Top 10 April Fools’ Day Pranks

Robin Yoo, Photojournalist

With April Fools’ Day just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about what kind of pranks you will pull on your friends and family. You don’t want to pull the same tired jokes that everyone expects. At the same time, you want to make sure your pranks are safe! “I am so exciting for this year April Fools’ Day!” said Amanda Kim (9)

With the proliferation of technology and mobile devices the clever possibilities are practically endless. But to help you get started, here are our top 10 favorite April Fools’ pranks that are guaranteed to safe, fun and most important, fool anyone.

  1. Vaseline on the Doorknob

Probably the oldest trick in the book, Vaseline on doorknobs continues to be an April Fools’ classic. Watch as your friends and family struggle to open their doors in the morning!

  1. Waterfall

Balance a cup of water on a partially open door. Then call your victim into the room and wait for that satisfying splash!

  1. Bug Out

Buy realistic plastic bugs and place them anywhere you can think of – in ice cubes, drawers, beds, pockets, or if you’re really good, right on their shoulder. All you have to do after is wait for someone to scream!

  1. Crank it!

Turn the volume to the absolute max on someone’s stereo or laptop before they turn it on. They won’t even know what hit them!

  1. Full of Hot Air

If you can find a way in, fill up the inside of a car with balloons before the person can get to it in the morning. They won’t believe their eyes!

  1. Sugar and Spice

Replace salt with sugar or sugar with salt – or both! Make sure you have that camera ready to capture the looks of surprise as your victims tuck into their food or sip their coffee.

  1. Sour Milk

Add blue or green food coloring to the milk in your fridge, so when someone tries to fill up their cereal bowl, they’ll think the milk has gone bad!

  1. Cell Phone Switcher

When they aren’t looking, change the default language on your friends’ phones. They won’t know what happened!

  1. Lacing up

Take a pair of shoes and switch out their regular laces with crazy mismatched laces. This works best on dress shoes and sneakers.

  1. Tattoo Trouble

Find the most real looking tattoos and apply to someone’s arm in their sleep. They might even get all the way to school or work before noticing!

What other family-friendly April Fools’ Day pranks have you used to get the best of your loved ones? Go out there and get your creative juices working! But remember, be safe and don’t attempt any pranks that could get someone hurt. April Fools’ is supposed to be goofy, not gruesome!