Thursday, March 27, 2025
As the month of March winds down,
April will soon follow…
And you know what that means!
YEP!
April Fool’s Day is right around the corner!
So, in honor of this day dedicated to practical jokes and pranks,
we are sharing a fun post that’s sure to tickle your funny bone!
April Fools’ Day!
The day we two retired kindergarten teachers spent each year
pretending to jump and gasp as 5-year-old after 5-year-old exclaimed,
“Mrs. ! There’s a spider on your arm!”
OR
“Mrs. ! There’s a bear behind you!”
Of course, we typically responded with a look of surprise or disbelief...
WHAT????
Sometimes, we’d smile with a “That’s a good one!”
OR
we’d keep a poker face (which would really surprise our kiddos)
OR
sometimes we were even ready with our own prank to reciprocate!
It was always a memorable day in our Kindergarten world!
It has been said that laughter is good for the soul.
In fact, humor can lighten our burdens, connect us to others,
and keep us grounded - all while inspiring hope!
Similarly, laughter has a positive impact on our physical health!
Research indicates that laughter boosts the immune system
and even protects the heart!
So, maybe that old saying is true,
laughter IS the best medicine!
Laughing with our Littles provides another layer of pure joy!
For children, laughing allows them to express happiness!
They don’t need a reason to laugh, they simply do!
Our Littles also discover early on that laughing is a way to connect with others!
Humor can build a child's vocabulary and promote creative thinking too!
Our Littles love being silly, telling jokes, making funny faces
and watching to see how those around them react!
Children + Laughter = A Winning Combination!
It’s time to laugh!
While April Fools' Day is the perfect occasion to rustle up a few creative gags
to share with Littles in your life,
in reality, ANY DAY is a great day to get them giggling with our ideas!
So, whether you are a GRAND (like us), a parent, a teacher, a caregiver
OR anyone else with a special child you spend time with,
check out our collection of playful pranks!
Here’s a list of easy, simple tricks to play on (or even teach to) your Littles…
just in time for April Fools’ Day!
PRANK #1 - A Surprise Wipe!
Tape a plastic spider on your toilet paper and roll it up. It will be a big surprise (with a big scream from your Little… just like the time when Laurie surprised her own daughter with this silly prank!
PRANK #2 - All Wrapped Up!
Unwrap Tootsie Roll wrappers and save the candy for another time. Roll up a piece of paper about the same size that says “April Fools”. Insert these slips of paper back in the wrapper and hand them out to people!
Laurie’s own kids loved doing this in elementary school!
PRANK #3 - An Apple a Day!
Send an apple for your Little to enjoy as a snack or as part of lunch! Beforehand, make a hole in the apple and fill it with a gummy worm.
PRANK #4 - Juice Time!
This prank will definitely surprise your Little! Ahead of time, mix up a package of jello (use a color that mimics the color of juice your Little likes to drink). Pour the jello into a clear glass and add a straw. Refrigerate the jello until it’s set. Then, invite your Little to come for a drink of juice and watch to see what happens!
PRANK #5 - Upside Down & All Mixed Up!
Turn everything in your Little’s room (or a common space) upside down. You can even put an object from the room in the refrigerator! Hang a sign that says “April Fools!” for everyone to see! (Yes, Laurie still remembers when her older brother and sister pulled this one on her when she was little!)
PRANK #6 - Going Buggy!
Print out pictures/photos of real bugs (not clip art). Cut these out and hide them around your Little’s room - on their pillow, in their drawers, etc. It always brings a delightful shriek when the bugs are discovered! (Teachers - Laurie put these in first graders’ desks as a big surprise!)
PRANK #7 - Chore Time!
Tell your Littles you have soooo many chores to finish and you need their help. Hand them a list of chores that is two pages long!!! At the end of the list, print in tiny letters - April Fools!
PRANK #8 - Cereal Switch Up!
Over the years, this has been an easy one to add to the day’s fun! All you need to do is replace your Little’s favorite cereal by putting something else in the box! Laura replaced the cereal with colorful pom poms but you can use whatever you have on hand - even dry pasta or crackers! (Be sure to keep the cereal in an air-tight container for future use!)
PRANK #9 - It’s a Spider!
This is a perfect trick for a toddler or preschool Little to play on people in their family! They will think they are so clever! Tie a piece of dental floss on a plastic spider or other bug. (Yarn was used in the photo below, but we suggest using floss as it is almost invisible.) Have your Little put the spider around the corner of a door or couch. Then the Little hides behind the furniture/door and yells “Mommy, there’s a big spider by my room. Quick, come get it.” When Mommy or Daddy come running (of course, they will see it’s fake), your Little pulls the spider away and Mommy and Daddy jump in surprise! Laurie practiced this with her three-year-old Little D. Her family (including the dog) put on a good show to Little D’s delight and she loved it!
PRANK #10 - A Plate of Brownies!
This is a classic prank and one we’ve both pulled on others over the years - Laura with older Sunday School kids and then her Confirmation class while Laurie pulled this one on her own adult kids - better known as her Middles! She brought them a well wrapped pan of brownies. The foil covered pan held a block of wood so it provided some additional weight. When the Middles removed the foil, they saw the pan she'd filled with brown paper E’s - brown-es!
We suggest having a plate of real chocolate brownies on hand, as well!
We speak from experience!
NO FOOLIN’!
April Fools’ Day is about having fun together!
Whether you’re playing a harmless prank or sharing a joke with those you love,
the real magic comes from enjoying the silliness and the laughter that ensues!
So - embrace the fun of the day and laugh away!
We’d love to hear from you!
Do you have a favorite April Fools’ Day memory
and/or a memorable prank you’ve pulled or had pulled on you?
If so, please share!
Simply comment at the end of this post or email us directly at
We learn so much from you!!
whenever you can!
You can find lots of great content there!
Tomorrow is Friday so we’ll be back with our WEEKLY SNAPSHOTS,
including highlights from each of our lives
as well as a few favorite ideas from OUR GRAND LIVES!
Currently, we are usually publishing new posts each Thursday and Friday.
Thursday's posts are filled with new ideas and content
while our Friday posts feature our current FAVES!
Please consider subscribing to Our Grand Lives!
That way, you'll never miss out when a new post becomes available!
We’ll leave you with one more April Fools’ Day giggle!
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Haha! These are brilliant. Love the Plate of Brownies and the Jello Drink. Will be featuring you this week, ladies! Enjoy the rest of your weekend. 😊
I love pranks 1 and 3 and would do them for sure to my husband. I am so going to do the Brown E prank at school on Monday break time.
Thank you for joining in with #pocolo
So many cute ideas. Mine are very much into jokes and would especially love the tricks involving spiders. Thanks for sharing.
I love these ideas!
These are all such fun ideas!