10 Easy April Fool’s Pranks You Can Play on Your Family
Updated: Mar. 31, 2023
We could all use a good laugh these days, and luckily, April Fool’s Day is just around the corner.
Although the origins of April Fool’s Day are murky, we do know that in France as far back as the 15th century, people would mark the occasion by taping a paper fish onto each other’s backs. By the 18th century, those paper fish had escalated to “kick me” signs and fake tails. With social media now at our fingertips, practical jokes have evolved further still. Pulling the very best from TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest, here are 10 easy April Fool’s pranks for family members to play on each other.
Get ready to laugh out loud with this list of hilarious practical jokes!
@lucasteevens backwards hoodie prank on my mom… #fyp #foryoupage #xycba #prank #reupload ♬ original sound – lucas stevens
Reverse hoodie
If you delight in giving people goosebumps, the “reverse hoodie” prank is worth adding to your April Fool’s Day arsenal. Put on a hoodie backwards, stand with your (real) back towards the fridge. Any passerby will instantly assume you’re searching for something to snack on, while you’re actually waiting for the perfect moment to strike…
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Bubble wrap rug
If you shop online at all, bubble wrap isn’t hard to come by. The popular insulation material makes the ultimate fidget toy, but there’s an even more satisfying way to put it to work on April Fool’s Day. Prank your family members by slipping a sheet of bubble wrap under a rug, then lie in wait for the explosion of pops that’s guaranteed to set their heart racing.
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Time for a haircut
Ready for chaos? That’s what you’ll get with this easy April Fool’s prank, which starts by downloading a free app called (you guessed it), “Razor Prank.” Once installed, the app activates your phone’s vibration buzz on contact, essentially mimicking the sound and feel of a pro barber’s clippers. All that’s left for you to do is approach a family member from behind, and trick them into thinking they’re getting a very close shave.
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Crayon caricature
This April Fool’s prank takes inspiration from a woman who was so bored, she decided to get artistic and slowly but surely replace all the framed family photos around the house with crayon-drawn copies. The funniest part? It took 11 days for her family to notice. See if you can beat that record with your own family. Not much of an artist? No problem! Instead of drawings, you can swap out family portraits with photos of famous celebrities.
Spoiled milk
Caution—this prank could result in a loss of appetite. Take some food colouring (preferably green) and squeeze a few drops directly into the milk carton. Even if you don’t see your family member’s reaction when they pour it into their morning cereal, you’ll certainly hear it. This simple trick is bound to have the biggest impact at breakfast, when your family members are still a bit groggy. The perfect wake-up call on April 1st!
@topperguildGot my payback on my girlfriend 😂 @colie.1♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod
Hoax drink
Grab a mug, a can of whipped cream, and some rainbow sprinkles… Not for a hot cocoa break, but for a mind-bending April Fool’s prank that’s sure to lift your spirits. To prepare this prank, fill a mug with water (unless you actually *want* a sticky mess to clean up), then place a cutting board on top. Carefully invert cutting board and mug, holding the lip of the mug tight to the cutting board to reduce spillage. Cover the base of the mug (now at the top) with a heaping of whipped cream camouflage, and decorate with sprinkles. When you offer this tasty-looking treat to your unsuspecting victim, they’ll grab the handle with the intention of a sip—but will get a sloppy spill instead. There might be some yelling in the aftermath, but this certainly is one of those pranks that you’ll both end up laughing about. Some day.
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You’ve got mail
This easy April Fool’s prank will have your family thinking Halloween has come early. Take a fake creepy-crawly—anything will work, whether it’s a snarling reptile or spooky spider—and plant it in your mailbox. The next family member who goes to check the mail will get an even bigger scare than their hydro bill.
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Keep an eye on your food!
For this prank, you’ll need to bring out your arts and crafts side. Glue a pair of googly eyes onto every item in your fridge—eggs, condiments, produce, you name it. This is sure to give someone an unexpected jump scare, or at the very least, make them think twice before succumbing to a snack attack. (Psst—this easy prank can also be applied to a book cover!)
@topperguildCracking back PRANK on my stepmom (WATCH TIL THE END) 😂😳 #prank♬ original sound – topperguild
Call the chiropractor
This popular back-cracking prank from TikTok is easy to pull off for April Fool’s Day. All you have to do is request a family member—who’s also in on the prank—to crack your back. When your intended victim is within earshot, bite down on something loud and crunchy—dry pasta might do the trick—and watch chaos ensue. The hardest part will be keeping a straight face.
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Oreo with a hint of mint
Here’s a classic example of the old “ingredient swap” prank. Take a handful of sandwich-style cookies (Oreos work nicely), delicately prise them apart and replace that delicious white filling with a generous squirt of toothpaste. The best part? Arranging the modified cookies neatly on a plate, and waiting to see which one of your family members falls to temptation first.
Looking for more easy April Fool’s pranks for your family? Take inspiration from our roundup of the best April Fool’s Day pranks in history.
