40+ April Fool’s Day Pranks

April Fool’s Day, celebrated on the 1st of April, is a day marked by the tradition of playing practical jokes and spreading hoaxes. The victims of these jokes are called “April Fools”. The history and origin of April Fool’s Day are somewhat murky, with various explanations and theories proposed over the years.

When did April Fool’s Day start?

One popular theory suggests that the celebration began in France with the reform of the calendar in 1582 when King Charles IX adopted the Gregorian calendar, which moved the start of the New Year from the end of March (around the time of the vernal equinox) to January 1. Those who continued to celebrate the New Year during the last week of March through April 1st became the butt of jokes and hoaxes. This included having paper fish placed on their backs and being referred to as “Poisson d’Avril” (April Fish), symbolizing a young, easily caught fish and a gullible person.

However, celebrations similar to April Fool’s Day can be traced back to earlier times and are not unique to Western culture. For example, the Roman festival of Hilaria, celebrated at the end of March, involved people dressing up in disguises. There’s also the festival of Holi in India, where people play pranks and throw colors at each other.

In Scotland, April Fool’s Day was traditionally called “Hunt-the-Gowk Day” (‘gowk’ is Scots for a cuckoo or a foolish person), though this was only the first of two days of pranks. The second day, Tailie Day, involved pranks played on people’s derrieres, such as pinning fake tails or “kick me” signs on them.

Despite its uncertain origins, April Fool’s Day has been celebrated for centuries in various cultures, each adding their own flavors and customs to the practice of pranking. Today, it is celebrated in many countries around the world, with media outlets, companies, and individuals concocting elaborate hoaxes to fool the public. The day is a testament to humor’s universal appeal and humanity’s enduring love for a good-natured prank.

April Fool’s Day Prank Ideas

Creating a fun and memorable April Fool’s Day doesn’t have to be a daunting task. With a little creativity and a sense of humor, you can pull off some harmless pranks that will have everyone laughing. Here’s a list of 50 April Fool’s pranks to inspire your mischief this year, ensuring a day full of laughter and light-hearted surprises. Remember, the goal is to have fun and not to cause harm or distress.

Classic Pranks

1. The Oreo Toothpaste Swap: Replace the cream in Oreo cookies with toothpaste.
2. Balloon Room: Fill someone’s room or office with balloons.
3. Voice-Activated Appliances: Place signs on appliances claiming they are now voice-activated.
4. Fake Bug Scare: Place realistic-looking fake bugs around the house or office.
5. Sponge Cake: Decorate a sponge like a tasty treat and watch as someone tries to take a bite.

Tech Savvy Tricks

6. Autocorrect Shenanigans: Change autocorrect settings to swap common words with funny alternatives.
7. Broken Screen Wallpaper: Change someone’s wallpaper to a broken screen image.
8. Mouse Madness: Tape a piece of paper under a computer mouse so it doesn’t work.
9. Endless Typing GIF: Send a GIF that looks like you’re typing forever.
10. App Icon Rearrangement: Rearrange the app icons on someone’s phone.

Office Pranks

11. Sticky Note Explosion: Cover an entire desk or workspace in sticky notes.
12. Chair Wrap: Wrap a coworker’s chair with wrapping paper or cling film.
13. The Phantom Typist: Connect a wireless keyboard to a coworker’s computer and type random things throughout the day.
14. Upside-Down Monitor: Use the control settings to flip a computer monitor’s display upside down.

Home Hilarity

16. Bedroom Swap: Swap the contents of two family members’ bedrooms.
17. Soap That Won’t Lather: Paint a bar of soap with clear nail polish.
18. Colored Water: Add food coloring to the milk or water dispenser.
19. Fake Remote Control: Hide the real TV remote and watch as they try to use a non-functional one.
20. Cereal Freeze: Freeze a bowl of cereal the night before and serve it in the morning.

Food Funnies

21. Mashed Potato Sundae: Serve mashed potatoes and gravy but make it look like a sundae.
22. Fake Ice: Serve drinks with ice cubes made from clear gelatin.
23. Mustard-filled Doughnuts: Fill doughnuts with mustard instead of jelly or cream.
24. Salt in the Sugar Bowl: Swap the salt with sugar and watch as coffee or tea is made.

Easy and Quick

26. Upside-Down Glasses: Turn all the glasses in the cupboard upside down.
27. The Unreachable Pen: Glue a pen to a desk or table.
28. Fake Calls: Use a second phone to call someone in the same room.
29. Slippery Doorknobs: Apply a clear, slippery substance to doorknobs.
30. Delayed Surprise: Leave a note for a future prank that never comes.

Slightly Elaborate

31. Fake Toilet Roll: Create a fake toilet paper roll that can’t be unrolled.
32. Room of Mirrors: Cover a room with mirrors or aluminum foil.
33. Change of Scenery: Move all the furniture to one side of the room.
34. Jello Drink: Serve a drink solidified with gelatin.
35. Disappearing Items: Gradually remove all of one type of item, like pens, from someone’s reach.

Pranks for Kids

36. Vegetable Candies: Re-wrap vegetables like candies and offer them to kids.
37. Color Changing Milk: Add a few drops of food coloring to the bottom of a cereal bowl.
38. Egg Swap: Hard boil all the eggs in the fridge and place them back.
39. Fake Bug in Lamp: Place a fake bug silhouette inside a lampshade.
40. Invisible Friend: Set an extra place at the table for an “invisible friend.”