18 Fun Office Pranks that Won’t Get You Fired

Close-up of a sticky note that says 'Happy April Fools' Day' stuck on a man's back

When you’re stuck in the same cubicle for hours on end, you’re bound to get a bit bored. And what better way to lift your office spirits with a little laughter?

Now we’re not telling you to perform a 30-minute stand-up. Instead, your comedic values can go unsuspected with an innocent office prank! The best part? You get to bring a few colleagues in on the act, making it a true team-bonding experience!

So, whether you’re looking for an April fool’s trick or just want to have a laugh with some practical jokes, these office prank ideas will get the ball rolling!

1. The Classic Call-Back

When your unsuspecting colleague returns from annual leave, they’ll most likely have a bunch of emails and call-backs to attend to. To brighten up their day (or have a giggle), leave a message on their desk saying: ‘Mr Bear tried to get hold of you and requested a call-back on [insert local zoo’s telephone number]’. Then sit back and see how long it takes for them to realise that they are asking to speak to a bear at the zoo!

2. The Nicolas Cage Takeover

Incredible Things screenshot with Ncage Chrome extensionIncredible Things

If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to pull a funny prank, consider downloading Ncage on your colleague’s computer, which replaces every image on Chrome with one of, you guessed it, Nicolas Cage! The good news is that it can be easily disabled in a few seconds if your colleague starts getting really frustrated.

3. A Not-So-Sweet Treat

Onion prankRantNOW

Your coworkers will think you’re so sweet when you bring in these delicious looking treats, but little will they know that they are actually sugar-coated onions! They are also ideal for Halloween when you’re trying to trick your workmates.

4. A Fishy Drawer

Fish in desk drawer prank jihadaze via Reddit

If you really want to cause a stir, you can turn your colleague’s desk drawer into a fish tank, as illustrated above. Just make sure no animals or company property are harmed in the process – after all, you don’t want a good prank to result in a warning letter from HR!

5. The Car Makeover

Car covered with sticky notesBzbzbzbz via Reddit

This harmless prank is hilarious, but it also needs a lot of dedication and a stash of sticky notes to follow through. If you know that your workmate will see the funny side of this prank, recruit a few helpers to execute it properly.

6. The Desk Makeover

Desk covered with sticky notescmooo via Imgur

You can also keep the sticky note prank inside the office by using the same method to transform a colleague’s desk completely. It will be a great way to welcome them back to the office after a short break and remind them of all the notes that they missed out on.

7. The Balloon Room

Closed room full of balloonswilliebeth via Imgur

What’s more fun than walking into a room full of balloons? You can transform any closed space into a balloon pit – from the conference room to your boss’s office or the break room. Just make sure your prank doesn’t disrupt any important meetings that day – it will take a while to get the balloons out of the room!

8. The Veggie Box

 Krispy Kreme box with healthy vegetablessarcasticfitnessmama via Instagram

If you want to tease your work pals, bring in a doughnut box filled with healthy veggies instead of tasty treats, complete with a note saying ‘April Fools’. However, operate this prank at your own risk, because doughnuts are serious business among office workers; you might want to stay anonymous and reveal your identity at a later date!

9. The Celling Fright

Scary image stuck on office ceiling swampface via Imgur

Give your colleague a fright by placing this scary image above their chair. For a split second, they’ll think that there’s actually something out to get them!

10. The Noisy Chair

Air horn attached to an office swivel chair Imgur

If you want to scare the life out of your workmate, do so by attaching an air horn underneath their seat. When they sit down, their weight will press the top of the horn, resulting in a loud noise. Be prepared for some falling over and screams – it’s not going to be a quiet one!

11. The Gift that Keeps on Giving

Office cubicle wrapped in wrapping paperJason Fournier via YouTube

If you have some time on your hands, consider wrapping up the entire contents of your colleague’s desk and the desk itself in wrapping paper. You can even go as far as using paper with their favourite celebrity’s face on it, or something they really hate!

12. The Office Prank

Jell-O prankGizmodo

If you’ve seen The Office, you’ll be familiar with the famous stapler in the Jell-O prank. To carry it out, you’ll need to freeze half a bowl of jelly, before placing in a stapler (or other item of choice) and pouring the remaining half on top to cover it. You’ll also need to be prepared to replace the items because we can’t guarantee that they’ll be in working condition after they’ve been frozen in Jell-O!

13. The Mouse Trick

Mouse prankNobuNagaa via Imgur

Watch your coworker sweat under the collar when they think their mouse is broken. To pull off this fast-track trick, tape over their mouse’s sensor with a witty note that will make them laugh once they realise that you’ve pranked them.

14. The Keyboard Key Swap

Keyboard key swapTraeF via Imgur

Most of us tap away at our keyboards without even looking down at the keys. So, if you really want to mess with a colleague, swap a few keys around without them watching. They’ll be super confused when they can’t stop typing ‘mot’ instead of ‘not’.

15. The Paperclip Printer

Photocopier paperclip prankInstructables

To pull this off, place a paperclip in the copier and print a few copies. Then put them back into the paper tray and watch how confused everyone is when they see a paperclip printed on the documents.

16. The Fake Spider

Fake spider prankSnackNation

To really scare the crap out of your colleagues, draw a convincing spider onto the toilet paper roll as the mastermind did in the picture above. At a glance, they’ll think it’s a real spider and may end up running for their lives.

17. The Shocking Sweets

Skittles and M&Ms prankImgur

Watch your colleagues squirm as they inconspicuously eat a handful of Skittles and M&Ms at the same time. Be warned that it’s not a pleasant taste!

18. A Googly Eyed Fridge

Googly eyes in fridgew0rmholes via Reddit

A pair of googly eyes can cause great discomfort for any opening offenders. Prank your colleagues by adding some onto every item in the office fridge.

What are your favourite office pranks? Join in on the conversation below and let us know!