With April Fools Day is coming around the corner in a couple of weeks, thus you may want to figure out a few ways to have some fun in the work place. However, many adult pranks usually come with a price that will hit your wallet more so than anything else. Luckily, there’s a few classic pranks that many people in the work place may not suspect coming. These pranks can cost next to nothing or may even be entirely free. So, this year, don’t let April Fools Day pass without having a little fun with it. Just because you have to be at the work, doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate this once a year time that allows you to act a little childish.
1. Jello Supplies
If you’re looking for a classic prank that is sure to get a few laughs, then you may want to take a note from Jim from The Office. One of his more iconic pranks was placing a stapler in a Jello mold. You don’t have to stop with just a stapler though as you can have a whole lot of fun putting just about anything into Jello. You may want to refrain from using personal items or any form of tech though, because you don’t want to have to pay for an item if it breaks. However, basic office supplies are the perfect option for this prank. You can even mix up the various colors of Jello that you choose to use to send a more personal message to the person being pranked. There’s lots of tutorials online if you feel like this prank is right up your alley. Best of all, it won’t ruffle too many feathers, so there won’t be a backlash from the fun prank.
2. Move items
A lot of people get so used to their work environment that any slight change might throw them off a bit. You can easily use this to your advantage to help make the people of habit think twice about what they do on this holiday. One way to do this is to simply move things around. For instance, you can move their desk an inch to the left and their chair an inch to the right. If they make it to the chair without falling then they will at least spend the day wondering what’s off in their cubicle. You can also move around their office supplies. For example, try placing the pens where the tape would normally go and so on. The subtle changes may even throw people off enough so that they have to ask what is different about their space. You can do this on a large scale or a small scale depending on the lengths you want to go and what your boss and coworkers will tolerate.
3. Healthy Sweets
Everyone loves a good snack to hit the sweet tooth around mid-day, which makes this type of prank the perfect option for many offices. One way to accomplish this is to bring in a box that is known for sweets. For example, a donut box is the perfect option, but you can always use cakes or cookies too. Before you bring in the box empty out the sweets and fill it with vegetables and healthy dips. Your colleagues will still get a nice snack, but it won’t be the sweet treat they’d originally wanted to munch on. You can also make sweets out of healthier items. For instance, you can grate carrots and turn them into cookies. They’ll still taste decent, but they won’t be the cookie people expected. If you want to be a bit meaner, then consider covering onions so that they look like caramel apples. One bite into the prank and your co-workers will regret not remembering it’s April Fools Day.
4. Wrap It Up
Some pranks simply deserve to be obvious and the wrapping prank is one of them. If you really want to be difficult then bring a bunch of plastic wrap to work before everyone else shows up. You can wrap up cubicles in plastic wrap to make it hard for anyone to get in and sit down. Luckily, this trick is easy to clean up too, so no one will get in trouble for lack of productivity. You can also use wrapping paper or newspaper to complete this funny prank too, just don’t spend a fortune on the items you choose to use. You might also be a little prepared for clean-up, especially if the person you pranked has an inkling that you’re the one that did it.
5. Post It
Most offices have a whole lot of post it notes lying around, so you can use this to your advantage. However, you may want to consider bringing your own post it notes if you are afraid you might get in trouble. You may want to invest in post it notes that are a different color too. Once you have enough of the sticky notes, and enough means a whole lot, you can apply them to someone’s desk area. You can make messages, draw out pictures or simply just cover everything in the area with one of the sticky pieces of paper. These will take a while to clean up, but if you do take the time to add in a special image or message it will be well worth the time you have to put into it.
6. Balloons
Another simple and cheap trick is to fill a room with balloons. You may get a little winded on this one, but the results will certainly be worth the effort. Best of all, balloons won’t cost you an arm and a leg to purchase and you can always send some home with people who have kids when the prank is over. There’s many great tutorials on how to accomplish filling a room with balloons too. So, you won’t have to go through the headache of winging it before work begins. Another option is to place a balloon where someone sits. If they commonly don’t look where they’re sitting, then the pop of the balloon is sure to startle them as well as other people in the office. There’s lots of other ideas for balloons too, so try to plan out something unique that no one would ever expect from you.
7. Keyboard Fun
If you already know how a keyboard operates then you should be ready to pull some funny pranks that will have some of your colleagues stumped. For instance, you can easily switch the letters on the keyboard around to bring a bit of confusion to those who type while looking at their hands. You can also put colorful tape on the keys to make it hard for people to figure out which letter is which, if they don’t know the QWERTY keyboard well. Of course, you’ll need to be able to put the keyboard back together too, so you don’t have to end up replacing it. If you’re not tech savvy then you may want to consider bringing an old and broken keyboard to the office and hooking it up. When the keyboard doesn’t work, you can laugh at the confusion of your colleague. You may even be able to get away with simply unplugging the keyboard from the mother board to get the same effect.
8. Ransom Items
many offices, people love to have pictures, toys and other personal items on their desk in order to bring comfort while they work. If you have a decent relationship with someone at your office, then you might consider taking one of their items for ransom. You can even go as far as leaving a suspicious note and demanding something like a soda or a lunch date out of them. You can also leave clues behind to help them find out what you did with the items. This prank won’t work on everyone though, so make sure you’re careful as it could cause a problem that your boss may not appreciate dealing with. Make sure all the items are returned to their previous location before the person you took them from goes home for the day.
9. Insects
Not many people are fans of insects, so you can do a whole lot with insect pranks. One idea is to take a Styrofoam cup and make a large hole in it. Then write on a sticky note stating that there is a huge spider under the cup. Find a great place to leave it, so people will spend the day dealing with the heebie jeebies and looking for the non-existent spider. Another cheap and easy option is to leave plastic bugs in awkward places around the office. For instance, you can place them in drawers, on the toilet paper or even in someone’s chair. The more creative you get the better the scare factor should be. There’s many great tips for these pranks too, so browse around for even more ideas.
10. Spooky Emails
A few years ago, many people received emails asking them to look for something in the corner of an image. After a minute or so of looking a scary figure would pop out. These emails can be perfect for office pranks, especially since they now come with less obvious designs. For instance, you can send a document asking someone to proof read, then when they get to a certain section something pops out at them. There’s numerous scary emails gags out there, so you’ll have to do a little research to find a website that suits your needs perfectly.
April Fools Day doesn’t have to be skipped simply because you’re a grown up and you have to go to work. These ten tips should help you plan a little bit of fun when the big day arrives. Of course, you should always be considerate of underlining issues that people may have when you plan your pranks. If you follow a little precaution and you keep the humor light, there should be a little fun had by everyone.
