April 1 is the day when kids can play that practical joke on their friends, while constantly looking behind their backs to make sure that they aren’t being tricked themselves.

The popular holiday has had some historic moments, and it is believed to have its origins in the 16th century. In the 1950s, for instance, a Dutch TV station said that the well-known Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy had fallen, which generated much alarm. Local kids shared some of their own memorable April Fools’ Day experiences.

“My friends and I usually get together the day before, and we think of something funny or crazy to do. One year, my friend’s mom helped me and my friends make a cake that looked like a sandwich, and then we gave it to my dad for lunch for April Fools’,” said Alana Morgante, a third-grader at St. John’s Lane Elementary School in Ellicott City.

Some jokes aren’t as nice: Nick Manning, a sophomore at Long Reach High School in Columbia, found that out the hard way.

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“Last year, I pulled a fire alarm at school. I ended up in big trouble. I got suspended and I had to pay a fine,” he said.

Colette LeConte and her younger sister, Delaney, played a prank last April while their family was at the beach.

“We said that somebody put a flat tire on the van,” said Colette, a first-grader at Children’s Manor Montessori School.

April Fools’ Day can bring about entertaining and amusing memories. What good-natured pranks are you planning for your friends and family?

Tina Zou is a senior at Centennial High School in Ellicott City. She is an intern for The Baltimore Examiner.