in the right direction, here are some ideas for making this April Fool’s Day one to remember with fun pranks for the whole family.
Minty Fresh
Most of us kickstart the day with a trip to the bathroom to brush our teeth. Why not "kindly" offer to put the toothpaste on a family member’s toothbrush for them but accidently (on purpose) replace it with something else edible and white. Consider plain yoghurt or cream for a sweet surprise, but make sure they brush their teeth properly again afterwards!
Breakfast Fit For A King
Next up - breakfast! Your kids might be excited to tuck into their cereal and orange juice but on April 1st they might find it trickier than normal. This will involve some prep, so you’ll need to set a reminder the night before. Switch their orange juice for some wibbly, wobbly orange jelly but prep it in their normal glass so as not to alert them. Pour out their favourite cereal with milk the night before but stick it in the freezer – they’ll need a pick-axe just to break into their Weetabix!
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Toilet Training
Whether they’re still in nappies or able to use the bathroom, we have a prank for both. Grab a clean nappy and plaster it in chocolate spread (yuck). Surprise another family member with an unwelcome obstacle by leaving it in their usual seat on the sofa. When they go to sit down, they’ll think that the baby of the family ripped off their dirty nappy and left it behind (eugh).
A Furry Surprise
My son caught me out with the next of my April Fool's pranks last year, so I have him to thank for this idea. Grab a black marker and draw a large black spider on the top sheet of the toilet roll. When your kid, sibling or parent goes to finish up in the bathroom, they’ll get the fright of their life when they think a tarantula has invaded their privacy!
School Time!
Last but not least, April Fool’s Day falls on a Friday this year so your children will still have to go off to school as normal. If you need a little help with creating a sense of urgency, hide the baby monitor in the sitting room and use the receiving end to "talk" to them. They’ll be so unnerved by the spooky voice telling them to get ready to go, they’ll jump to attention immediately.
Now, let’s hope that the joke’s not on us and that April 1st doesn’t kick off a month full of showers after such a sunny March.
