How do I avoid April Fools Day classroom disaster?
Oh, April Fools Day. The potential for disaster is high.
One year (unbeknownst to me) my student teacher told the class that she had made them brownies that morning (cue overwhelming excitement) only to pull out a pan of brown E’s made from construction paper (cue overwhelming disappointment).
Let’s just say, she made a store run before noon that day for some real deal brownies with a side of apology and groveling.
One of the main issues with April Fools and young kiddos is that a majority of the jokes are abstract and often a letdown. So what’s a teacher to do?
How do we avoid April Fools Day classroom disaster?
Some years, I knew the emotions that pranking would cause would not be worth the fleeting moment of fun. In those years, I would lay the ground rule that our classroom would be an April Fools Prank Free Zone. This not only kept me out of the doghouse but also helped to create a boundary from poorly executed pranks by students. Instead of pranks, I would usually tell a new joke each hour to still keep some of the fun of the day alive (but controlled).
Other years, I wanted to bring on the silly (and knew my class could handle it) with some basic ground rules.
Classroom Ground Rules for April Fools Day:
No serious subject matter (no fake pregnancy or “I’ve been fired” or death jokes)
Nothing that might elicit heavy emotions (No failing grades or surprise tests)
Quick, easy prep and cleanup
All pranks must have a well thought-through resolution
With those rules in mind, here are some classroom-tested-and-approved ideas for you brave souls (listed below from easiest to most involved).
Fun April Fools Ideas for the Classroom:
Write a fake date on the board and see how long it takes students to notice (like “Today is March 32”)
Introduce a silly spelling list with nonsense words (Note: Act as though you are introducing new words instead of a test to avoid test anxiety.)
Put googly eye stickers on random things and see if students can find them all by the end of the day.
Plant “Cheerio donut seeds” in the morning and watch them “grow” into donuts by the end of the day.
Pan of brown e’s (ONLY if you are following up with the real thing :) )
April 1st comes every year and with the exception of the glorious years it falls on a weekend (thank you 2023!), you’re going to want a plan for how to handle it. To prank or not to prank? That’s up to you!
