It’s almost April 1 and lately I’ve noticed a serious lack of enthusiasm for holiday spirit. Are the prank-filled days of yore gone? As a society, have we grown out of tricking and outsmarting each other? Are we too busy on Tumblr, Facebook and Instagram to bother?

I don’t think so. I think it’s all a matter of planning. So let’s wet our trouble-making appetites with a few of the classics:

Jell-O Stapler 

You know what’s hilarious and delicious? Coming to work to see all of your office supplies encased in Jell-O. This is a prank that takes a little planning, as you have to wait for two layers of Jell-O to set.

What you’ll need:

• 2 packages of Jell-O
• 1 medium-sized bowl or Jell-O
• Objects to encase in the mold

There are three steps to making everything jiggle:

1. Make your first layer of Jell-O in a medium-sized bowl or mold. Follow the directions on the package and let it set. Make sure there’s enough room for an equal amount of Jell-O to be poured on top after. Let the Jell-O set in the fridge.

2. Once your Jell-O has set, place any object(s) you want encased in the centre of the bowl or mold. You should probably sanitize these objects first, in case anyone actually wants to eat the Jell-O later.

3. Make a second package of Jell-O and pour it on top of these objects. Let set in the fridge.

4. Once it sets, take the Jell-O out of its mold and place it on the plate. Wait for your co-workers to enjoy.

“My mouse isn’t working”

This one is for your computer-illiterate friends.

What you’ll need: 

• basic computer skills.

1. Take a screenshot of your friend’s desktop.

2. Make this shot their  background.

3. Delete all desktop shortcuts.

4. Hide their task bar. The process to hide a taskbar varies depending on what computer system you’re using, but a quick google search will tell you how to hide the bar on whichever system you are pranking.

This prank works best on PCs but is possible on Apple computers as well. Once it’s done, watch confusion ensue.

Mento-explosion

What you’ll need:

• Mentos
• A bottle of pop
• Dental floss
• Scissors or wire cutters
• A threading needle

1. String the dental floss through the Mentos using the sewing needle.

2. Place the Mentos inside the pop bottle’s cap.

3. Fasten the lid tightly back onto the pop, keeping the string tight and the Mentos from falling into the liquid.

4. Cut off the loose strings from the edge of the pop bottle lid. Be careful not to shake the drink up, or turn the pop bottle upside down.

5. When the target of your prank opens the bottle, the Mentos should drop into the container causing it to fizz up and shoot soda in all directions.

Honourable mentions:

• Another fun thing to do with soda and Mentos is to place a Mentos into an ice cube tray before freezing the water. When you serve fizzy drinks to your guests, you’ll be serving time-bombs.
• Scoop out your roommate’s deodorant and replace it with plain cream cheese spread. Make sure the cream cheese keeps the round shape of the deodorant so that your roommate doesn’t think twice.
• Cover a doorway with Saran Wrap. Your friend won’t notice the wrap and will run right into it.
• The above also works for the toilet, but expect a mess.
• Fill a hallway with cups of water. The cups must be touching and the floor shouldn’t be visible. When someone tries to walk through the hallway, they will have to knock over the cups, spilling water everywhere, or drink their way past. This classic prank is great for dorm rooms.
• If you’re incredibly lazy, but still want to do some pranking, all you need is a post-it note. Find the victim’s mouse and place the post-it over the sensor on the bottom, rendering the mouse useless. Proceed to laugh at your friend’s frustration.
• If all else fails, a good ol’ punch to the nuts or ovaries works.

—
Graphic: Cody Schumacher