How to Play a Prank

Last Updated: November 11, 2022

Looking for fun? A harmless prank is a good way for you and your friends to have a good laugh. This article will show you pick a good prank that you can get a good laugh out of and won't cause any long-lasting damage.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Playing Easy Pranks

1
Change a friend or coworker's tech settings to another language. Get hold of their Facebook, phone or computer and change all the settings to Latin, or Spanish, or German, anything they don't speak.
2
Change a few common words on Word or Outlook autocorrect. When your friend tries to type something, it automatically puts in the misspelled words. You can also do this in your friend's autocorrect on their phone so when they try to text they get really weird or hilarious words.

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3
Dip the ends of pens in clear nail polish. Do this to your coworkers or your family members. The ink won't be able to get through and no one will be able to write anything.
4
Put clear nail polish on some soap. Leave it in the shower or by the sink so you can watch. It won't lather and your victim(s) won't be able to wash their hands or figure out why the soap won't work.
5
Pretend raisin cookies are chocolate chip cookies. Bring a large batch of raisin cookies into work and say that they are chocolate chip cookies. Watch as everyone gets really mad when they take a bite. To spice it up a little put some pepper in.
6
Fill a mayo jar with vanilla pudding. Watch as someone makes a sandwich (or be really helpful and make them a sandwich). Or you could grab in down while you're with your friends and starting digging into the mayo.
7
Switch the salt and the sugar. Put sugar in the salt shaker and put salt in the sugar bowl (or even in the sugar bag).
8
Rickroll your friends. Rickrolling is an internet prank/meme that involves Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up. To do this, follow these steps:
- Go to the Never Gonna Give You Up music video.
- Shorten the link with a website like bit.ly so the link cannot be recognized
- Send the shortened link to your friend. You could say something like "You won 100,000 dollars!" or something similar, but in place of the link, place your rickroll link.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Pulling Medium-Level Pranks

1
Put a piece of tape over a friend or coworker's computer mouse. The mouse won't connect to the screen and it will drive them crazy trying to get their mouse to work. If you're feeling extra hilarious, put a funny picture on the underside of the mouse so they know who's responsible.
2
Put yellow food coloring in the toilet tank. The toilet tank has water that replenishes the water supply in the toilet bowl when you flush. Every time someone flushes the toilet it will make it look as if the toilet is broken.
3
Make a bottomless box. Cut through the bottoms of all the cereal boxes in your house and leave them upright in the cupboard for a hungry, unsuspecting victim to grab.
4
Get someone stuck holding an egg through a door. When a friend or family member has their hands full, tell them you want to try an experiment. Get them to put their hand through a door and hold onto an egg. Then walk away, leaving them still standing, unable to leave without dropping the egg.
5
Fill a deodorant container with cream cheese. Remove the deodorant stick from the container and replace it with a stick of cream cheese. You'll need to shape the cream cheese across the top of the deodorant container.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Playing Difficult Pranks

1
Cover a door with saran wrap. You will only want to cover the upper part of the door, otherwise their feet will hit the wrap instead of their face. (You may be able to trip the victim if you put it below!) Also you need to pull the saran wrap taut to tape it, otherwise your victim will see it. Enlist a friend to help.
2
Cover an actual egg with chocolate. Get a real egg and cover it with melted chocolate. Allow to dry. Cover it with brightly colored foil, like a chocolate egg. Give to someone you love.
3
Switch the handle on the fridge door. If you have a refrigerator that allows you to remove the handle, get a screwdriver and unscrew the handle. Switch it to the other side of the fridge, and screw it back in. People will try to open the fridge and get really frustrated when they can't.
4
Fill a dozen cream donuts with mayo. Get a dozen cream filled donuts, scrape out the cream, and refill it with mayo. Take to work and anonymously leave it in the break room.
5
Change all the clocks in the house. You'll need to have access to your victim's phone and computer, otherwise they will figure out pretty quickly what's going on. Change it to a couple hours ahead or behind.
6
Saran wrap someone's car. Take saran wrap and wrap it all the way around your victim's car so they can't get into with without cutting it. You'll need a lot of saran wrap to pull this off.

Community Q&A

Question

What kind of pranks could I do on my mom for April Fools?

Community Answer

A good classic is to switch the cereal in the cereal boxes, or you could tape the faucets. These aren't as cruel as they are just downright funny.
Question

What can I do if I'm afraid that the victim will tell my parents?

Community Answer

Try the classic pranks, such as the whoopie cushion. Your parents will understand, and your victim will probably think it's funny.
Question

How do I prank a person who's in the same room as me?

Community Answer

You'll have to be very, very sneaky. Set up the prank when they are not watching or are talking to someone else.

Warnings

Don't prank too often. Give your victims time to be lulled into a false sense of their own security.

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Do not mess with the wrong person. If you think someone is in a bad mood and you prank them, there won't be a pretty outcome.

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Avoid pranks that hurt people. They aren't funny (especially to the victim) and they could cause problems for you!

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Do not play pranks on roads, it's dangerous and potentially life-threatening.

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If there is someone who gets extremely mad at pranks, don't prank them.

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Try not to get into trouble with your teacher/parent.

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Never pull pranks on the emergency services. You will get into severe trouble with the police and you could possibly go to jail.

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Do not ever pull a prank about bombs or weapons. In many countries, it is terrorism-related and the police will punish you severely with heavy fines and jail time.

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