April Fool's Day 2009: Pranks for Young and Old

Are you prepared for April Fool's Day? I've never been that good at the whole April Fool's Day "thing." I'm the perfect April Fool's Day target. Too nice to actually pull a prank and spacy enough so a prankster can fool me before I realize it. If I really want to get someone, I'm forced to resort to the Internet to find the ideal joke.

One such website, appropriately titled the April Fool Zone, has separated their pranks into separate columns. The titles are: Classic Pranks, Unique and Fun April Fool's Pranks, Office Pranks, and Computer Pranks. Needless to say, some of my favorites were in the Classics section. My favorite is the "Rig the Sprayer" prank, in which you put a rubber band around the push button of your kitchen spray nozzle, so that when the victim turns on the faucet, they get a face full of water.

Those working in an office (who won't have to fear for their jobs if they play a prank!) will especially enjoy the Office and Computer Pranks. One clever prank is to place a Post-It note over the eye of the victim's optical mouse. When they attempt to use their computer, the cursor won't move, no matter how hard they try!

A fun read is the Museum of Hoaxes' "Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes of All Time." You'll never guess number one. It may take a while to get through, but it will definitely produce some chuckles and possibly some ideas.

If you have kids, Family Fun.com offers many "nice" practical jokes that you and your kids can take part in, as well as some interesting faux food recipes. The "Surprise Balloon Swarm" will definitely get some laughs. To set up, you must blow up three balloons and wind the tails together, but don't knot them. Place the balloons over the top of the door, with the tails in the entryway and close it tight. When the victim opens the door, the balloons will go flying out in front of him/her!

I must admit, some of the best tricks on the website have to do with food. Things aren't what they appear with these gags and your kids may be surprised or disappointed with the results. One tricky dish is called "Fauxberry Pie." While it looks like a chocolate pie with strawberry whipped cream on top, in reality, it's shepherd's pie and whipped potatoes!

Another particularly mean dish is a wonderful batch of perfectly iced cupcakes. In reality, they are nothing but meat loaf and mashed potatoes with food coloring! Dishes that are more sweet include "Chicken Not-Pie" made up of pastry crust, candy and pudding sauce and "Mock Sushi" made of fruit leather and rice crispies.

While I've never had much luck with April Fool's Day pranks, doing a little research has definitely given me a few ideas. Look out friends! I may be determined enough to actually prank you this year!

April Fool Zone Official Website

The Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes of All Time, Museum of Hoaxes.com

April Fool's Day, Family Fun.com