A big thanks to Jonathan Curley of The Seattle Times because I totally ripped him off...
Replace framed photos
The premise is simple if not requiring a little dexterity to not get caught: Replace all the existing framed family photos in your home with celebrities, historical figures or pop culture characters of your choosing. The payoff might not always be immediate if housemates fail to discover the swapped photos, but even that only makes the slow-burning revelation that much better.
Lamp shade insects
Make paper cutouts or order fake assortments of insects and attach them to the inside of a lamp shade. After turning the lamp on, the silhouettes of the chosen bugs will spread across the shade and leave an uneasy surprise for anyone unlucky enough to notice first.
Airhorn door stopper
In the event of being quarantined with an airhorn, this is a timely way to put it to use. Tape the airhorn to the wall with the top of the canister facing toward the door handle so whoever opens it gets to experience one of the most alarming door stoppers ever.
Jelly beans in the ice dispenser
This simple gag exchanges crushed and cubed ice for a stream of jelly beans. Fill the ice dispenser with the preferred jelly bean type and observe a surge of sweets occupy the unsuspecting person’s cup.
Cardboard cutout of a celebrity in the shower
This is a minimal setup for a maximum reward. Greet the next housemate who uses the shower with a cardboard cutout of any given public figure and listen to the shock ensue.
Chaotic candy bowl
On the morning of April Fools’ Day, debut a bowl that contains a mix of M&Ms, Skittles and Reese’s Pieces. This, as expected, will become the ire of taste buds throughout the house. We cannot guarantee a safe reaction from housemates after this trick has been employed.
Googly-eye food
One of the more wholesome tactics in this list, attach googly eyes to all of the contents in your fridge. The next person who looks for a bite to eat will see a dozen pair of eyes staring right back.
Bubble wrap under a rug
If there happens to be spare bubble wrap lying around unpopped, fit it beneath a rug that hosts a lot of foot traffic. You’ll know when it works when you hear the double-barreled reaction of the bubble wrap bursting and someone yelping.
Frozen toothbrush cup
The night before April Fools’ Day, take your housemates’ toothbrush cups, fill it with water and stow them in the fridge. In the morning, they’ll wake up to their own toothbrush icicle. The most harm this trick does is the bad breath the trick-doer might endure in the morning.
Happy April Fools’ Day!