How April Fool's Pranks Work - EVERY YEAR!

My April Fool's success rate is a sustained 100% with my family and co-workers. How? Simple! Make it relevant!

After a couple of years playing your family and friends they will be careful and watch out to detect early signs of pranks in the works which makes it difficult by definition to play them any more but adds some good challenge to be more creative every year. And this is where the fun begins.

One strategy that has always worked for me to play someone on April Fool's Day is to be as relevent to their known reality with me as possible. So, say you wat to play a harmless prank to your elders and they just visited you the day before you could easily make them believe that you are missing an item that they must have taken in error - let them sizzle for the better part of the day. That'll keep them busy guessing. Or you left your glasses in their place, they'll be happy you got them out of their chair.

A little trickier even would be peers that are aware of your prankster career. However, if you make it highly relevant to someone that is unfolding over a period of time anyway, this could be your ride.

For example, if folks know or even take part in planning a trip, an event or anything else that is of importance not just for you, why not constructing a mishap or desasterous decision from the outside that earns you their empathy for a moment?

Empathy is a suspicion killer. Nobody wants to second guess you if you are obviously brought down and might require comfort.

As an example, if an overseas trip is in the works and your folks know about your looking forward to it, why not letting them know that someone killed the deal that was unforeseen. I told my kids the other day (April 1 of course) that I had just learned that I was on a no-fly list because of - here you need to delevop a little story that could actually really have happened, don't overdo it... ("remember that weird guy I was telling your about the other day....? ...turns our he was wanted by Homeland Security and my dealings with him landed me on that stupid no-fly list...").

I backed up my claim with an electronic email (ticket reservation) adding a dominant message on top (editing the original) that the Airline has to inform me that the tickets are void, blabla...

You get the idea... If you want to overcome suspicion you need to pick something at April Fool's that had evolved just recently and people can relate to. Works every single time (if you stay natural and don't add too much spice to it).

Have fun (on April fool's any waayy beyond).