April Fool's Day Foods and Fun

Every April Fool's Day we have some fun with our children. They've come to expect it now and would be disappointed if we didn't do something fun or unexpected.

Here are a few things we've done:

1. One year I made these cupcakes (link to Family Fun recipe). It's really meatloaf muffins topped with colored icing-looking mashed potatoes.


2.  Another year was a combination of look-alike foods:  Fish Sticks, Mashed Potatoes with Gravy, Peas and Carrots.

3.  A favorite year was making real fish sticks, macaroni and cheese, and peas, but serving it at 7:00 in the morning.  We tried to convince the kids it was 7:00 p.m. and that they slept all day, but they didn't believe us!

4.  If April Fool's Day is on a school day, we typically try to do something funny in their lunch boxes.  One year I packed their lunch with plastic play like food.  As they opened up their lunchboxes, I came into the cafeteria with their real lunch.

5.  Another lunch box April Fool's Day trick was they were sent to school with canned goods in their bag, although they didn't know it.  My husband handled everything that year because I was out of town for a few days.  He had mini pizzas ready and gave it to them after they saw their suprise.

6. Last year we woke up all four kiddos and took them to the only convenience store we have in our small town.  They HAD to eat something from there, but it couldn't be breakfast.  It had to be something from their "cooked" section, which (unhealthy, I know....but fun and funny!) was mostly fried lunch-type food:  burritos, egg rolls, chicken strips.  It's really amazing that some people eat this stuff every morning!  Apparently they do, because the little store is selling it that early!

7.  As a special "treat" after getting back home last year, the kids were served "Fakin and Eggs" for dessert.  I can't find my photo of the treats, but they looked just as authentic as this Family Fun photo....although I didn't have a mini skillet for them.

Do you have any ideas for me for this year's April Fool's Day?  It will be here soon!