April Fool's Day

April Fool's Day

April Fool's Day is celebrated on 1 April in many countries around the world. On this day, people play practical jokes on each other and have fun trying to make other people believe things that are not true.

Jokes with your friends and family

In the UK and many other places, people play any kind of practical joke, but it's important to remember that the joke should be funny for everybody and not make the other person feel bad. Some jokes you can play include these.

• Make some fruit jelly in a glass. Then ask someone if they want some juice. Give them the glass and watch them try to drink it!
• Have you got a toy plastic spider? Put it in someone's shoe! Then, when they get scared, you can be the hero who takes the scary spider away!
• If you have a clock in your kitchen, get up early and change it to show it's one hour later. Then, when your family is having breakfast, they'll think that they're late for work or school! 

Then shout 'April Fool!' so that everyone knows it was a joke!

In France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and French-speaking areas of Canada and Switzerland, the 1 April tradition is known as the 'April Fish'. A common joke is to try to stick a paper fish onto someone's back when that person isn't looking.

In many Spanish-speaking countries as well as the Philippines, there is also a special day for playing jokes, but it's in December instead of April.

Jokes in the news

On April Fool's Day, there are often jokes in the news, on TV or on websites.

In 2008 the BBC made a short video which showed the 'news' that some penguins had learned to fly! Two big UK newspapers wrote about the 'important story' on their front pages.

One year in the UK, a children's news programme said that scientists had invented a 'Brain Band'. It was a coloured headband that you put on your head and it helped to make you more intelligent!

Another famous joke is 'Google Nose'. Google said it was a new app you could use to search the internet for a smell. For example, if you searched for 'flowers', you could click a button and smell them!

Of course, every day we need to think carefully about what we believe when we read or watch news and other stories, especially online. But on 1 April, be extra careful! Happy April Fool's Day!