April Fool's Day Party Ideas for Kids

We're big on parties around here and are always looking for an excuse to throw one. And what better excuse could there be than April Fool's Day? The day lends itself to high jinks and hilarity and that, of course, makes for a great kid's party.

Here are our ideas for a fun -- and funny -- April Fool's Day party. Feel free to share your own!

Invitations

• What could be more appropriate on a day devoted to practical jokes and hoaxes than a wacky costume party? Invite your guests to arrive wearing their most outrageous outfits. This could be a costume, a mismatched outfit or even inside-out attire.
• To make the invitations special, print them backwards and cut them up into puzzle pieces that must be assembled before reading.

Decorations

• Greet your guests with orange cones and "wet cement" signs at the front door.
• Inside, think beyond balloons and streamers. Hang "wet paint" signs on the walls, an "out of order" sign above the toilet and string caution tape everywhere. Look around your house and turn things upside down and backwards. Create odd centerpieces out of random items.
• Turn on some Christmas music!
• Some strategically placed whoopie cushions and fake dog poo are sure to make them laugh, while scattered rubber snakes, bugs and rats will keep them on their toes.

Funny Food

• Cover peeled bananas with peanut butter and serve in hot dog buns. Use strawberry preserves drizzled across the top for "ketchup."
• Serve a platter of faux grilled cheese sandwiches with toasted pound cake slices for bread and yellow-tinted white icing for cheese.
• Cut small holes in the sides of apples and insert gummy worms.
• Whip up a disgusting-looking kitty litter cake or surprise them with a meatloaf cake.
• Set out a bowl of bird poop, some chips and dog food dip.
• Trick them with punch that's really individual servings of Jello prepared in the drinking glasses complete with straws. Or serve real punch with gummy bugs frozen inside ice cubes.

Games

• Identify the guest while blindfolded in this Baby Sounds game.
• Turn out the lights and see if your guests can pick out their own shoes from the pile in just five seconds.
• Is it even possible to pass a hula hoop down the line without using your hands?
• Pair up in the world's largest underpants and have a relay race.

Gag Gift Bags

• Send your guests off with everything they need to continue the pranks at home: whoopie cushions, dribble glasses and hand buzzers.