April Fools' Prank Ideas: For Kids

The night before, pour juice into a cup, put a straw in it, and freeze it solid. Serve it at breakfast and watch the confusion.

Freeze their cereal bowl - cereal, milk and all - solid overnight. Serve it and pretend nothing is wrong.

Put googly eyes on everything in the fridge. When they go for a snack, everything will be staring back at them.

Mold dark chocolate into a poop emoji shape and leave it somewhere surprising - on a plate, in a lunchbox. It's gross, it's funny, and it's delicious.

Put baby carrots in a chips bag and seal it back up. Hand it over as a 'snack'.

Tell them you made 'brownies' and reveal a pan full of brown letter E cutouts. Brown. E's. Brownies.

Tape a realistic-looking fake bug to the inside of a lampshade. When they turn the light on, it looks like there's a massive bug in the light.

Add a few drops of food coloring to the bottom of a cereal bowl before pouring in milk so breakfast suddenly turns bright blue or green.

Arrange all their stuffed animals in a serious-looking circle as if they held a meeting overnight.

Tell the kids it's a brand-new holiday tradition and everyone has to wear one item of clothing backward until lunch.

Make gelatin in a clear cup with a straw sticking out so it looks like a normal drink that mysteriously won't sip.

Serve a peeled banana in a hot dog bun with a little whipped cream and sprinkles like it's a totally normal lunch item.

Stick googly eyes on every snack in their lunchbox so every cracker pack and apple looks alive.

Write 'You are under pancake surveillance' on the mirror with a dry-erase marker for them to discover in the morning.

Pretend to sneeze while spraying water mist on the kids for a gross-out reaction.

Fill a donut box with vegetables instead of donuts and offer it as a treat.

Serve Jello in a juice glass with a straw that won't pour.

Swap frosting on cookies with toothpaste for a minty surprise.

Place a whoopee cushion under their seat for a funny sound.

Add fake ants to their lunch for a buggy surprise.

Hide rubber snakes in their bedding for a slithery discovery.

Arrange broccoli florets upright on a plate so they look just like a bowl of popcorn or a display of tiny trees. Present it at breakfast with total sincerity — 'I made your favourite' — and enjoy the double-take.

Carefully twist apart an Oreo, scrape out the filling, and pipe in a neat layer of white toothpaste. Reassemble it perfectly, arrange on a little plate, and offer it as a snack. The mint-flavoured disappointment arrives instantly.

Use yogurt and peach half to mimic a fried egg.

Wrap individual grapes tightly in small squares of foil, shaping each one into a convincing egg. Arrange them in an egg box or Easter basket alongside the real chocolate ones and let them unwrap each 'treat' with rising suspicion.

Stuff the toes of their shoes with crumpled tissue paper so their feet won't quite fit. They'll tug, frown, and check if they've suddenly grown before you reveal the culprit.

Clean out an empty mayonnaise jar and fill it with vanilla pudding. Sit down at the kitchen table, open the jar with a casual air, and eat it in front of them with a big spoon. Watch their faces cycle through horror and confusion.

Put a raisin in the toothpaste tube.

Put a piece of clear tape on a balloon. When you poke a needle through the tape, the balloon won't pop.

Leave a tiny, glittery note from the 'April Elf' claiming they have hidden one shoe from every pair in the house.

Freeze a few spoons in a tray of water overnight. Hand them out for breakfast cereal and watch the cold confusion.

Secretly buy a pair of identical shoes that are one size larger and swap them out. Tell them they must have shrunk overnight!

The classic 'magic' trick: Hold up a blanket, pretend to make the child disappear, and have the whole family act like they can't see them.

Use double-sided tape or adhesive putty to stick a few lightweight toys (like plastic cars or dolls) to the ceiling or high up on the walls.

Tell the kids the TV is now voice-controlled but only responds to a specific 'magic word' like 'Banana-Fana'.