Parents rejoice! For the first time since 1956, Easter Sunday and April Fool’s Day take place on the same day – meaning it’s a once in a lifetime chance to play corny and obvious Easter-themed pranks on your children. Here are some suggestions:
A treasure hunt with a twist
A fantastic Easter Sunday tradition is to do a treasure hunt where the Easter Bunny has left eggs around your house, and each egg has a small written clue or riddle directing the children to where they can find the next one. But this year, instead of hiding chocolate eggs, why not leave some carrots in their place. On the third or fourth clue you can make it appear as if the Easter Bunny has left a note apologising for eating all the chocolate, but saying they hope you enjoy this left-behind lunch.
An Easter basket with a difference
Prepare an Easter basket for the children, and either wrap it up or cover it up so the contents can’t be seen. Have a card from the Easter Bunny next to it which they can open first, with a message that the Easter Bunny wants them to have an extra special Easter this year and so has prepared a special gift for them. But rather than chocolate or sweets, what you’ve put in the basket is incredibly dull stuff that kids will be completely unimpressed by - new toothpaste, some socks, a packet of batteries.
Surprise them with grapes
This one is a bit fiddly, but promises huge rewards. Buy a packet of mini eggs with foil wrappers. Unwrap them carefully, and (optionally) eat the chocolate yourself. Wrap grapes up in the place of the chocolate. Put the grapes back in the packet and wait for hilarity to ensue.
A sticky situation
You’ll need to prepare this in advance, but buy some of the plastic eggs that contain toys. Unwrap them, open them, and then carefully glue them shut and re-wrap them. You don’t have to be too tidy – your children are going to be thinking about getting to the toy, and are not going to be suspicious. Sit back and enjoy them trying and failing to open the eggs.
The invisible Easter egg hunt
This is an excellent plan if you have a garden. Tell the children there is an Easter egg hunt in the garden. Put the children in the garden. Close the back door. Let them spend ages searching fruitlessly for Easter eggs that you haven’t actually hidden. After you’ve enjoyed a rare 10 minutes of peace and quiet indoors, while they get increasingly bemused and frustrated, go into the garden claiming to have found a note from the Easter Bunny. The note reads “April Fool”.
