The 1st of April is not only the beginning of a new month and April Showers but it is April Fools’ Day or All Fools’ Day, a day of harmless pranks, practical jokes and hoaxes. It is a day that is observed in many countries throughout the world. It is a day that has been celebrated every year for hundreds of years, but no one really knows the true origins.
Every year, the inner comedian that lives inside many of us will pop their head and try to prank of fool their friends and family, even radio stations, television and newspapers get involved with stories that are so well put together you are not sure what to believe.
In 1957, the world-renowned BBC pulled off the ‘Swiss spaghetti harvest’ which saw Eight million people tune in to watch Panorama’s three-minute feature.
In 2016, Google announced their self-driving bicycle with a very convincing ad.
There have also been news reports of flying penguins, diet tap water, Burger King’s left-handed burger, whilst the Channel Tunnel was being built it was reported that the two sides of the tunnel would miss each other by 4ft, and in 1980 in was reported that Big Ben was going digital and would be known as Digital Dave. Some excellent and fun April Fools’ Day pranks.
April Fools’ Day is a fun day where your pranks and practical jokes should be harmless to all those involved, and here are some you might want to consider using yourself to indulge in innocent mischief with you friends and family.
- Brussel Sprout Cake Pops – mmm don’t they sound lovely. Grab some large Brussel Sprouts, wash them and peel off any loose leaves. Melt some chocolate and cover the sprouts with it. Decorate with sprinkles and push it a lollipop / cake pop stick into the bottom. Serve your unsuspecting victim and watch their reaction when they take a bite.
- Put some Vanilla Pudding in a mayonnaise jar and sit down for a tasty snack. Eat the mayonnaise straight from the jar with a spoon and watch the horrified looks on the faces of your work colleagues and family members.
- Place some coffee grounds inside the toilet tank and flush it a few times. The next time someone visits the loo is going to be interesting and maybe just that little bit awkward.
- Stick clear plastic wrap over the toilet bowl, and wait for the scream, but be prepared for a clean-up that’s slightly less funny! Or across a doorway at head height and watch someone walk into it.
- Put fake broken glass decals on the window of a friend’s home or car and watch them lose their minds before the laughter sets in when they realise it’s a joke!
- Use a cotton bud to apply gel food colouring around the inside of the tap in the bath or sink. When the tap is turned on, you’re left with coloured water and a wonderful expression on the face of your victim!
- Get a harmonica and duct tape it under the front bumper of your unsuspecting victim’s car. They won’t hear anything at first, but they’ll eventually notice an unmistakable wheezing sound coming from (what they believe is) their car’s engine.
- If you have access to your partners phone or laptop, change the wallpaper to a cracked screen one – a quick Google search will bring up plenty that you can use.
- You can’t start the day on an empty stomach. Make breakfast for your children or partner that involves a friend egg. It will look delicious, but when they take a bite, they’ll discover that the eggs are actually yogurt and peach halves. Still edible, but a shock to the taste buds. Here is an easy recipe you can follow.
- Shoe Shortening – stuff some toilet paper as far as you can into the toes of your victims shoes, pack it in tightly. They won’t notice right away but eventually, they’ll get the sense that their shoes aren’t fitting like they usually do!
- And everybody loves a cake, so give them a sponge cake. Serve up what looks like a delicious sponge cake but—surprise!—is actually layers of real sponges disguised with frosting.
Have fun this April Fools’ Day. Make sure any pranks that you pull are harmless and won’t cause any problems or damage. Let me know your best April Fools’ Day pranks and practical jokes in the comments below.