April Fool’s Day is celebrated internationally on April 1st. Scotland has April “gowks” (Scottish for cuckoo). France calls it “poisson d’avril” (French for April fish: a young fish that’s easily caught). One tale is that Mother Nature turns all humankind into “fools” due to unpredictable weather, but another more-common legend is one that revolves around the calendar and how we mark time.
Foolishly Left Behind
Using the old calendar, the beginning of the new year began on April 1st . When a new way of marking time was introduced, the people that still celebrated the new year in April were referred to as “April fools”. Regardless of its origins, it’s evolved into a day of pranks and fun. Check out these ideas on fun ways to celebrate April Fool’s Day from Wisconsin Virtual Learning.
Playing Pranks
While a good joke here and there can be fun for all, we have to be careful that our prank is not going to cause any long-term harm. Destroying property or hurting someone mentally or physically just isn’t funny. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
- Insect in the lamp
Print an enlarged picture of a huge bug. Color it black then cut it out and place it on the inside of a lampshade. When the light is turned on, it will look like a giant bug hiding out. It’s sure to get a scream. - Caramel onions
This will definitely be a surprise. Take a popsicle stick and push it into a whole, peeled onion, then dip it into melted caramel. Definitely not the sweet treat they were expecting. - Broken soap
Cover a bar of soap in the shower with clear nail polish so it won’t foam up. - Jokes and silliness
Dress up with odds and ends of your clothing so nothing is matching. Turn all of the pictures in the house upside down. Freeze plastic bugs into ice cubes and your friends and family members won’t even see them until the ice is melting.
There are a lot of ways to celebrate. Get your creative juices flowing and have a fun and safe April Fool’s Day!