Just joking: 20 harmless and quirky April Fools’ Day jokes to play on kids

2.  Sprinkle a tiny amount of salt on your child’s toothbrush, and see what they do when it’s teeth-cleaning time.

3.  Paint a bar of soap with clear nail polish, then let it dry. Put the non-sudsing soap in with the kids at bath time, and wait for the questions to begin.

4.  Buy a bag of white onions, and dip them in melted chocolate to make them look like sweet treats – then wait for the unpleasant taste to seep through.

5.  Swab the inside of the bath tap with blue food gel dye. When the child turns the handle, they will get a big blue surprise.

6. Prank the children and your partner by placing small pieces of clear tape over the sensors on the television or gaming-console remote control.

7.  Over the sink, poke tiny pinholes into a plastic water bottle using a sewing needle. Gently wipe down the outside, and set the bottle on the counter. When someone picks it up, the pressure of their hand will cause a light spray of water to go everywhere.

8.  Turn as many things upside down as you can, including framed pictures, clocks, chairs and toys. The family will do a double-take and wonder what happened.

9.  Carefully open the bottom of the bag of your child’s favourite snack. Replace the contents with an equally favourite treat, then tape the bag closed. Wait until they open the bag and get confused.

10.  Get creative in the kitchen, and make faux treats from broccoli florets, tissue paper and sweets sticks. Offer the lollipops as a treat, and watch your child’s confused face.

11. Serve up a topsy-turvy meal to throw your children: bake meatloaf in a 12-cup muffin tin, and frost with mashed potatoes for a “cupcakes” dinner – it’s a bonus if you can add food colouring to the spuds. Then toast strips of pound cake for a dessert of “French fries”. Don’t forget red-tinted frosting for ketchup.

12. Set all the clocks in the house an hour or two early – then ease the blow of an early wake-up by taking the children out for breakfast.

13. Replace your teenager’s cell phone with a chocolate version before they leave the house. They will wonder if they should dial it or eat it.

14. For breakfast, swap your usual sunny-side-up egg for a bowl of yogurt with a canned peach half on top. Get bonus points for serving it with a tall glass of milk or mug of coffee that has been frozen.

15. Stuff toilet paper into the toe of your child’s shoes, then casually mention that their feet look bigger today.

16. Stick googly eyes on the food in the refrigerator, and watch your child’s eyes do just that.

17.  Tell your children you’re baking brownies, but actually bake a chocolate cake in the shape of a letter “E” (a brown E – get it?). When they see it, they will get a surprise.

18.  Stick a helium balloon inside the toilet, and close the lid.

19.  Grab a sterile eye pad, and tell your kids you have bought them “an iPad”.

20. Superglue a couple of coins to the ground outside your house, and watch with glee as they try to pick them up.

April 1 is the one day of the year jokes are expected – April Fools’ Day. While the exact origins of April Fools’ Day remain a mystery, keep your wits about you in case people try to get their joy out of playing light-hearted pranks on you. For those with children, here’s a list of some harmless and quirky pranks to try – but traditionally not after midday, or else the joke is on you.

Illustrations by Gary Wing