How to Prank in School

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

School gets boring sometimes, so if you want to liven it up with a few pranks, who could blame you? Using your school supplies is a fun way to get started, or you could just prank friends with food tricks or electronic tricks. Alternatively, get a few people to help you pull off large-scale pranks.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using School Supplies

1
Replace correcting fluid with lip tint. Thoroughly clean out a bottle of correcting fluid, and then snip off the brush. Glue in an old lip tint applicator, and pour lip tint into the bottle. When your friend tries to borrow it, they'll be really confused!^{[1]
X
Research source}
- You can also just open the bottle and use it as lip tint when someone's watching. You'll get some confused looks!
2
Make edible school supplies from sugar paste to confuse your friends. With edible school supplies, you can start chowing down on your eraser or paperclips, and your friends won't know what's happening! For instance, roll out three colors of sugar paste and stack them on top of each other. Cut out a rectangular cube, and round the corners to create an "eraser."^{[2]
X
Research source}
- Sugar paste is an edible sugar dough with the consistency of clay. It's easy to mold and shape.
- Another option is rolling out a thin strip of sugar paste and shaping it into a paperclip! Work quickly, though, as it dries out fast.
- You can find sugar paste, also known as gum paste, in the baking aisle or in some craft or baking stores.
Advertisement
3
Use clear nail polish to make a pencil useless. Paint the tip of a pencil with clear nail polish, then let your friend borrow it. When they try to use it, it won't write!^{[3]
X
Research source}
- If you want to use it again later, just sharpen it like you normally would.
4
Add hot glue to your sharpener before letting someone borrow it. Run hot glue along the edge of the blade to make it useless. When you give it to your friend, they'll turn and turn their pencil before realizing it's not doing anything!^{[4]
X
Research source}
- If you need to use your sharpener, you can peel off the hot glue.
5
Make a crayon eraser for a pencil. Pull out the regular eraser, then wrap clear tape around the end to make a mold for the wax. Melt a bit of pink crayon over a flame, then pour it your mold. Let it dry sitting up. When you pull the tape off, you have an eraser that no one will suspect is actually a crayon.^{[5]
X
Research source}
- Try letting your friends borrow your pencil, and when they try to erase something, they'll draw on the page in crayon instead!
6
Create a retracting pen with a spring. Take the spring out of a clicking pen, and unscrew the bottom of a standard pen. Cut off the end of the ink stick, and add a ring of hot glue about ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) up from the bottom of the stick. Place the spring on the end of the ink stick, and the glue will keep it from sliding down. Put the pen back together, and the spring will let the pen retract when the person tries to write.^{[6]
X
Research source}
- When a friend tries to write, they won't be able to because the ink stick will retract back into the pen.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Pulling Pranks in the Classroom

1
Confuse your teacher by changing their wallpaper to a screenshot. Take a screenshot of your teacher's home screen on their computer. You can take the picture using the "Print Screen" button. Set it as their new wallpaper, and then hide the icons on the home screen. When your teacher tries to use their computer, they won't be able to click on anything.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- Be sure to put it back for your teacher after the laugh is up! And don't get into any files you shouldn't.
- To hide icons on a desktop, right-click on the desktop. Click "View," then click on "View Desktop Icons." That should uncheck the box and hide the icons temporarily.
2
Ink your sleeping friend. If your friend falls asleep in the library or in class while doing homework, dip their fingers in an ink pad or makeup. You can also use a highlighter. Then, tickle their nose with a feather or tissue. When they go to scratch their nose, they'll get ink on their face!^{[8]
X
Research source}
- If you want to help them get it off, try a little hand sanitizer.
3
Use a coffee cup to spill water on your teacher. Cut the bottom out of a to-go coffee cup. Place a layer of cling wrap in the top of the cup, pushing it down a bit. Secure the top with a rubber band, then pour in some water. Put another layer of plastic wrap on top, then set the lid on it. Pull off the rubber band, and cut off the plastic wrap around the top edge. When your teacher goes to take a drink, they won't be able to get anything out, and they'll open the cup, releasing the water on themselves.^{[9]
X
Research source}
- To keep your teacher in a good mood after pulling this prank, have a towel and a real cup of coffee on hand for afterwards.
4
Cover your teacher's desk in candy. This prank will actually make your teacher smile! Just line up a bunch of candy on their desk in a fun pattern. It's a prank because they still need to clean it all up, but they'll get a sweet reward at the end.^{[10]
X
Research source}
- You can even use the candy to make a picture or to spell out something for your teacher.
5
Tape 2 textbook pages together so your friend can't find them. Use double-sided tape to stick the front page of a chapter to the page before it. Your friend won't be able to find it when they open their book!^{[11]
X
Research source}

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Staging Large-Scale Pranks

1
Put balloons everywhere. Get a huge number of balloons, and have a bunch of people blow them up. Put them in the hallways, classrooms, cafeterias, you name it. You could even fill a whole room with balloons. People won't be able to move without running into balloons!^{[12]
X
Research source}
2
Cover everything in a room with aluminum foil. This is a classic prank for a reason: it's cheap, and it doesn't do permanent harm. However, it makes a big mess! All you do is cover everything, including the furniture, supplies, doors, and walls, in aluminum foil! Wrap it around itself to hold the foil in place. You can also use a little clear office tape to help hold it in place.^{[13]
X
Research source}
- Aluminum foil is very messy to clean up because it tends to shred as you pull it off.
3
Bring watermelons to school. This prank doesn't sound that crazy, but try to get a lot of people to bring at least 2 watermelons to school, then have them leave them all over the school. Your school will be covered in watermelons!^{[14]
X
Research source}
- This prank is also one that's only funny if you can cover the school with watermelons. It's the huge amount that's funny!
- You can do this prank with any durable fruit, such as oranges, grapefruit, or apples, but the sheer size of the watermelons will make it hilarious.
4
Wrap your principal's car in plastic wrap. Start on one side of the car, and go all the way around it. Keep adding more plastic wrap until the car is completely wrapped up. You could also use bubble wrap and clear packing tape, but don't tape it to the car. Just tape it to itself.^{[15]
X
Research source}
- Keep in mind that your principal probably won't be happy about this prank, and you could get in a lot of trouble.
5
Use toilet paper to cover the front of your school for a classic prank. Throw toilet paper up in the trees, over the signs, on the bushes, and anywhere else you can find to throw it on your school. You can also use cans of silly string to add to the effect. Your teachers and administrators won't know what hit them!
- It's best to do this prank at night if you can.
- This prank can get you in a lot of trouble if you get caught. If you're looking for an easier, less risky prank, try covering a classroom with toilet paper instead!
6
Get your friends to help you cover the football field in plastic forks. Buy thousands of plastic forks (check the dollar store!), and stick them straight up on the football field or another sports field. Cover as much of the field as you can!^{[16]
X
Research source}
- This silly prank is funny for the sheer volume of forks. You have to completely cover the field.
- This prank will leave a lot of litter behind if you don't pick up the forks afterward, so be prepared to clean up your mess.

Community Q&A

Question

Could I go into the bathroom and then go on my phone and call 911?

Community Answer

No. In addition to wasting the time of emergency personnel on a prank, your school or parents will get charged a fine for false reporting, and you'll probably end up with detention in addition to any punishment you face at home (which would likely involve you losing your phone). Involving emergency services in any prank can land you in serious legal trouble.
Question

What if I am doing a prank but I get caught?

Spaceship

Community Answer

If you are caught doing a prank accept the consequences. These might include detention, suspension or, in the worst case, expulsion.
Question

Can I put a fake cracked screen on my teacher's laptop?

Spaceship

Community Answer

Yes that is a great prank to pull off. When your teacher leaves the classroom grab some plastic wrap and draw fake crack marks on it. When the teacher comes back, say “Oops, I dropped your laptop and cracked it”.