April Fool's Day Party

Here is an awesome April Fool's Day Party. The ideas can be used for a casual party or a birthday party.  Invitations: On a piece of paper, write the details of your party. Keep your theme a secret.  When the guests arrive, go out the back door and sneak up behind them while they're wondering where you are. Wear spooky Halloween masks for an extra scare.  Have the kids come at around eleven so that you can serve a special April Fool's Day meal (details below).   Decorations: You could decorate the party entrance with a Balloon arch and have the party space display posters of famous clowns and comedians. Happy face balloons around the room are also an easy way to decorate. For added effect you could also hang some masks from the wall.In the center of the party space have a pinata in the shape of number 1. You could have the biggest April fool at the party bursting the pinata and the other guests running for treats like kids from the pinata. Or you could have the pinata filled with confetti and you could have the biggest April fool stand under it while you burst it and the other guests stand back clapping and cheering.  Preparations Think ahead of all those small little tricks that ensure a bellyful of laughter, chuckles and giggles and are not meant to hurt anyone's feelings. How about setting out whoopee cushions on some of the seating? Hide them under certain cushions of a couch. Have an opaque perfume bottle filled with onion juice and maybe pass it around at the party.You could also invest in slingshot flying monkey. At any time during the party just shoot at a guest and let the fun begin.Mid way through the party ask a neighbor or friend to sport a mask and ring the doorbell. Let him/her attack whoever opens the door (it could be you or an unsuspecting guest) with the artificial knife whose blade pushes inside as soon as it touches something.Place a transparent plastic sheet on one's favorite carpet or book and drop gravy or ink on it.Replace guests car keys with another set that looks same but cannot open the locks.A fake car scratch or broken glass tattoo is good for people who love their cars.  April Fools Activities IdeasTo really pull off the party be ready with a lot of activities, jokes and tricks. Also stock a few just for laugh gag videos and/or Charlie Chaplin videos, or similar ones. Give your guests a sticker as soon as they enter. You could tell them that every time they pull a prank on another person they are entitled to his or her sticker. The guest with the greatest number of stickers at the end would be the winner.  At around 12:30, serve lunch. Like mentioned above you can prepare a special April Fool's Day meal. Here are some ideas:  Peas and Carrots, Mashed Potatoes and Chicken Nuggets:  Ingredients:  Peanut butter log candyPeas-and-carrots candy mixVanilla ice creamCaramel or butterscotch topping Instructions:On each dinner plate, arrange four or five peanut butter logs (to look like chicken nuggets) and a small handful of the candy mix (for vegetables).Right before serving, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt to each plate for mashed potatoes." Top with gravy -- a spoonful of caramel sauce or butterscotch topping.  Faux Fish Sticks:  Ingredients: CornflakesSugar wafer cookiesPeanut butterGreen taffy candy (we used green apple AirHeads) Seedless strawberry jam Instructions:For the fish sticks place a couple of handfuls of cornflakes in a ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Cover 2 sugar wafer cookies with peanut butter then toss them in the cornflake crumbs to coat.For the peas tear off and roll small pieces of the taffy candy into balls. If the taffy is too stiff to work with microwave it for about 6 seconds.For the ketchup use a fork to stir a few teaspoons of the jam until it's smooth.  Activities and Games:   Make your own water ring  Materials: Button (the kind with a shank)5-inch pipe cleanerNew kitchen spongeScissorsInstructions: To make his own underhanded piece of jewelry help your child thread a button onto a 5-inch length of pipe cleaner then wrap the pipe cleaner loosely around the ring or middle finger of his right hand. Twist the pipe cleaner once or twice to make a ring then remove the ring.Wrap the pipe cleaner ends around a 1/2- by 1-inch rectangle cut from a new kitchen sponge. Trim any excess then bend under the pipe cleaner ends for safety.Wet the sponge so it's thoroughly soaked but not dripping then have your child put the ring on his right hand with the sponge concealed in his palm. Remind him to look his victim right in the eye while he shakes his hand and be ready to run!  Make your own Slime:  Materials:  3/4 cup of warm water1 cup of white glueGreen food coloring Instructions:  Mix together 3/4 cup of warm water 1 cup of white glue and a few drops of green food coloring.In another bowl combine 4 teaspoons of borax and 1-1/3 cups of warm water.Pour the contents of the first bowl into the second and let it sit for 1 minute without stirring.Your congealed slime is good to goo! Afterward pack it in ziplock bags for take-home fun.  Prank Contest:  Get the kids into teams of 4 and get them 10 different things that they must use to create their own prank (Use different items for each team). In 20 minutes they have to come up with the best prank they can make up. Afterwards test their prank out on the jester (see "Costumes"). The team with the best one wins a small practical joke item.  Costumes: Get one of your family members to dress up as a clown or jester. Get them to juggle fake chain saws or other unusual things. Cake:  Compost Cake:  Ingredients:  8-inch-square chocolate cakechocolate frostingpretzel rodscrushed chocolate cookiescandy fruit slicesCircus Peanutsgummy worms Instructions: Make an 8-inch-square chocolate cake from your favorite mix or recipe.Cover it with chocolate frosting then press pretzel rods around the sides leaving some cracks for protruding critters.Sprinkle the top with crushed chocolate cookies then decorate with candy fruit slices, Circus Peanuts, and gummy worms, and bugs.  Favors: Give the kids a small bag of little prank items and practical jokes (available at your local dollar store or party store.  I hope you have fun at your party!  Rachel     "