Good-natured April Fool’s Day pranks

April 1 presents an opportunity to have a little lighthearted fun. Laughter can be the best medicine, and by engaging in some good-natured April Fool’s Day antics, people can have fun and get their fill of the giggles. The following are some generally harmless pranks to make the most of the day.

• Make “surprise” cake pops. Cake pops feature a moist cake filling engulfed in melted chocolate. Swap out the filling for something unexpected, like Brussels sprouts or mashed potatoes.

• Frozen surprise: Freeze cereal and milk in a bowl (stick to metal or plastic bowls to be safe). When hungry breakfast-seekers try to eat it, they’ll be in for some frozen fun.

• Tip over: Make a gelatin dessert that is the same color as the juice or other beverages enjoyed at meals. Put a cup of this “juice” on the table, then accidentally knock it over. People will gasp ready for the full cup to pour all over, but it won’t because it’s jiggly gelatin.

• Random alarms: Set alarms or reminders to go off on someone’s cell phone all day long.

• Popping over: The term popping over to visit takes on new meaning if you put a layer of bubble wrap under the welcome mat so visitors will get a loud surprise when they come to the door.

• Crayon creations: Remove all writing implements from a coworker’s desk and replace them with crayons.

• Colored milk: Add a few drops of food coloring to the milk container (cardboard milk containers work best to conceal the trick). When someone pours a glass, they’ll be met with a brightly colored beverage.

• Cupcake dinner: Bake some mini meatloaf in muffin cups. Then frost them with creamy tinted mashed potatoes. Everyone will think they’re getting dessert but it’s really a meal in disguise.

• Send a joke every hour: Send people in your contact list a new joke every hour to keep them laughing throughout the day.

April Fool’s Day pranks can be lighthearted and fun. It’s a great day to make humor a priority.