Pranks for students to play on teachers

Pranks for teachers to play on their students to celebrate April Fools’ Day

Teaching is no joke, but sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying. Add some comedic relief to your school day on April 1st in honor of April Fools’ Day.

Check out these simple pranks you can play on your students:

Brown E vs Brownies-This is a classic prank that has been played by teachers for years.  Simply tell your students that you will give them brownies. When the time comes, pass out letter E’s cut out from brown construction paper.  

Extend this lesson with our Letter E Worksheet and Activity Pack, and give your students real brownies as a treat. 

Impossible Assignment- Give students an assignment with no correct answer. Modify this based on your student’s level. It could be a simple confusing question such as “please circle the letter A in the word box”, a difficult spelling test, a word search with no words, or all wrong multiple choice answer options.  

Teacher Swap- Switch classrooms with another teacher and teach their class just as you would your own. 

Missing Homework- Give half the class a simple homework assignment the night before, such as drawing a smiley face or a dot. Explain to students that last night’s homework assignment was very important to determine if they go to the next grade or any reward you choose. The students who did not get the assignment will panic, and the students who did will be very confused.

Upside Down Chairs- Turn all the chairs upside down. Explain to students there is a new school rule about how they must now sit in chairs that way.  

Fake Drill- Make up completely fake drill students must practice. A common one is a fake flood drill. Students will take off their shoes, socks, and roll up their pants, then walk on their tiptoes as if the classroom flooded. Another idea is a sand storm drill. Students must walk around the classroom with their eyes closed to protect the sand from getting in their eyes.   

Donut Seeds- Give students O-shaped cereal and explain they are donut seeds. Tell students they must take it home and plant it so that it will grow into a donut.  

Schedule Mix-Up- Shake things up by switching up your classroom routine.  Do things out of order or teach the same lesson twice.  

Prank Tips

The key to pulling off any prank is to act as seriously as possible. When choosing a prank, it is important to be very aware of your student’s maturity and sensitivity. Pranks are meant to be fun and silly, not harmful. For younger students, simple silly pranks work best. Older students may be able to handle more complex pranks.  

Other Ways to Celebrate April Fools’ Day

If you decide pranks may not be the best for your students, celebrate April Fool’s Day by discussing the holiday and having themed activities. Check out these ideas:

April Fools' Day for Kids! 

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April Fools’ Day Joke Cards

April Fools’ Day Word Unscramble 

April Fools' Day Tricky Vowel Team Challenge

Comment below to share additional prank ideas. 

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