By Melanie Linn Gutowski

April first, April Fool's Day, is traditionally a day to play practical jokes on family and friends.  Help your niece or nephew rig up some laughs of their own with these ideas.

Put a copy of "Terms of Endearment" in the case of one of dad's "Star Wars" DVDs.

Wrap a tiny gift in a huge box with multiple layers of wrapping paper on it.

Minimize breakfast - serve mini bagels or English muffins with bacon slices cut into quarters.  Use as big a plate as possible to get the right effect.

Rig the coffee mug cabinet so that a favorite rubber insect falls out when it opens.

Put blue food coloring in the milk carton.

Change the programmed radio stations in the car - for instance, change a heavy metal station to easy listening, or a country station to new age.

Change the wallpaper on mom or dad's computer to something eye-popping.

Draw or color a picture of a fish, then try to tape it on someone's back so they don't notice it's there.  When they figure it out, call them "poisson d'avril!" (pwa-SOHN da-VREEL) just like kids in France do on this day.