Your Guide to April Fool's Pranks

Before we start down this path of debauchery and mischief, I would like to touch on what makes for a lame April Fools' joke.

1. Don't copy everyone else. Be original. Show a bit of chicanery and be subtle in some of your pranks. Do not be the person who posts, “I am pregnant!” on April 1st. That joke is trite at this point. Maybe at the dawn of Facebook, it was crafty and worthy of a trickster, but now it is simply tired. Now as to originality on this old theme? I have a friend who actually announced her very real pregnancy at forty-years-old on April Fools' Day. Nobody believed her. That was pure hilarity in my professional opinion.
2. Know your target. Understand that a good joke is delivered with proper timing and the ability of the target to understand the subtleties of your masterful work. Adults can handle scare pranks with more fortitude than a child can. Craft your shenanigans on the level of your target. I once prepared a sippy cup with gelatin, knowing that my toddler would rise and head immediately towards the refrigerator wanting her juice.
3. Good pranks are harmless. The only lasting effects of your tomfoolery should be the memories made, or the laughs had at someone else's expense. Hurting feelings or ruining someone's day should never be the intention of your Loki-like behavior. Taping or painting something that can not be easily removed, or results in a ruined surface is not cool. Be smart enough to be able to leave not a trace of your debauchery.

Let's get on to the fun stuff! Here are my top five quick and easy April Fools' pranks that you can pull off with relative ease and memorable laughs.

Air horns are a great way to startle someone or make them jump. A simple guideline is that if something opens or moves, a means can be devised to activate an air horn. A chair that moves up and down, a door that swings wide, or a well-timed blast can all can be used to tickle your jolly and satisfy that prankster itch.

Now, this can be tricky. But you should start with setting up someone's expectations of getting one taste that culminates in wanting another vile and disgusting flavor! Caramel covered apples that are actually onions. Horribly flavored jelly beans that look delicious and delightful but taste like ear wax or vomit can do the trick. One of my favorites in the food category is freezing a Mentos mint in an ice cube and offering someone a glass of soda. Sit back and wait for the explosive reaction.

Making something someone uses as a part of their daily routine inoperable, can be a hoot. Especially if you get to watch it play out in all of its glory. A quick and easy trick could be simply putting tape over the bottom of someone's mouse. Taking the batteries out of a remote can be highly satisfying. Just make sure what you are doing has no permanent effect and you can have a lot of fun.

I love mischief involving plastic or more specifically plastic wrap. I once pranked a co-worker by covering and wrapping every single item in their office with clear plastic wrap. It was amazing. You can put a simple clear strip across an entryway for someone to walk in to. You can cover a toilet top with it. There are not many limits to how creative you can get with plastic wrap. The effort versus results can be immensely rewarding.

Do you work in an office environment with pictures of people or employees on the wall? Do you have family pictures at home? Have you noticed how these things can tend to blur into the background and most people ignore them? Have fun with it.

I worked at a government office at one point in time, and we had a picture of the attorney general up on the wall. I printed a picture of myself in a suit from a photo ID and put it in the frame over the attorney general. It took weeks before anyone noticed.

Maybe at home, you could put Nicholas Cage into all of your family photos and see if anyone would notice. I prefer Gary Busey myself. I once taped a picture of Honey Boo Boo's mom beneath the lid of a copier. The results were pretty spectacular.

I hope this handy guide will set you on a path of successful shenanigans and prankster planning. Take some of the ideas given above and be creative, add your own personal twist.

Do not be afraid to fail, maybe some magic will happen that is completely unexpected and hilarious! May your April Fools' Day be filled with fun, enjoyment, friendship, and laughter.