Top 10 April Fools’ Pranks

By Kurt Bitting

There is something special that should be done on the first day of April: finding the right prank for April Fools’ Day.

Most know this light-hearted holiday as the day to pull relatively harmless pranks on people for laughs. Do you know about the complex history behind this tradition?

The origin of this unique holiday is an enigma, but the most agreed-upon origin comes from 16th century France. When France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, news traveled slowly, and those who still celebrated the new year on April 1 were considered the “April fools.”

The pranks done to the original April fools included having paper fish, known as April fish, placed on their backs to symbolize an easily caught fish and a gullible person, according to the official History website.

Today, however, we should be more considerate of others when devising our pranks. Here is a list of 10 simple, harmless and fun April Fools pranks to pull on your friends:

Fill someone’s bedroom or car with balloons.

Who doesn’t love balloons? This colorful prank is bound to put a smile on anyone’s face.

Swap Oreo filling for toothpaste.

This classic prank is actually kind of gross, but at least it’ll leave you with minty fresh breath.

Cover someone’s car in sticky notes.

If you’ve got a lot of time on your hands, this one’s for you! (Bonus points for writing nice messages.)

Leave a funny message with window chalk.

A dad joke? An inspirational quote? An artistically drawn stick figure? Your options are endless here.

Give someone an engagement box with a Ring Pop inside.

You could make or break someone’s day by proposing with candy instead of diamonds. Choose wisely.

Hide two of someone’s things, but tell them you hid three.

Scavenger hunts are so much fun, especially when what you’re searching for doesn’t exist.

Change your name in someone’s phone to something fun.

This one will take some stealth, but it’ll be well worth it when they think they’re getting messages from their favorite celebrity.

Put googly eyes on everything in the refrigerator.

Is it cute? Is it creepy? Only one way to find out.

Put jelly beans in the ice dispenser.

What a sweet surprise! Let’s just hope they put ice in their drink before the liquid, otherwise this could be messy.

Send a GIF of the “typing dots” in iMessage.

This could easily be the most annoying prank for iPhone users, just turn off read receipts to keep the illusion alive.

When carried out thoughtfully, April Fools’ pranks are a great way to bond with friends and have some fun.