April First. One of the best, yet commonly overlooked holidays falls on this day. It is unlike others: there’s no traditional meal, and nobody gets the day off. However, this holiday is designated towards laughter and pranks. “It’s a day where you can pull pranks and not a lot of people take it seriously,” explained Jae Fletcher (‘18). This year, April Fools falls on Easter Sunday, meaning that you can even get the extended family. Here are five (practically) harmless pranks you can pull on your friends and family this April Fool’s Day!
- Cream Cheese Armpits
From personal experience, this one is incredibly easy and effective. Simply take the victim’s deodorant on the night prior to April Fool’s, spread the creamy bagel topping on top, and shape it to resemble deodorant. The unsuspecting victim will smear it right onto their armpits for a cheesy surprise!
- Exploding Soda
Everyone knows at least one person who is addicted to Coke. Give them the gift of a Coke geyser this April Fools by sneaking a Mento into their drink. “It exploded and I thought it was amazing,” said Emma Maleskey (‘21) of a time she put a Mento in a Coke bottle. If your victim drinks their Coke from a bottle, you have a perfect opportunity to prank them. Using thin string and a needle, thread a Mento, keeping excess string on both sides. Uncap a bottle of Coke and place the Mento on the inside of the cap. Place the cap back on the bottle and hold the strings tight so that the Mento does not fall in. Tighten the cap, and cut the excess string. When the victim unscrews the cap, the Mento will fall into their drink and create an exploding volcano-like effect.
- Office Supplies in Jello
If you’ve watched The Office, you’ve probably seen this prank. Heck, even if you haven’t watched The Office you’ve probably seen this prank. It’s just plain goofy. Enclose something in a glob of Jello. “If it was something expense, I’d be pretty mad. But if it were something like a pair of scissors, for instance, I think it would be hilarious,” said Jareer Lababidi (’18).
Snag any item that your teacher or parent uses regularly at the end of the day on the 31st and a fair amount of Jello. A typical package makes two cups. For best results, use some clear gelatin in addition to the colored Jello to keep it fairly transparent. You might not be able to find this in the grocery store, however, places such as Walmart carry it. For a pair of mini scissors, I used two packages of Jello and two packets of Knox brand clear gelatin. Using thread or dental floss, suspend the item you wish to enclose in a bowl. Do not tie any knots or wrap the string around the object because you will pull it out in the end! Make the Jello as instructed. If you’re using Knox, add a quarter cup of cold water per package of powder. After letting it sit for a minute, add it to the liquid Jello. Pour the gelatin mixture into the bowl which has your object suspended. You may have to adjust the object to make sure it’s in a good position. Place in a cool place and just wait! Once the gelatin has fully set, pull gently on the string to remove it from the gelatin. Next, warm up the outside of the bowl with hot water and invert it. The gelatin enclosed object should slide right out and you may place it anywhere for your victim to find it!
- Minty Oreos
This one is a classic because it’s simple and works nearly every time. Twist the chocolate cookie top off an Oreo (or a couple) and scrape off the filling. If you break any in the process, that’s okay. Just eat them! Squirt toothpaste in place of the filling and press the top back on. Plain white toothpaste works best for this, but it depends how observant whoever you plan on tricking is. Next, you can offer someone an Oreo or just leave them on the table to be bitten into by an unsuspecting passerby. “He was upset, but he thought it was really funny,” said Emily Allyson (‘18), who has tricked her father with this before.
- Sugar and Salt Swap
This is a broad prank which might leave your victim a little ~salty~ towards you. Switch the sugar and salt. “I got kicked out of class,” recalled Henry Weirda (‘18). He successfully pulled off this prank on his elementary school teacher who used to drink coffee with sugar everyday. “She thought it was funny at first but got pissed quick,” he explained. Nonetheless, it’s still funny and you should totally do it.
There’s nothing like a good laugh on April Fool’s Day. Hopefully, whoever you trick will end up laughing with you rather than getting mad at you. Fletcher explains that ideally, “they’re really shocked, then it melts into laughing along with me instead of being mad at me.” However, Fletcher warns, “if you’re going to pull a prank on somebody, make sure they’re the kind of person that won’t get mad really easily.” Also, “don’t pull pranks on people in higher positions of power.” Pranking your boss? Probably not a good idea. Your mom drinks her Coke at her computer desk everyday? You probably shouldn’t sneak a Mento into the cap of her drink. Use some common sense this April Fool’s Day and don’t do anything too stupid. April Fool’s Day only comes once a year, so why not take advantage of it? However, if you do miss it, or don’t see the person you want to prank on the actual holiday, don’t be afraid to try one of these on a different occasion. “The best pranks are the ones you don’t do on April Fools Day,” said Weirda.