30 Fun April Fools' Pranks for Kids That Are Silly and Harmless

Swap all the clothes on their dolls or action figures, or mix up pieces from different sets. It's at first an April Fools' surprise... and then, who knows? Maybe a portal into next-level imaginative play.

Flip picture frames, turn chairs upside-down, put their shoes in the fridge— just make the house look totally mixed up for a bit of harmless April Fools' fun.

Swap the bags inside two different cereal boxes. They'll pour, say, Cheerios... and get Cocoa Puffs instead. Keep the joke going with other packaged items in the kitchen, and inside their lunch boxes. too.

This one takes a steady hand, but it's worth the payoff: Cut a banana inside the peel with a needle so when they peel it, it’s already — magically! — sliced.

RELATED: Hilarious April Fools' Pranks for Boyfriends

Render the TV remote control useless by placing a tiny piece of clear tape on top of the sensor so it stops working. Watch as they keep pressing buttons, thinking the batteries must be dead. Then be the hero and covertly remove the tape, making the remote suddenly work. Is it magic... or is it April Fools'?

This one takes commitment, but it's well worth it to see the smiles on their faces: Take your time to fill their entire room (or locker, or car for the teens) with balloons for a big, colorful, and social media-friendly surprise.

Open their binder and flip all their notebook pages upside down before putting them back into the loops — a silly prank for a harmless "gotchya" moment.

Put a tiny strip of double-sided tape or glue dots on the bottom of their shoes. When they walk, their shoes will and sound feel strangely sticky, making them look around to see if they stepped in something gross... but of course, it's just a harmless April Fools' prank.

Fill a cup with water and then slide a piece of cardboard on top of it before flipping it upside down on the counter. Slowly slide the cardboard out so the cup stays upside down without spilling... until an unsuspecting kiddo sees it and gets curious enough to try to lift it. When they do, water will splash everywhere (so make sure to clear all the valuables out of the way first)!

For a slow-burn prank, use a universal remote and secretly turn off the TV when they're watching it. Do it every few minutes so they start thinking the TV is broken — or possessed. As soon as they get up to check on it, use your secret remote to turn it back on.

Whip up a batch of home-made or fluffy box-mix mashed potatoes. Use an ice cream scooper to scoop the mashed potatoes into an ice cream cone, and serve it like dessert. They won't be suspecting the savory bite... and you can still serve real ice cream for an April Fools' Day dessert.

This one's for all the teachers: Hand out a fake pop quiz with impossible questions to all of your students. Then, as soon as they begin to sweat, reveal that it's simply “April Fools!”

Drop a bit of food coloring onto the bristles of their toothbrush (of course, make sure it's edible and safe for kids) and let it dry. When they brush their teeth, the foam will turn into the vibrant color you secretly created!

Smear some crunchy peanut butter around their shoe for a pretty convincing illusion that they stepped in some serious dog poop. For an even grosser twist, wipe your finger through it and put it to your nose to seemingly confirm the funky finding!

Whip up a batch of Jell-O, toss in a straw, and let it set in clear drinking glasses until it resembles their favorite flavor of juice or fruit punch. Serve up these glasses of “juice” to your kiddos — who will get absolutely nowhere when they try to slurp it up through the straw.

This gag couldn’t be easier for a PG-rated gag: Get out that bag of googly eyes from the craft drawer, and open the fridge. Place a set of eyes on everything you see: the carton of milk, the veggies, all the condiments. They’ll crack up when they go in for breakfast, only to see all those little eyes staring back at them.

What’s the first thing your kids do when they get up in the morning? Brush their teeth! So for a harmless (even tasty) prank, hand them a toothbrush topped with… something that looks like toothpaste. Instead, they’ll find their mouth filled with icing, cream cheese or whatever passable substitute you have on hand.

On the night before April 1, sneak in to your kiddo’s room and make some changes that will surprise them in the morning. Turn the chair upside down, put underwear on the dolls… even switch sleeping siblings into each other’s beds. They’ll wake up to a silly surprise… and know they’re in for a fun and prank-filled April Fools' Day.

“Hey kids, I made brownies!” Well, that’s how it will sound when you say it — and they’ll come running. But when they lift up the foil covering the tray in the kitchen, they’ll find a collection of letter E’s you carefully cut from brown construction paper.

Unscrew the cap from their everyday shampoo, conditioner, or shower gel. Inside, affix a small piece of plastic wrap — then re-screw the cap. When they squeeze that bottle and nothing comes out — over and over again — they’ll eventually figure out it’s an April Fools' gag.