April Fools’ Day is quickly approaching and my family is plotting. Alliances are being formed (and broken), plans made, and supplies collected. In this family, we definitely like to pull April Fools’ Days pranks on one another. We fully support the children joking around as long as pranks are done in kindness, not at someone’s expense, and don’t leave complete destruction in the wake of the prank. And as always, I find the family friendly benefit to joking with each other.
There’s always a silver lining or positive aspect to the outcome of any of the following pranks.
Making a drink mix without the sugar. (Nothing is wasted because you can add the sweetener later!)
Instead of setting out a glass of juice for breakfast, leave an orange or apple with a straw! (You can make homemade juice and your child can learn about the process.)
Short sheeting beds. (Clean sheets for all!)
Removing one shoe from each pair (and hiding it nearby!) (The shoe rack will be tidy when it’s all over!)
Caramel covered onions. (This one is simply fun and onions are inexpensive! The leftovers are perfect for compost.)
Making dinner for breakfast and refusing to acknowledge that this is odd. (Switching up meals will spark conversation at a normally quiet meal time.)
Taping the water tap in the bathroom so they get a tiny shower when they brush their teeth. (This is a win-win. Giggling kids can clean up their bathroom while wiping up the water that sprayed surfaces that need to be cleaned anyway.)
Mirror image writing on lunch bags (Doing this has multiple benefits. When your children want to try to replicate the writing, they’ll be strengthening their fine motor skills as well as making new connections in their brains. And it’s a brain workout for the parent too!)
Swamping out closets while the kids are at school. (This is actually a very useful took in spring cleaning a closet. When putting the items back into the proper closet you can work together to weed out what doesn’t fit or isn’t the right season. April is the perfect time for this activity!)
If you’re looking for additional kid friendly pranks to try out on your children, a great place to start is the internet. Simply search “April Fools’ Day kid friendly pranks” and you’ll find some of my favorite shenanigans. By encouraging family friendly April Fools’ Day pranks, you’ll strengthen family bonds. Laughing together is a great way to spend a day.
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