How to Develop an April Fool's Day Prank

People who love April Fool's Day will always find a way to play a prank on someone. Whether they glue eggs into the egg carton or paint a man's fingernails while he sleeps, there's always a good prank that can be pulled quickly and easily. But if you want to do a big "job," one of those pranks that people will talk about in the future, you'll need to develop it in advance.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Accomplices
• Target
• Preparation time

1. Begin to develop your April Fool's Day prank at least a week in advance. This way if you need to buy materials to complete your prank or need time to move things into position you have plenty of time. For more elaborate pranks you may want to start to develop it even earlier.
2. Visit a website like TheFoolsDay.com for ideas about pranks (see Resources below). With a little inspiration you can give your imagination a kick start and develop an idea that incorporates pranks that have already been done.
3. Write down the different things you need for the prank. Are you just going to tape people's computer mice to the mousepads? Then you just need double-sided tape. If you're going to steal someone's car keys and move it, then you need accomplices, the car keys, a parking stub and money (if applicable). Keeping these necessities in mind makes it easier to plan.
4. Note the timing of different events that need to occur during your prank. For example, if you want to get to the office early and switch people's equipment, then you need to know when they arrive in the office and when they leave for lunch. In addition, you should do dry runs to and from the building if your prank involves other areas (so you can see how long it takes to get from A to B).
5. Get input on the prank from others. For bigger pranks it's better to get multiple people to develop the prank together.

Tips & Warnings

• Develop an April Fool's Day prank with help from others. Having a team makes it easier to pull off, especially if it's a big, complex prank. Just get a handful of people you know you can trust to bluff, lie and manipulate the target until the prank is fully in place.
• Be aware that some pranks can be considered criminal, and if someone doesn't find the prank funny or is offended by your actions you might find yourself in serious trouble. Push the boundaries, sure, but don't push them so far that you're actually breaking the law.