Fun Freetime: Student April Fool's Survey

 Students of all ages have faced many obstacles over the last 2 years. Roughly 56% of students said that their Social Life and Education were the two most negatively impacted areas of their life due to the pandemic, according to a survey of 2,000 US students conducted by the homework help and online learning community Brainly. 

However, this Friday is April Fools’ Day, so be on high alert for fake spiders, saran wrap in strange places, toilet paper in the trees - and everything in between - since 44% of seniors are planning to do an April Fools’ prank at school!

Students were surveyed with a variety of questions, below are some of their responses:

>> Do you prefer pranks or jokes on April Fools’ Day?

• Pranks: 65%
• Jokes: 35%

>>Do you plan to pull an April Fools’ Day prank on your friends? 

• Yes: 63%
• No: 37%

>> Which type of prank would you pull on April Fools’ Day?

• Silly: 40%
• Mischievous: 21%
• Scary: 15%
• Other: 15%
• Technical: 9%

>> Where do you get your jokes/pranks ideas from?

• Social Media/Online: 42%
• Other: 30% 
• Friends: 11%
• Family: 11%
• Books: 6%

>> When do you think April Fools’ Day began, as far as we know?

• 1600-1799: 29%
• 1800-1899: 25%
• 1900-Present: 24%
• Before 1600: 22%

22% guessed correctly! Some historians speculate that April Fools’ Day dates back to 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar, and some say that it even traces back to 1392. Either way, we’ve been celebrating playing “April Fools” on each other for quite some time! 

According to Brainly’s parenting expert, the shenanigans and hoaxes are only limited by your imagination this April Fools Day - as long as you make sure everything you’re doing is in good fun and doesn’t break any rules! 

“It’s rather heartening and encouraging that 2 years later, we all feel a bit more up to acknowledging the silliness of the day and having some laughs,” says Patrick Quinn, former public school teacher and Brainly parenting expert. 

“Making the most of April Fools' Day jokes in the classroom can relieve stress and help create long-lasting memories. Not only does humor go a long way in building relationships and creating solidarity in the classroom, but it can also be a natural stress reliever.”

“Furthermore, researchers agree that children who laugh in the classroom and home setting develop strong communication and critical thinking skills, become more creative, and easily cope with stress. When children laugh together in group settings, they build a sense of team comradery, creating a strong bond with their classmates and teachers,” adds Quinn.