Upside Down Room: Flip furniture, picture frames, and toys upside down the night before.
Googly Eyed Foods: I saw this on Pinterest and thought it was cute…just add those craft store googly eyes to jars and containers of food in your fridge!
Gag Packed Lunch: I like these ideas from Spoonful.com (site no longer works) – sticking a gummy worm in an apple, taking a chip bag and filling it with carrots and using tape to seal the re-sealable plastic bag.
Gelled Juice: Jell-O in a glass with a spoon makes for a funny trick of a drink that is undrinkable: http://spoonful.com/recipes/gelled-juicere.
ILLUSTRATED JOKES:
Joke Theme Day/ April Fools' Day
For more information about April Fool’s Day around the world check here: http://holidays.mrdonn.org/aprilfools.html
For some animal jokes check out this page: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/activities/justjoking/
for more Jokes and riddles check here: http://www.funology.com/jokes-and-riddles/
PUZZLES:
Check here for the answer keys:
Easy April Fools’ Word Search Key or Moderate April Fools’ Word Search Key.
A big thank you to “Courtney’s Kids from Colorado” for recommended this link to “Brain Games & Riddles to Play in the Car”:
https://www.titlemax.com/resources/brain-games-riddles-to-play-in-the-car/
You can find many free colouring pages online by using your favourite search engine and typing in “April Fool’s Coloring Page” or print out my Make Someone Laugh Colouring Page.
Thank you so much to Liz and her mom Jennifer for reaching out to us during the Pandemic and sharing this excellent link to mind games and puzzles. Liz's troop leader asked the girls to put together a virtual activities guide and that's how she found Family Theme Days and this great link:
Learning At Home: Free online Puzzles
COLOURING PAGES:
GAMES:
Match the Joke with the Picture Game:
As you read joke books together write down your favourite jokes. Fold a piece of paper in half and then cut the paper in two. Fold that piece of paper in half again and on one side write the joke, on the other draw a picture to illustrate the joke. Cut the paper in two to create a match. Make as many as you can and then turn this into a game by trying to match the jokes with the pictures.
After your family has read some joke books why not illustrate some of your favourites.
MORE PUZZLES:
Special thanks to Chloe from Maine for suggesting this link to some great jokes and to her big sister Josephine for emailing it to us!
https://imagixdental.com/locations/hickory-flat-dental/jokes-and-riddles-to-make-students-smile/
A special thanks to Dakota, aged 8, from Eugene, Oregon for recommending this list of tangram puzzles:
http://www.commercialofficecleaning.com/tangrams-and-puzzles-for-kids.html
A special thanks to Lindsay and her mom, Carolyn, for recommending this page that lists various games:
https://www.mycoupons.com/learning-games-for-kids
More Fun!
You could make this a memory game for something a little more challenging.
WEBSITES:
HARMLESS PRANKS:
I’m not one for pranks but you may want to try one of these harmless prank ideas on the morning of April Fool’s Day to start your Joke Theme Day:
Copyright 2014, Family Theme Days. All rights reserved.
Blue (or any other colour) Milk:
Tint your jug of milk with food colouring and surprise your kids when they pour some milk onto their cereal. Or change it up by adding a couple of drops of food colouring at the bottom of the cereal bowl, then top with dried cereal. When the white milk is added and your child mixes the spoon in to eat…the milk changes colour. (The original link to this Family Fun Magazine Idea no longer works). Here's a different link: http://www.kidspot.com.au/things-to-do/activities/april-fools-day-prank-blue-breakfast
AUDIO VISUAL:
What show or movie makes your child laugh? Search through your child’s DVD/ video collection (or visit your local library beforehand) to find your child’s favourite comedy movies or cartoons. Make some popcorn, cuddle up and laugh as you watch a funny show!