April Fools' Day Pranks That Will Get the Entire Family Laughing

Quick, hide this article! If anyone else reads it, your jokes are ruined. Worse, someone might pull them on you! Armed with the tricks here, you can have fun with family and friends on April Fools' Day. 

You might be surprised to learn that no one loves a prank more than Martha. Her cutting sense of humor and inventiveness has led to all sorts of funny moments on the T.V. show and in her offices. Before you follow her lead, take a moment to understand the holiday's foolish history: Some say the ancient Celts used April Fools' Day to pay tribute to Lud, their god of humor. A favorite trick was to ask an unwitting messenger to deliver a note that read "Send the fool further!" According to a more common explanation, the holiday originated in the sixteenth century when the Gregorian calendar was introduced in France, changing New Year's Day from April 1 to January 1. Traditionalists who didn't want a new New Year's—or happened to miss the news—continued to celebrate the holiday on April 1. Some up-to-date French citizens took this as an opportunity to play tricks on their backward brethren, whom they dubbed poisson d'avril, or "April fish." Why fish? Because it was believed that fish that hatched in April were easy to catch. Even now, a popular prank with French schoolchildren is to stick a paper fish on someone's back so other kids can yell, "Poisson d'avril! Poisson d'avril!" Stateside, probably owing to Americans mystified by French humor, the paper fish on one's back turned into a sign that said "Kick me." Funny, sort of.

But we prefer the ideas here; they hurt less but cause even more hilarity. April Fools' Day offers the chance to summon your inner prankster and catch friends, family, and even coworkers (albeit, cautiously) off guard. We offer enough gags here to put everyone in an uproar. So go ahead, turn the milk blue or slip a faux bug into someone's slipper. This silly holiday gives you every excuse.

Add a few drops of blue food coloring to your milk carton before serving a meal or snack, shake it up, and pour. Prepare to watch your children's eyes widen in surprise.

Wrap a rubber band around the kitchen sink sprayer so whoever turns on the faucet gets a big, wet surprise.

Ready for that first cup of coffee? They're not ready for this: Salt in the sugar bowl is a classic switcheroo! Just don't forget to keep an extra dispenser of the real thing for when the laughter subsides.

Give them a case of the creepy-crawlies: Place a big ol' fake roach in the slipper of the family member who's likely to scream the loudest.

Surprise your family with miniature meals: a sunny-side-up quail egg atop a piece of cocktail bread. (If you want to get them twice, later in the day, serve up these tiny tuna melts for lunch.)

The results of this prank aren't permanent (or toxic) but the memory of the look of shock on a family member's face when they turn on the faucet will live forever.

Pop some toy flies, fake ants, or gummy worms into your guests' drinks, and watch their expressions go from thirst to horror.

You'll need to be sneaky to pull of this prank: The night before April Fools' Day, insert a raisin into a tube of toothpaste. The unsuspecting person who squeezes it will be dismayed by what comes out onto his toothbrush. 

Set someone's alarm clock an hour early. Or set a bunch of clocks to go off at the same time, and hide them around the room for a noisy wake-up call.

This old classic never gets old: Short-sheet a bed by tucking in both ends of the top sheet at the head of the bed. When the fool crawls in, her feet will stop short.

Rearrange your spouse's drawers to make him wonder if he's still asleep. He'll find his sweaters with his socks or your scarves and sunglasses where his neckties should be. (Organizational drawer dividers make quick work of this.)

Coffee on the comforter? Soda on the sofa? Water on Dad's iPhone? There's no cause for alarm if the mess isn't real. The "spill" is made from solidified glue.

Confuse callers by leaving the following outgoing message on your answering machine: "Hello? [pause] Hello? [pause] Is anyone there? [pause] April Fools'!"

Tape a dollar or a quarter to the floor in a high-traffic area, and watch the parade of clowns bend down and unsuccessfully try to pick it up.