So you want to play a joke on your co-worker, but you're not sure if it's appropriate for the workplace? This seems to be the question on everyone's mind come April 1st.
With April Fool's Day around the corner, we want to prepare you with the best - yet appropriate - office pranks to help make your day just a little brighter because we can't all be Jim from The Office! Having a little fun at work can be good (you know what they say about all work and no play), but where do you draw the line? How do you have fun while still maintaining a professional atmosphere? Below are a few pranks to get you started! Make sure you perform these tasks on break time, and not actual work time.
The Usual Suspect
This is one of the easiest pranks to execute. You don't actually do anything, but make your coworkers suspicious. Leading up to April 1st, drop hints that you're planning an epic prank. Keep people on their feet all day with ominous phrases like, "Be careful in the bathroom" or "I got this cupcake just for you." Volunteer to make them coffee and hang around their computer so they discover you when they come back from a break. Paranoia is always funny.
Foiled Again!
A classic. Wrap a person's desks or things in foil, plastic wrap or wrapping paper. Or cover all of it in post-it notes. It's a little time-consuming, but the finished product is very impressive. Get a team together to complete this!
Get Mouse-y
Another classic, that's extremely simple to execute. When your coworker leaves her/his desk, place a piece of tape or a post-it note over the bottom of their mouse. Bonus points for writing April Fool's Day on it!
#1 Fan
Does your coworker dislike a certain celebrity or have a rival sports team? Deck their office space in pictures and decorations relating to whatever person or team you've picked! So if Jerry is a huge Red Sox fan, post pictures of the Yankees and appropriate memorabilia all over his desk.
Drive Them Up the Wall
Take an extra panel from one cubicle and add it to the cubicle of the coworker being pranked, so that it has four walls and no way to enter. Good for a confusing moment, and easy to disassemble!
And when all else fails...
Stapler in Jell-O
If you really want to emulate Jim, you could always put some office supplies in a big pile of Jell-O. Make sure it's not an important item, but maybe something like a stapler or scissors.
What harmless office pranks have you pulled at work?