April Fools’ Day: A Dozen Nice Pranks

We love a good April Fools’ prank, but not the kind that leaves your sister with a head full of maple syrup instead of shampoo and makes her late for work. So we’ve decided to change up the holiday with a list of jokes and gags that are both funny and nice — especially since the punch line is a thoughtful treat.

The trick: Leave a “voice activated” sign by the fancy new coffee machine at work.

The treat: After you’ve had enough fun watching them try to command a latte, swoop in and hand them the latte you specially brewed for them. Or offer to take them out for coffee at a local café. We’re sure they’ll welcome a break from the office kitchen’s tiny plastic chairs and beige walls.

The trick: Cover their bedroom door, their car, or their desk at work with multicolored sticky notes.

The treat: Depending on who you’re pranking, write short and sweet love notes or kind thoughts on every note.

The trick: Instead of sticky notes, get a little more creative — and silly — and use kitten or puppy pictures or photos of their favorite celebs.

The treat: We know what you’re thinking, “Who needs a treat when you have a desk crawling with kittens?” However, we’d still leave them a sweet treat like a cookie, cake pop, or chocolate-covered strawberry.

The trick: Stick googly eyes on the milk, apples, and all the other food in the fridge.

The treat: You don’t want them to think it’s a not-so-subtle commentary on their eating habits (i.e. you’re not suggesting they go on a diet). So leave a surprise on one of the shelves like a box of truffles.

The trick: Make brownies, then cut around a paper letter to create “E” shapes.

The treat: Leave them a note that says “Hope you enjoy these brown E’s”. And they will, because as we all know, brownies are delicious.

The trick: Adjust all the clocks in the house so they’re a few hours ahead, making everyone get up an hour or so earlier than normal.

The treat: Once they’ve realized what happened (and they’re still speaking to you), take them out to breakfast.

The trick: Post a sign on your neighbor’s front door that says “You’ve been egged.”

The treat: Leave a basket of chocolate Easter eggs on their front steps with an April Fools’ note.

The trick: It looks like a can of peanuts or jelly beans or candy, but when they unscrew the lid… out jumps the snake! It’s one of the oldest gags around.

The treat: Before you trick them, remove the snake from the can and stash a small gift or treat in the bottom — earrings, movie tickets, their favorite candy bar, etc. Then stuff it all back inside until you’re ready to prank them.

The trick: When they’re not looking, change the language settings on their iPhone to French or Spanish.

The treat: After they’ve identified you as the saboteur, take them out to dinner at a local French bistro or the Spanish tapas restaurant they’ve been dying to try.

The trick: Tape a giant sign on the wall that exclaims “April Fools Suckers!”

The treat: Tape lollipops to the wall around the sign.

The trick: We have to thank the sitcom The Office for this classic. Swipe a coworker’s stapler, take it home and embed it in a Jell-O mold. The next day, come in early and place it back on their desk with an April Fools’ Day note.

The treat: After you’ve admitted your guilt, take them to lunch or giftwrap some chocolates or their favorite afternoon snack and give it to them.

The trick: At home or the office, fill their the kitchen silverware drawer or desk drawer with small candies.

The treat: It’s candy. Enough said.