We recently hosted a live hangout on Facebook to celebrate the end of winter. It was a fun and frantic online hangout filled with laughter and lively discussion. We invited the partygoers to share their favorite April Fools Day prank. Here are some of the best:

My husband moved all of the clocks ahead 5 hours when I fell asleep on the couch. Woke up thinking that to had to get up for work in 45 minutes when it was really only 2:30 in the morning! (Lisa Toli)

Mashed potato ice cream cones. (via Sarah Jenkins)

At work, put the phone in the ceiling tiles. Or tape down the phone receiver. (via LA Denniston Klitzke)

My daughter put a rubber band around the kitchen sink sprayer. (via Karen Spicher Zakin)

Flour was put on the ceiling fan in the winter time…first spring day it was warm, the fan was turned on… (via Sue Gudenkauf)

Moved my coworker’s cup from where she put it on the drinking fountain to a shelf on the opposite back wall. Took her an hour to find it. (via Anna Baker)

Put colored milk into a pitcher in the fridge. My niece and nephew were surprised to be putting blue milk on their cereal. (via Kristin Hoehne)

I made a poop-shaped brownie and left it on the floor in front of the toilet for my husband to find! (via Amy Metcalf)

My mom likes to put a raisin in the toothpaste “neck”, so the person tries really hard to squeeze the tube and out pops a raisin! (via Wendy Whitney Scherer)

What’s your favorite April Fools prank? Share it in the comments below!

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This is a wonderful April Fool’s Day prank that’s fun to do all year long. Just be aware of the national emergency you will cause for everyone around you.

Well, some people will not even notice. But the ones who do are likely to drive miles — I mean MILES, people — out of their way to let you know that you have Taco Bell on the top of your car. Of course, you and the people driving with you have the task of acting clueless. That’s part of the fun (and a challenge).

One guy reported to me that it’s the perfect way to occupy kids on long road trips. They love watching the reactions of other drivers!

One thing’s for sure, there’s no easier or cheaper way to have fun in any economy than “Sticky Cup.”

Here are five pins featuring fun (and relatively harmless) April Fool’s Day pranks.

1) Malfunctioning Mouse – Get your cube mate good.

2) Googly Good Morning! – What a great use of googly eyes! (We sell those, by the way.)

3) Post-It Car – Just a little reminder of where they parked their car.

4) Brown E’s – A cruel joke for those who were expecting a chocolate fix.

5) Doughnut Seeds – Brilliant! I only wish they worked.

Want even more Adultitis-free inspiration?…

Isn’t it funny how a simple date on the calendar can have the magical ability to bring out a distinct playfulness in individuals. You all know people, normally suffering from moderate to severe cases of Adultitis, who come to life on days like Halloween and April Fool’s Day. It’s all about having permission. So, why wait for that one or two days out of the year to have a little fun? Start today! We’re spending September sharing tips and ideas on how to have more fun at work. Whether you work as a preschool teacher, plumber or a physician, work can always be more fun. A simple way to mix things up a bit is to play a practical joke on someone.

I’ve found a very fun site, April Fool Zone, that has more ideas than you’ll ever get to in your lifetime. Check it out here. Here are a few of my favorites…

Clipped: Make some copies of a paperclip. Then put them into the paper tray of the copier. People will go nuts trying to find the paperclip stuck in the printer.

Where Do I Go? This trick works great if you work in building that has two entrances. Print up two signs that say “Please Use Other Door.” Put one on each door, with arrows pointing toward the opposite door.

Unexpected: Take all the cereal in the house, remove the plastic bags from the boxes, and switch them around. When the victim tries to eat breakfast they will do a double-take when the wrong cereal pours out. (That would be a good one for Jason!)

Even though this video is admittedly cheesy, there are some great ideas in there that just may inspire you. Also, take special note of the guy in the cube inflicted with a “Full-Blown Case of Adultitis.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD_rR9YsLU4

Share with us in the comments of the Escape Plan Blog what practical joke you play on someone this week.

Everyone knows someone who LOVES April Fool’s Day. That person in my life has been my dad. The “worst” one was when we were in grade school. He told us when we woke up that school was closed because it had snowed all night long. It was a snow day! Woo Hoo! Of course, we’d forgotten that it was April 1st, and we ran excitedly to the window to see all of the glorious snow that we’d be playing in all day… to find nothing but grass. April Fools!!

My oldest sister caught the bug from my dad and has enjoyed playing tricks on her husband over the years… everything from plastic wrap on the toilet seat, to vaseline on the door knobs. The best, though, is hearing the hyjinks between my sister and my dad. She’s tricked him into thinking so many crazy, unbelievably outlandish things on April Fool’s Day.

What childlike playfulness!

Don’t forget to have some fun today – just because you can! This is the perfect day to bring out that food coloring for dinner… and while you’re at it, why not use dog dishes instead of plates.

Here are a few extreme examples. They might help you appreciate your coworkers today.

What kind of April Fool’s Day fun are YOU having?

And Eliz knows something about all this heart stuff. She had a heart attack at the age of 35 when she was pregnant with twins. Double ouch.

Eliz also knows something about getting rid of that stress. Sometimes the best way is a good belly laugh. Here’s an excerpt from her blog about her recent April Fool’s Day hijinks with her daughters:

(My husband) greeted them this morning dressed in a red muumuu and a tiara – and the day got “wacky-er” from there. Instead of our traditional Sunday morning breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes (whole wheat of course), he served them pink pancakes with carrot chips. Which they actually ate until we told them it was a joke!

There were little rubber mice in their rain boots, spiders and eye balls in their ice cubes, and the best by far was when Callie Jo came in carrying the plastic poop.
“Mama, what’s this?” she asked.
“Poop!” I replied.
“AHHHHH!” she screamed running from the room and throwing it against the wall.

At the conclusion of the blog post, Eliz recommends, “Find ways to play. It is amazing how good a belly laugh can make you feel — especially when you share it with someone you love.”

I couldn’t agree more, and I can’t imagine an April Fool’s Day more well spent. Family. Fun. And laughter. How did your April Fool’s Day go? If you played a practical joke on someone, you actually completed one of The Escape Plan challenges!

[tags]April Fool’s Day, Escape Plan, Eliz Greene, heart disease, stress, play, fun, poop[/tags]