How to Plan the Perfect Workplace Prank

If you're a jokester who loves to play a good prank, you might want to get your coworkers. It can be tough to plan an epic workplace prank, though, because it has to be appropriate and walk a fine line between being hilarious but not getting you fired. 

Maybe you're already planning your work prank for April 1st, and you want it to be the best one anyone in the office has ever seen. 

Whether you want to do a large-scale prank that involves several of your coworkers helping in the planning and execution or you want something a little simpler, there are plenty of benefits of pranks at work. Planning a workplace prank can be a team builder, and it can boost morale. 

Of course, it can also just make the workplace more fun and lighthearted which can always be a good thing. 

The following are some tips and ideas for the best workplace pranks. 

General Tips

Before you do any pranks at work, you need to be aware of some best practices.

First, you need to make sure the target of your prank is the right person.

Some people will feel picked on, upset, or even angry. Don't pick someone new, and if your boss doesn't have a good sense of humor, go ahead and skip them as well. 

Try to choose a person who you have a good relationship with already before you play any pranks.

You should also make sure that when you do any prank, you're laughing with your target and not at them.

Avoid any pranks involving politics, religion, dating lives, or anything similar. It's better to exercise an abundance of caution. 

Your prank shouldn't be so large-scale that it interferes with the workday either. You want people to enjoy the prank for a little while and then get back to work. You don't want to create a prank that makes people unable to work for hours out of the day. 

Finally, it shouldn't involve any kind of damage or destruction or big cleanup efforts. 

The Jell-O Trick

The Jell-O trick is something you may have seen on The Office, and it's a good option for the workplace because it's harmless and non-offensive. So how do you do it if you've never seen The Office?

You make a Jello-0 mix and then fill the bowl to the halfway point. 

Put the bowl in the refrigerator and let it set. Put a small office item into the Jell-O- and fill the bowl to the top. Then, your coworker will have to dig out their stapler or whatever it is that you put in the bowl. 

Plastic Wrap a Doorway

This could be a potentially hilarious prank. Find a main door of your office space, and then cover it in plastic wrap. No one will know it's there, and they'll bounce off. It's best to choose a door that's in a dimly lit place because then there won't be a glare bouncing off the plastic.  

Another plastic wrap prank option is covering someone's desk, phone, or keyboard. 

Fill a Space with Balloons

Balloons are fun, festive, and non-offensive, so why not make the office a little more fun by filling a room with them? You could do someone's office, or you could do a communal space like the office supply room or the breakroom. 

Turn a Desk Around

If you have movable desks this prank can be a good one. First, turn the desk around so that the drawers are facing the opposite direction, but keep the person's desk chair in its usual space. 

Then, turn everything on the desk around as well. 

It's likely that your coworker won't notice the prank until they try to reach in their drawer for something. 

A Healthy Twist on Donuts

Everyone loves it when someone brings donuts into the office in the morning. You can do that, except you'll add vegetables or something equally healthy into the donut box. You don't even have to take credit for this one, and it's a good prank because it doesn't single anyone out-it's equal opportunity pranking. 

Finally, another non-offensive and cute workplace prank idea? Fill everything in the office refrigerator with googly eyes. 

When people open the fridge, it'll seem like all their food, drink, and snacks are staring at them. 

Office pranks can make the workday go faster and can bring everyone together, especially when they're innocent fun that doesn't hurt anyone or anything.