Harmless April Fools Day Jokes and Pranks

We all know of folks who take April Fool’s Day pranks too far, but in my opinion, that takes the fun out of it. Instead, why not yuk it up with harmless and silly practical jokes where everyone gets a laugh?

Some of the pranks in our list are perfect for last-minute April Fools Day fun. Others are make-ahead DIY pranks for crafty types.

Do you have any additional harmless April Fool’s Day pranks to share? Please let us know in the comments! The following ideas are just meant to be fun – no one should do anything unwise or insensible.

Harmless Practical Jokes to Share with Family and Friends on April Fool’s Day

Sweet Deceit: Candy Dish Prank

Hot-glue candy into the candy dish. I glued my candy onto a foam round from Dollar Tree’s floral section and placed it inside the dish. When an unsuspecting person tries to take a piece of candy, the whole bowlful of candy comes with it!

Offer a Stick of Gum …Wrapper

Buddy the Elf’s Favorite Beverage

Sweet & Salty

This one’s unpleasant but harmless (as long as no one in your house has dietary restrictions). Swap the sugar in the sugar dish with salt, or the salt in the salt shaker with sugar. It helps if you serve something that requires sugar or salt so your funny prank doesn’t go unnoticed completely.

I’ve Got My Eye on You

Place stick-on googly eyes on everything: eyeglasses, sunglasses, hats, bags—anywhere you can think of. This prank is simple yet funny, and the more imaginative the placements, the funnier it is. Avoid putting the stickers anywhere that would cause damage, of course.

Remote Malfunction

Take the batteries out of the TV remote, place a piece of tape over the remote’s sensor, or simply unplug the TV. The next person who tries to turn on the TV will think the remote’s broken!

Spaghetti Harvest Documentary

Once the TV’s back on, turn it to YouTube and watch the famous April 1, 1957 BBC documentary about Switzerland’s record-breaking spaghetti harvest. It’s an oldie but a goodie: Find it here.

Cereal Offender

Swap the inner bags of two boxes of store-bought cereal, so each box contains the wrong kind of cereal. When your groggy family members pour themselves a bowl of cereal, they’ll be confused! This is a great way to start a day of fun practical jokes. (Little family members might not think it’s fun at all, so use discretion.)

Pen Cup Prank

Stick pens into floral foam inside a pen cup. When someone tries to pull out a pen, they’ll end up pulling out all the pens, along with the foam. You might need to hot-glue the pens into the foam to keep them in place.

Alternative: Hot-glue the pens to the bottom of the cup. Note that this may ruin the cup permanently, so choose one you’re willing to part with.

Pointless Pencil Cup Practical Joke

Misnumbered Files

This one is as easy as it is effective. Have some files you need to email over to a fastidious friend? Number them sequentially, but skip a number. When your recipient questions the omission, you can reply with, “APRIL FOOLS!” (Caution: Before using this practical joke at the office, consider whether you’ll just end up looking unprofessional.)

Straw-Bury Drink Joke

For a quirky drink prank, make “juice” with strawberry-flavored gelatin. Pour it into beverage glasses, place a straw in each, and chill until firm. Offer a refreshing glass of “juice” to your target. One of the benefits of this prank is that it’s a yummy surprise.

Spilled Coffee Prank

This prank is one of my favorites—it’s realistic and fun to make. Here’s how:

1. Materials Needed:
   • Disposable coffee cup
   • Stir stick
   • Paper sugar packet
   • White craft glue
   • Brown craft paint
   • A non-stick surface: plastic plate, wax paper, silicone mat, etc. Alternatively, you can print out fake important-looking paperwork. (Avoid printing anything confidential or actually important, of course.)
2. Instructions:
   • Mix the white craft glue with brown paint to create a color resembling coffee with cream.
   • Print some important-looking paperwork (again, not confidential).
   • Lay the cup on its side on top of the paper.
   • Spill real coffee drips on the paper around the cup.
   • Pour the glue/paint mixture into the cup so it’s half-in, half-out, mimicking a spilled coffee effect.
   • Tear a corner off the sugar packet and scatter it, along with the stir stick, chaotically on top of the mess.
   • Allow everything to dry, then place the “spilled coffee” and papers somewhere where a concerned person will find it.

Alternative: Mix the paint and glue as described, but spill it onto a nonstick surface like a plastic plate, wax paper, or a silicone mat. Let it dry for a few days, then peel the whole mess off the nonstick surface. Now you have a mobile coffee spill!

Another Option: Use a hot cocoa packet instead of a sugar packet, adding mini marshmallows to the spill before it dries. Press the marshmallows into the glue/paint mix so they stick.

Nailed It

For a variation of the spilled coffee prank, use nail polish instead. Spill from a nail polish bottle onto a non-stick surface or onto fake “important” papers to get a realistic-looking mess.

Try out one or several of these harmless April Fools’ Day pranks this coming April 1. Be sure to come back and let us know how it goes. We’d also like to hear your ideas for funny but harmless practical jokes if you have any. Maybe they’ll get added to the list!

More DIY fake spill crafts to try:

• Fake cracked eggs: Try cracked eggs with yellow food coloring, real egg shells, and school glue
• Spilled milk: white paint, white glue, an empty milk or cream carton
• Fake spaghetti sauce: this one takes some color mixing talent! Use cotton balls for meatballs, real spices like oregano and basil, and an empty sauce jar with lid
• Fake melted mint chocolate chip ice cream: With a paper cone or an empty ice cream container, pour white glue mixed with mint green paint and spill onto your nonstick surface. Dot the “spill” with torn bits of dark brown construction paper to mimic cookie crumbles. Or use pink coloring with red construction paper for strawberry ice cream.