April Fool’s Day is the only day where you can embrace your inner Jim Halpert and no one can get mad at you. Well, they can, but if you do it the right way — meaning without causing immense psychological damage or destroying company property — you can get away with it and still keep your job a happy place. And let’s face it, what better way to inject some laughter into the office than with a few harmless pranks?
Before we get started on these hilarious but harmless pranks, let’s set a few ground rules first. Most of these are pretty obvious (and we seriously doubt any of you would do any of these things), but it’s worth mentioning that you should avoid doing any of the following:
- Don’t Destroy Anyone’s Property. This goes for both office or personal property. Anything you do should be reversible. Don’t ruin the paint on someone’s car, break someone’s computer, or destroy their clothing. At that point it’s not a prank — that’s just vandalism.
- Don’t Cause Major Disruptions. The best office pranks are surprising, delightful and cause a minor disruption to the workday. But don’t do anything that would cause major disruption or derail the business. That means no pulling the fire alarm, unleashing obnoxious stink bombs, or unplugging your company’s servers (even if you really want to).
- Don’t Cause Bodily Harm. This does not need a further explanation.
- Don’t Cross a Line You Can’t Come Back From. Think before you prank. Use good judgment, and never do anything that could cause you to end up in a one-on-one meeting with HR. Particularly, avoid “pranks” that pokes fun at your co-worker’s race, ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual orientation. That’s never ok in the workplace, on any day of the year.
Now that we’ve got that established, here are 10 hilariously funny April Fool’s Day pranks that are sure to bring smiles to your coworkers’ faces:
1. Nicolas Cage-ify Your Coworker’s Browser
Have a co-worker who is obsessed with Nicolas Cage, or better yet, can’t stand the guy? Make their day by installing the nCage Chrome extension on their browser. All you need is a few moments to install it and the extension will do the rest of the work: replacing every image on every page with a different photo of – you guessed it – Nicolas Cage.
2. Fake Out-of-Office Reply
You might need to get some IT help on this one, but the payoff will be worth it. Set up an out-of-office email reply for your coworker stating that they’ve won an all-expenses-paid vacation to a tropical island (or some equally improbable destination). Sit back and enjoy the flood of confused and congratulatory emails that follow.
3. The Mystery of the Disappearing Supplies
Throughout the day, gradually remove one office supply item from your coworker’s desk when they aren’t looking. Before the day ends, leave a ransom note demanding a “contribution to the office supply fund” in exchange for the safe return of their missing items.
4. The Sticky Note Avalanche
Cover your coworker’s entire desk — we’re talking computer monitor, mouse, notebooks and even their chair — with sticky notes while they’re away at lunch. Write humorous messages or doodles on each one for an added touch of hilarity. Just be sure to use removable adhesive so they can easily clean up the mess.
5. The Ghost Typist
Install a wireless keyboard and mouse on your coworker’s computer and wait for them to start typing. Then, from a nearby location, subtly type random characters or words on their screen. Watch as they try to figure out what’s going on with their “haunted” computer.
6. The Endless Loop of Sound
Connect a small Bluetooth speaker to your coworker’s computer and play subtle, repetitive sounds like a faint dripping faucet or a quiet, intermittent beep. Adjust the volume so it’s barely audible and watch as they struggle to locate the source of the mysterious noise.
7. The Mysterious Office Plant
Swap out your coworker’s real office plant with a convincing fake one. For added effect, water the fake plant occasionally and watch as your coworker marvels at its seemingly unquenchable thirst. This is a prank you can easily keep up long after April Fool’s Day has passed.
8. Fake Birthday
This one is best with the whole office involved. Gather around a co-worker’s desk and sing “Happy Birthday.” If you really want to go all out, buy some balloons and a personalized cake. See if your victim has the heart to tell you that it’s not actually their birthday.
9. Auto-correct Shenanigans
If your coworker leaves their computer unlocked, change a commonly used word in their auto-correct settings to something silly or unexpected. Just be sure it’s nothing inappropriate. Try changing “yes” to something silly like “100% facts, my dude.”
10. Desk Decor Swap
While your coworker is away from their desk, swap items on your coworker’s desk with similar-looking but slightly different items. For example, replace their stapler with a stapler of a different color or brand. Bonus points if you can swap a big ticket item like finding a chair that’s noticeably different in size or style with one from another cubicle.
Remember, the key to a successful April Fool’s Day prank is to keep it light-hearted and good-natured. April Fool’s Day is fun, but not if it ends with you getting fired. Make sure to consider your coworker’s sense of humor and avoid anything that could potentially cause offense or inconvenience. Happy pranking!
