Anika Goswami

April Fool’s Day takes place annually on April 1st. It is a day filled with laughter and enjoyment and a time for people to play practical jokes on each other. With April Fool’s just around the corner, you’ve probably been brainstorming pranks to pull on your family and friends. Here are 10 easy pranks which are sure to make for a memorable day of lively humor and entertainment.

Cake Pops, or…Brussel Sprouts?

For this quick and easy prank, all you need to do is coat brussel sprouts in a layer of creamy chocolate. The receiver of the cake pop will take a bite, expecting a delicious blend of sweet chocolate to flood their mouth, but instead, will be greeted with the taste of a bitter brussel sprout. This is a hilarious yet harmless way to leave a lasting taste in one’s mouth!

Text Replacement with Autocorrect

It’s a simple yet hilarious prank, sure to draw a load of laughter due to the sheer comedic quality of the result. Simply toggle a person’s autocorrect shortcuts on their phone, so that if they type one word, it switches to another, such as replacing “no” with “yes.” This can result in an entertaining conversation between the prankster and receiver, as seen on various media sharing platforms.

Frozen Cereal

For this prank, leave a bowl of cereal and milk in the fridge overnight. Then, in the next morning, leave it out for a family member to eat for breakfast and watch their reaction as they attempt to scoop out the hardened frozen cereal and milk!

A Whirlwind of Confetti

All you need to create a whirlwind of confetti is a ceiling fan and some confetti. Place the confetti on the blades of the fan, and when the fan is turned on the confetti will blow all over the room, leaving unsuspecting friends and family surprised at the sudden downpour. Be prepared for the cleanup though, as the confetti will spread out in various places and require a decent amount of cleanup time.

The Infamous Jell-O Stapler Prank

Originally seen in the iconic 2000’s sitcom The Office, this unique prank will leave a person’s office supplies in a sticky situation. For this prank, place a container of Jell-O in the fridge. Once it’s frozen, put a stapler inside and add another layer of Jell-O to finish the setup. Leave the stapler covered in Jell-O on the prankee’s desk and wait for their shocked reaction.

Snap, crackle, pop!

This prank requires a sheet of bubble wrap, which can be easily found in packages or boxes. This prank can be done by placing the sheet of bubble wrap under a carpet or rug. Then, once someone steps on the surface, they will hear a crackling noise as they pop the bubble wrap, startling them as they try to find the source of the mysterious noise.

Battery Removal Prank

This is a quick and easy option for those short on time to set their April Fool’s pranks in motion. All you have to do is remove the batteries from the TV remote control and wait for an unsuspecting prankee to try to change the TV channel, only for nothing to happen!

Mouse Malfunction

If someone you know has a wireless mouse, then this is the perfect prank to leave them puzzled. Place a piece of paper or clear tape over the tracking sensor on the mouse to disrupt the connection, and leave the receiver of the prank to try and figure out what’s going on when their mouse cursor doesn’t move on their computer.

A Duck Over Here and a Duck Over There

For this prank, hide rubber ducks all over your home. Kitchen cabinets, desk drawers, and other small storage spaces will all make great hiding spots for these tiny yellow ducks to lie in wait for unsuspecting prankees to pass by and receive a mild jumpscare.

“Eye” See You

During the night before April Fool’s, grab a pack of plastic googly eyes and stick pairs of them onto various objects around the home. You can stick them on backpacks, chip bags, notebooks, or other random items from which the googly eyes can easily be removed. This is an incredibly simple prank which can draw a hilarious reaction from the prankee.

April Fool’s at iUP

Students at iUP also have some unique pranks of their own! 10th grader Danny Hall played a hilarious prank on his dad involving the prospect of a delicious plate of brownies. He told his dad he would bake a batch of brownies for him, but instead simply used a brown marker to write the letter “E” on a sheet of paper. His dad was somewhat disappointed, but found it amusing nonetheless. This easy prank is a great way to elicit laughter from your family and friends!

I myself have also tried out a few April Fool’s pranks, particularly the autocorrect text shortcut prank, as previously mentioned in the article. I altered the setting on my mom’s phone, and replaced “no” with “yes.” I then proceeded to ask her silly questions such as asking for a new pair of headphones or asking if she would take me to the bowling alley, and when she’d respond with “no” it would automatically be switched to a “yes.” I eventually revealed it was a prank, but it was a fun and entertaining conversation and a humorous moment for both of us!

Hilarious Pranks and Lighthearted Fun

Use this list to ensure that you’re well prepared for a day of laughter and fun! With the ten pranks listed above, you’re sure to draw funny reactions from your friends and family members on the receiving end of the prank, making for a delightful April Fool’s day experience for everyone. Happy April Fool’s!

Works Cited:

Beabout, Leandra. “34 of the Best April Fools’ Pranks to Play on Your Parents.” Reader’s Digest, 1 Apr. 2022, https://www.rd.com/list/april-fools-jokes-to-play-on-parents/.

Fritz, Anne. “56 Funny April Fools’ Pranks to Pull in 2023.” Reader’s Digest, 1 Apr. 2022, https://www.rd.com/article/april-fools-pranks/.

Parade.com, https://parade.com/984978/kelseypelzer/april-fools-pranks/.

Accessed 16 Mar. 2024.