MUCH to my children’s disappointment, we will not be home for their (somewhat predictable) April Fool’s Day pranks this year. Since April 1st also falls during Spring Break- like a lot of people- our family will be traveling.
I’ve already given my kiddos some notice that April Fool’s Day is going to look a little different this year. Almost every year they get me soaked with the good old rubber band around the kitchen sink sprayer trick.
But this year, I’m forcing them to be more creative with their April Fool’s Day Pranks…
Our family has been brainstorming about some fun April Fool’s Day Pranks we can do while on vacation, and here’s some of my favorite ideas:
Selfie Picture: How often are you asked to take a group photo using a cell phone at a touristy place? All the time, right? On April Fool’s Day pretend to take the group photo, but really turn the camera to selfie mode and snap a quick pic. Ask the group to review the picture “just to make sure it’s okay.” Wait a minute for their confusion to set in as they realize you just took a selfie on their phone. April Fools! (Obviously offer to reshoot the picture the real way!)
Spring Forward Again: Set the hotel clocks forward a couple hours and then set an alarm for a typical wake up time. Since most hotels have very thick blackout curtains, it’s very possible to get your kiddos up and dressed without them realizing it’s still dark and early. Wait for their confusion when they realize the sun isn’t up like it normally is at that hour. Have a special sunrise/breakfast plan! *I know as a parent this sounds awful- getting up early just to be funny- but I promise this will produce some of the sweetest memories!
Googly Eye Fruit: Staying in a hotel that offers a continental breakfast? Quickly place two Googly Eyes on all the oranges, apples and bananas in the bowl. Not so much a sneaky trick, but I guarantee you will get a few smiles.
Spiders: Are you staying with family or friends for your vacation? Go into the various bathrooms and draw little spiders using a black sharpie on the toilet paper rolls. You can also do this if you are staying in a hotel, though you might not get to witness the housekeeping staff’s reaction.
Sleep Switch: In the middle of the night, change the direction your children are sleeping in the bed so that they wake up at the bottom. You can even switch which bed they are sleeping in if you are staying in a hotel with multiple beds. (Note: I think this one is hilarious, but my kids would NEVER notice anything different!)
Short-sheet: Another one of my favorite hotel pranks is to short-sheet the bed (tuck both ends of the top sheet at the head of the bed so when someone crawls in, their feet don’t have enough room.) I find this really easy to do because the beds at hotels are usually made so crisp and neat (not the case at my house!) It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve done this to my kids- they laugh every time! Perfect prank for traveling on April Fool’s Day.
Toothpaste Switch: We always travel with very small (TSA approved travel size) tubes of toothpaste. And, naturally, mom is the one who packs for everyone. Switch out these mini toothpastes with ones that have been partially filled with mustard. You kids will be in for a big surprise when they brush their teeth! PS. This is perfect for travel because it won’t be so wasteful! I would never do this to their home toothpastes!
Road Trip Honks: Will you be on the road this April Fool’s Day? My husband is always the driver and we can’t wait to try this one! Have your child hold up a sign encouraging people to honk and point for April Fool’s Day! This is going to drive Brent crazy!
Tissue In Shoes: Again, assuming you pack for your children on vacation- stuff tissue in the tips of their shoes. When they go to put their shoes on, they most certainly won’t fit! As a bonus laugh, write “April Fool’s!” on the tissue before you stuff it in.
Chocolate Egg Replacements: Since April Fool’s Day does fall on Easter, I love the idea of doing a little trickery with their Easter Eggs. Replace the chocolate in the foil wrapped eggs with grapes!
You might also enjoy reading:
An Inside Look At A Ridiculous Road Trip Plan
How To Survive Hotels With Kids
21 Free (or Inexpensive) Things To Do At The Beach
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