April Fool’s Day jokes are a fun way to celebrate April 1st. The origins of the day go back to the 1500s and there are many theories about just how pulling pranks on April 1 started. Whatever the history, pulling a classic prank on April Fool’s Day is certain to be a fun event.
Rules for April Fool’s Day Jokes and Pranks
It's a superstition that all April Fool’s Day pranks must occur before 12 noon on April 1st. Jokers must also consider the safety implications of the prank. In truth, the biggest rule of all is that April Fool’s Day joke must be funny and not dangerous. Don’t play a joke on someone that you wouldn’t like to have played on yourself.
Classic Pranks and April Fool’s Day Office Jokes
It’s entertaining to prank a few co-workers with a last-minute April Fool’s Day joke. But it’s also a fine line between what’s funny and what’s inappropriate. The trick is to find the right balance of a fun office prank that does no harm. For example:
- Get an empty doughnut box and place it in the staff room. Write a note beside the closed box reading "Enjoy!", then write "April Fool's" inside the box.
- Put masking tape on the underside of a computer mouse, covering the eye on an optical or laser mouse.
- Disconnect the monitor from the computer tower.
- Receptionists can put out a bowl of joke candies that are either overly salty or super sour. Or, carefully remove the candies from their individual paper wrappings and replace with crumpled paper, then re-wrap.
- Glue a coin to the sidewalk outside the office.
- Use “fool’s errands”—classic pranks that cause someone to look at of check something needlessly—to fool people into checking if their flies are open, if something is in their hair, or if their shoes are untied.
While these April Fool’s Day jokes are fun, try not to embarrass co-workers and certainly don’t quit as an April Fool Day prank—the boss may not find the prank too funny!
April Fool’s Day Jokes and Classic Pranks Around the House
There are plenty of opportunities to play fun, harmless April Fool’s Day pranks on family members.
- Toast every slice in a loaf of bread and put it back in the plastic bag.
- Switch the sugar and the salt
- Reset the clocks in the house
- Put sesame seeds on a baking sheet then put them under the broiler until they burn. Then add the sesame seeds (that now look like tiny bugs) to cereal, milk, or any other breakfast foods around the house.
The Biggest April Fool’s Day Pranks
Radio stations, newspapers, and TV stations often can’t resist April Fool’s Day pranks that are executed on a massive scale. Watch the local media for classic pranks on April Fool’s Day: If it happens on April 1st and it sounds ludicrous, there’s a good chance it’s an April Fool’s Day joke.
Chloë Ernst - Chloë Ernst is a travel guidebook author who writes for Frommer's and Globe Pequot Press.
