A good April Fool’s prank should result in laughter and not death; fun and not humiliation; triumph and not your coworker pounding you to within an inch of your life. These 10 should meet the qualifications.
The unplugged mouse. Unplug your coworker’s computer mouse and watch him panic. Unplug it again a few minutes later. Then unplug the keyboard. Continue until your coworker figures it out.
Whoopie cushion. It never gets old. Ever.
The hidden cell phone. In the NBC comedy “The Office,” Jim takes Andy’s cell phone, places it above the ceiling and calls it incessantly. This works especially well if your friend is expecting an important phone call.
Happy birthday. Change your birthday on Facebook and laugh as all your gullible friends wish you well on your special day.
The document switch. The April Fool Zone came up with this one. Sneak on to your friend’s computer and save an important document under another name. Create a gobbledygook document and save it under the important document’s name. Watch the panic set in.
The cereal switch. Exchange the cereal bags into different boxes. Instead of Fruit Loops, your children will get a nice bowl of Grape Nuts.
The anonymous bag. Fill a duffle bag full of embarrassing items — New Kids on the Block CDs, leopard print underwear, pictures of a scantily clad Arnold Schwarzenegger and a fake ID of the person you’re pranking — and leave it in a random spot in your workplace. After nobody claims it, someone will open it and identify it as the victim’s bag. Do not try this prank if you work at an airport.
The fake car accident. Place a note on a friend’s car telling him you accidentally ran into his car and left a dent. Include a fake phone number so he can get your insurance information. Hide in the bushes and laugh uncontrollably as the pranked scours the car for the dent.
The document spill. Important document pranks are endless. Replace a coworker or friend’s important document with a similar-looking fake document (be sure to put the actual document somewhere safe). Spill something on it and start apologizing like crazy.
A Griswold classic. Tie a dog leash with a collar to the bumper of your victim’s car. You can even attach a stuffed animal. Make a scene. Do not attach the collar to a real animal under any circumstances.
Happy fooling!
