30+ Easy Pranks for Kids (& Pranks to Play on Kids)

Are you looking for a kid-friendly prank a child can play on someone? Or maybe you want to play a fun prank on a kid. A harmless prank can be a great joke whether it’s April Fool’s Day or not. However, it’s important to make sure practical jokes are appropriate for and appreciated by the target. That’s why we put together a list of pranks that are easy enough for kids to play at home or school. And we added harmless pranks to play on kids that are kid-friendly and age-appropriate. Plus, we’ll help you figure out when a kid is ready to enter the hilarious world of pranking.

Section 1 of 8:

Easy Pranks for Kids

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Stuffed Shoes Make someone think their feet grew overnight by stuffing the toes of their shoes with paper or cotton balls. If you stuff their shoes after they go to sleep at night, they’ll be groggy—and easier to prank—when they put their shoes on first thing in the morning. It will take them longer to figure out what’s going on.
- Try to hide out where your target puts on their shoes in the morning so you can witness them fall for your prank.
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Googly Eyes Get a pack of googly eyes that have adhesive on the back. Then, go around your house, sticking them to everything. Try doing all of the appliances or everything in the refrigerator. Or, stick googly eyes on all of the family portraits for an even funnier prank.
- Make sure you only stick googly eyes on portraits that are under glass in a frame so you don’t damage the picture.
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Whoopee Cushion Everyone loves a fart joke, so planting a whoopee cushion is the perfect prank for the whole family can enjoy. It’s also as easy as blowing up the cushion and then hiding it where the prankee usually sits. And it’s sure to have people giggling for the rest of the day.
- A whoopee cushion is a rubber cushion that makes a loud noise that sounds like a fart when you sit on it.^{[1]
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- Whoopee cushions also come in different sizes to make them easier to hide in different spots.
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Spilled Beverage This is a classic prank that’s pretty simple to play if you have a fake spilled cup. Just offer to get a soda or cup of coffee for someone. Then, place the fake spilled cup on the counter or floor and yell, “Oh no! I spilled it!” When the other person comes running in and notices the cup, pick it up to show them it’s fake.
- This prank calls for a little bit of acting, but nothing a kid couldn’t manage.
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Spider on the Loose This one is super easy. All you need is a cup or glass, a piece of paper, and something to write with. Balance the cup on its side on a table or countertop. Then, write a note that reads, “Don’t lift this! There’s a great big spider underneath.” Place the note next to the cup and just leave it there.
- To make it scarier, put a fake spider nearby.

Section 2 of 8:

Food & Drink Pranks for Kids

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Green Milk This is a great prank to play on your mom or dad right around breakfast time. Just put a few drops of green food dye into a jug of milk. Then, screw the cap back on and gently shake the jug to mix in the dye and make the milk green. Then, tell your target you think something might be wrong with the milk.
- When they go to check the milk, say you think it’s moldy.
- This prank will work with a see-through jug, but it’s better if it’s opaque. That way, the person doesn’t see the milk’s color until they look inside or pour it out.
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Frozen Cereal Pour your target’s favorite cereal and some milk into a bowl. Stick a spoon in it and then put the whole thing in the freezer for the night. The next morning, take the bowl out and put it where your target sits at the table. When they try to eat it, the spoon will be stuck!^{[2]
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- Don’t get the bowl out of the freezer too soon, or it might thaw out before your target tries to eat.
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Buggy Ice Cube Drop a few small fake bugs into an ice cube tray. Fill the tray with water and pop it in the freezer to make ice cubes. Once the cubes are frozen, offer to get your target a drink. Put one of the “buggy” ice cubes in their drink and give it to them. The person you’re pranking might not notice the bug right away, but when they do, they’ll be grossed out.
- If they don’t notice the fake bug, wait until they take a drink and say something like, “Ew! What’s that in your glass!”
- Use hot water in the ice cube tray—with the help of an adult—to make the ice cubes clearer when they freeze.^{[3]
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Wobbly Juice Make some jello in the same color as your target’s favorite juice or drink. Pour it into a clear glass and pop a straw into it. Then, place the glass in the refrigerator to let the jello set up. Once the jello is set, give the glass to your target and watch them try to take a drink.
- Jello takes 2-3 hours to set up, so make sure your target won’t be looking in the refrigerator for that length of time.
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Toothpaste Oreos Twist an Oreo cookie apart and scrape the cream off the pieces. Squeeze some plain, white toothpaste onto the cookie and then put the Oreo back together again. Swap the cream for toothpaste in one Oreo—or a few—and then put them back in the package.
- Wait for your cookie-loving target to get a snack and be confused and grossed out at the worst Oreo they’ve ever tasted!

Section 3 of 8:

Bathroom Pranks for Kids

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Ghostly Messages To play this spooky prank, mix a few drops of dish soap into a cup of water. Dip a cotton swab into the soapy water and use it to write a message on the bathroom mirror. Then, the next time someone takes a shower and the mirror fogs up, your “ghostly” message will appear.
- “I see you,” “Help me,” and “Get out” are all great spooky messages to use.
- The soapy water may take up to 30 minutes to dry, so plan to write it when no one will be using the bathroom for a while.
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Bubble Wrap Rug All you need is a piece of bubble wrap for this easy prank. Take a piece of the bubble wrap that’s slightly smaller than the bath mat or rug in your bathroom. Pick up the rug and place the bubble warp in its spot. Then, cover the bubble wrap with the rug and wait for someone to step on it!
- Save some bubble wrap from a package or get a roll of bubble wrap.
- If you have extra, add a second layer for even more pops!
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Toilet Paper Message Here’s another easy bathroom prank to pull off. Take a pen with you the next time you go into the bathroom. Unroll the toilet paper about 18 inches (46 cm) and write a message on it. Roll it back up so the message is hidden.
- Try a funny message like, “Everyone knows you’re pooping!”

Section 4 of 8:

Pranks for Kids to Do at Home

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Broken Remote This prank is a good one to do at home in the morning so you can catch your family off-guard later that evening when they sit down to watch TV. Just use a small piece of clear tape to cover the sensor on the remote. This interferes with the signal and “breaks” the remote, so it won’t do anything.
- Another way to temporarily “break” the remote is to secretly take out the batteries and then put the cover back on.
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Refrigerator Snake Put a realistic-looking fake snake in the refrigerator. Try wrapping it around the bottom of the milk jug so it’s easy to see as soon as someone opens the door. Make sure it’s at about eye level so there’s no way they can miss it. Then, just wait for your target to get a cool drink.
- You can speed up the prank by asking your target to get you something from the refrigerator, but that might tip them off that something is going on.
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Something Cool This is the easiest prank ever! All you have to do is call your target over to a window and then say something like, “Do you see it? It’s so cool!” Take it to the next level by describing the cool thing you “see.” When they say they don’t see anything, point and say, “It’s right there! How can you not see it?”
- For example, say, “It’s an owl the size of a German Shepard. How are you missing it? Do you need glasses?”
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Messy Toilet This is a good prank to play on your parents, an older sibling, or a babysitter. Squeeze some chocolate syrup on your toilet seat and inside the toilet bowl. Add a little dripping down the front. Hide the chocolate syrup bottle. Go find your target and say something like, “Something’s wrong with the toilet. It’s really gross.” Then, lead them to the bathroom, where it looks like the toilet is leaking poop.
- Be ready to clean this one up when the prank is done. Even though the mess is fake, no one else is going to want to touch it.
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Buggy Lamp Lots of people are scared of bugs or spiders because they associate them with painful bites or something grosser.^{[4]
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Research source} Play off of that fear by taping a fake bug or spider on the inside of a lampshade. Then, when someone turns on the lamp, they’ll see the shadow of the bug and freak out!
- If you don’t have any fake bugs, print out a realistic outline of a bug.
- Carefully cut it out and tape it to the inside of the lamp.

Section 5 of 8:

Pranks for Kids to Do at School

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Brussels Sprout Cake Pop Get an adult to help you make “cake pops” using Brussels sprouts! Just poke cake pop sticks into Brussels sprouts. Then, dip the “pops” into melted chocolate and add sprinkles.
- Once you make the pops, take them to school to share with your friends!
- When playing a prank at school, it’s a good idea to ask permission so a teacher knows what’s going on.
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Trick Brownies Trace the letter E in different sizes on a piece of brown construction paper. Then, cut the E’s out and place them in the bottom of a cake pan. Cover the pan with a piece of aluminum foil. Carry the covered pan to where your target is and ask them if they’d like some brownies. When they say “yes,” let them peel back the foil to see the brown E’s.
- If you really want to be nice, have some real brownies to give them for being a good sport about your prank.
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Useless Pencil This prank is perfect for that friend at school who is always asking to borrow a pencil. Paint the lead tip of one of your pencils with clear nail polish. Let the polish dry. Then, the next time your friend asks for a pencil, hand it over and watch their confusion when it doesn’t write!
- If you want to use the pencil again—or let your friend use it—just sharpen it like you normally would.
- This one is also a good prank to play in school because it’s pretty straightforward and not too disruptive.
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Crazy Candy Get some Skittles, M&Ms, and Reese’s Pieces. Open all of the packages and put them into a baggie to take to school. Once you get there, ask your friends if they want some candy. When they say yes, get the bag out and let them have a bite of the weird mix!
- Make sure none of your friends are allergic to any of the candy you give them before playing the prank.
- Peanut allergies are fairly common. If you have a friend who can’t eat peanuts, skip the Reese’s Pieces when mixing your candy.
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Eat Rocks Get a pack of candy rocks that are used in cake decorating. The more realistic they look, the better. Put the rocks in a bag in your pocket. Then, when you get to school, take out one of the rocks so they can see it. Pop it in your mouth and start chewing!
- Play up the prank by saying something like, “You guys have to see this weird rock I found,” before putting it into your mouth.

Section 6 of 8:

Phone Pranks for Kids

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Refrigerator Running Kids have been making this prank call for generations…and it’s still just as much fun. To play it, just call a friend or family member and ask them if their refrigerator’s running. If they say yes, say, “Shouldn’t you go catch it?” and then hang up.
- This prank has been so popular that the target may have heard it before, but they’ll usually be a good sport and play along anyway.
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Pig’s Feet Call a butcher shop or the meat department of your local supermarket. The person who answers the phone will usually ask how they can help you. Just ask if they have pig’s feet. When they say “yes,” you say, “I hope you wear shoes so no one will notice!” Then, hang up.
- It might be a good idea to block caller ID so the person can’t tell what number you’re calling from.
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You Called Me Call a random number. Then, when the person answers, act like they’re the one who called you. And then, hang up! It might go something like this.
- Them: Hello?
- You: Hello?
- Them: Who is this?
- You: What do you mean, “who is this?” You called me!

Section 7 of 8:

Harmless Pranks to Play on Kids

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Useless Soap This clever prank is really good because it uses a regular bar of soap, so the kid will never suspect anything is wrong until they’ve already been pranked. Just take a dry bar of soap and paint the top with a clear coat of nail polish. Once the polish is dry, flip the bar and paint the bottom.^{[5]
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- Put the soap next to the sink or in the shower once the nail polish is dry.
- When the kid tries to use the soap, it won’t lather up.
- Keep the bar of soap to prank someone else, or use some sandpaper to remove the polish so it’s usable again.
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Grape Eggs This is a really good prank to play on a kid near Easter. Just get a bunch of grapes and some lightweight aluminum foil. Use small pieces of the foil to wrap the grapes so they look like chocolate easter eggs. When they unwrap the “eggs” they’ll find a grape instead of chocolate!
- You can make it even more believable by carefully taking the foil wrappers off of chocolate eggs and then wrapping them around the grapes.
- It might be a good idea to have some real chocolate easter eggs on hand so they aren’t too disappointed after the prank.
If you want to prank a kid or help them prank another kid, get a bunch of fake ants. Put the ants inside a box of cereal. Then, shake the box to mix the ants up with the cereal. Then, all you have to do is wait for them to make a bowl of cereal and see ants in their bowl.
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Balloon Room Try this fun prank that’s almost guaranteed to make a kid smile. While they’re at school, blow up a bunch of balloons and put them in their room. Then, when they come home, they’ll have a fun surprise waiting for them.
- Get a hand pump so you don’t have to blow up all of the balloons with your mouth.
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Marshmallow Bush Go outside and put a bunch of little marshmallows onto the branches of trees or bushes in your yard. Then, come back in and tell the kid you need some marshmallows for hot chocolate. Ask them to go outside and pick some off of your marshmallow tree/bush.
- They’ll probably be skeptical at first, but tell them to just go out and check.

Section 8 of 8:

Knowing If a Kid Is Ready For Pranks

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Save pranks for kids who are over 4 years old. One of the things that makes pranks fun is that the target recognizes the prank quickly after it happens and laughs along with the prankster. Very young children aren’t at the developmental stage where they can understand a prank.^{[6]
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Research source} Instead of laughing, a kid under the age of 4 may feel confused or even hurt that people are laughing at them.
- Pranking young children like this is a form of punching down because the prankster has more power in the situation simply because they understand what’s going on.
- When it comes to pranking young children, it’s also easy to cross the line into bullying.^{[7]
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  Research source} It’s better to wait until they’re older and can have fun, too.
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Keep pranks simple and fun for kids under 12. Keep pranks kid-friendly and age-appropriate so everyone understands what’s going on and has fun. Before the age of 12, children are still developing a Theory of Mind, which allows them to understand the concept of misdirecting another person for a prank.^{[8]
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Simply Psychology
Popular site for evidence-based psychology information

Go to source} By choosing pranks that are appropriate for their age level, you can also help them understand why pranks are surprising and funny.
- Children develop at different rates, so some may understand the concept of a prank before others.
- Theory of Mind is the ability to understand that other people have beliefs, desires, intentions, and perspectives that are different than yours.
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Choose pranks that are appropriate for the specific kid. Pranks and jokes are often a good way to help kids understand social norms, build empathy, and become more resilient.^{[9]
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Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals

Go to source} However, they can also really upset some kids. That’s why it’s even more important to take a kid’s personality into consideration before playing any type of prank.
- Some people just don’t like pranks, and that includes kids. Make sure the kid you’re playing a prank on is okay with being pranked.
- It’s never acceptable to truly frighten or cause even the slightest amount of physical pain when pranking a child…or anyone else.

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Fun pranks that are actually good

wikiHow Editorial Team

Want to pull some harmless yet hilarious pranks on your pals? Here are some great options to try out:

Get a realistic-looking temporary tattoo and convince them it’s real.
Tape the top of their shampoo bottle so the shampoo won’t come out when they try to use it.
Offer them a sweat treat with large chunks of “sugar” on it (but it’s actually salt).
Replace all the framed photos in their house with pictures of a celebrity.
Hide a small bluetooth speaker in their room and use it to play creepy noises to scare them.
Send a fake confirmation text that makes it seem like they’ve signed up for a silly mailing list (like a service that sends daily pictures of capybaras).