Fun pranks that are actually good
05/20/25 5:47pm
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Want to pull some harmless yet hilarious pranks on your pals? Here are some great options to try out:
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- Get a realistic-looking temporary tattoo and convince them it’s real.
- Tape the top of their shampoo bottle so the shampoo won’t come out when they try to use it.
- Offer them a sweat treat with large chunks of “sugar” on it (but it’s actually salt).
- Replace all the framed photos in their house with pictures of a celebrity.
- Hide a small bluetooth speaker in their room and use it to play creepy noises to scare them.
- Send a fake confirmation text that makes it seem like they’ve signed up for a silly mailing list (like a service that sends daily pictures of capybaras).
The best pranks are the ones where everyone laughs at the end, including the person being pranked. A good rule of thumb is that the prank should be believable at first, but resolve quickly without embarrassment, mess, or fear.
Some principles that usually make a prank “actually good”:
• Harmless and reversible. No damage, no cleanup, nothing that lingers
• Short confusion window. The joke should land fast, not drag on
• Context aware. What’s funny in a workshop, office, or family setting depends on shared culture
• Punchline matters. The reveal should be clear so no one feels tricked afterward
Classic examples that tend to work well are things like harmless misinformation jokes (sending someone to look for a non-existent item), visual gags that look real at first glance, or playful setup changes that are easy to undo.
If the prank would still feel funny after you explain it, it’s probably a good one. If it relies on fear, embarrassment, or someone feeling foolish long term, it usually misses the mark.
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Some principles that usually make a prank “actually good”:
• Harmless and reversible. No damage, no cleanup, nothing that lingers
• Short confusion window. The joke should land fast, not drag on
• Context aware. What’s funny in a workshop, office, or family setting depends on shared culture
• Punchline matters. The reveal should be clear so no one feels tricked afterward
Classic examples that tend to work well are things like harmless misinformation jokes (sending someone to look for a non-existent item), visual gags that look real at first glance, or playful setup changes that are easy to undo.
If the prank would still feel funny after you explain it, it’s probably a good one. If it relies on fear, embarrassment, or someone feeling foolish long term, it usually misses the mark.
The best pranks are ones where the person being pranked laughs with you once they realize what’s happening.
A good rule of thumb is: no damage, no fear, no embarrassment. Just confusion followed by relief.
The most successful pranks usually rely on something that sounds believable at first, but becomes obviously silly after a second look. Those tend to work well with family, coworkers, and friends because nobody feels targeted or uncomfortable afterward.
If you’re unsure whether a prank is “actually good,” ask yourself whether you’d be happy if it were done to you.
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A good rule of thumb is: no damage, no fear, no embarrassment. Just confusion followed by relief.
The most successful pranks usually rely on something that sounds believable at first, but becomes obviously silly after a second look. Those tend to work well with family, coworkers, and friends because nobody feels targeted or uncomfortable afterward.
If you’re unsure whether a prank is “actually good,” ask yourself whether you’d be happy if it were done to you.
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