How to Throw a High School Senior Prank

Last Updated: September 26, 2022 References

Senior pranks are a popular "tradition" at many high schools, often so the seniors can have some fun and go out with a bang. However, in order to make sure a senior prank is successful, it’s important to plan ahead.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Understanding the Consequences

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Recognize that a senior prank could mean a loss of graduation privileges. Most schools don't allow senior pranks, due to the disruption and damage to the school that some pranks cause. If you're caught pulling a senior prank, you may lose your graduation privileges and have to fulfill community service hours or serve other school punishments. Some senior pranks have even resulted in losing college acceptances or jobs. Your school will usually say something about whether or not senior pranks are acceptable, so take that into account.
- If your school is more relaxed, you may be able to get away with pulling a harmless senior prank, but not all schools will look the other way!
2
Understand that some pranks could get you in legal trouble. Even a prank that seems benign could have potential legal implications - for example, if you have to enter the school grounds after school hours for any reason, then you could be charged with trespassing or breaking and entering. ^{[1]
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Know the risks of pranks that involve animals. It's a classic prank to unleash crickets or ladybugs in the school, or to unleash numbered farm animals in the halls, but it's tricky to get them out and can result in a mess. Additionally, it's even possible to be charged with animal cruelty depending on how you treat the animals.^{[2]
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Research source} It's recommended not to use animals in senior pranks, and if you choose to do so, never cause harm to or kill the animal(s) involved.
- Do not put fish in the toilets or pool (as the chlorine of the pool will kill them).^{[3]
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4
Be sure you don’t count on not getting caught. The vast majority of the time, regardless of how fast you and your friends are, whether you know what security cameras actually work or not, or even if you're not on-campus for the prank - you can still be caught.
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Be prepared to clean up the aftermath. If you decide to do a senior prank that involves any sort of mess, you’ll need to be willing and able to clean it up. Forcing the janitorial staff to do it all could result in more trouble.

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Coming Up with a Prank

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Consider how big you want the prank to be. Do you want the prank to be noticed by everybody on campus, or just by those who were attending your math class that day?
- Keep in mind that most of the time, the bigger the prank, the more people you'll need to pull it off.
2
Try to pick something harmless. It's hard to call something a "prank" if it results in someone getting hurt or the school property being damaged. Generally, your prank should be funny, safe, and easy to undo. If you can't imagine anyone other than the seniors or a select group of students finding the prank funny, you may not be pulling a good prank.
- For example, it's not funny to pull a prank that mocks a teacher or a student at the school, or put Vaseline on the floors to make them slippery. The former makes someone else the target of your joke, and the latter can result in someone falling and getting seriously injured.
- The definition of "harmless" may vary among schools. A classic senior prank of filling cups with water and placing them in the hallways might be harmless if your school has an outdoor campus, but may cause water damage and irritate the janitors in an indoor campus.
3
See if you can get permission for your prank. Usually, if you can get permission from a school administrator or other faculty member, you'll be in the clear! Tell the faculty member what you plan to do, and see if you can get their permission for it. You may be able to pull off the prank without having to hide it from the school faculty.
- Some faculty members or administrators may even let you into the school during hours when you're not supposed to be there.
- If you get permission from the staff, stick to the prank you said you'd be doing. Don't lie to them and pull a different prank, or start semi-rioting while on campus and break everything. This has legal ramifications for both you and the school faculty.
- Be prepared to make modifications to your prank if necessary. For example, if the school administrator requests that you don’t use a particular item that you were going to use, be willing to take that out of your prank.
4
Think about how original you want the prank to be. Everyone's heard of releasing animals into the school, filling up a room with balloons or Post-Its, and turning all the chairs upside-down. But how frequently do you hear about a YMCA flash mob during passing period, a suddenly pop-star-themed science lab, or prom dresses, tuxedos and bow ties on all the trees outside? Usually, the more original you are, the more memorable it will be - but it's usually also trickier to pull off.
5
Team up with friends. Not only can friends help you come up with creative ideas for a senior prank, but they can also help you when it comes time to pull it off! Collaborating with friends allows for a more elaborate prank, since you can all contribute money, time, and skills to the prank.
- If they have friends who might have some good ideas or things to contribute, let them join you too.
6
Steer clear of pranks that damage property. If your senior prank will end up damaging the school in some way, keep in mind the potential ramifications and avoid it. For example, don't spray-paint the walls, destroy the contents of a room, glue the doors to the classrooms shut, or throw a mattress into the pool. It's not a good idea and will undoubtedly get you in trouble - potentially even legal trouble.^{[4]
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- Avoid classic "pranks" like egging, spray-painting buildings, or toilet-papering the school. It's difficult to clean up after and can get you in trouble.
- As a general rule, don't have your prank involve any sort of bodily waste. This has gotten people arrested.^{[5]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Pulling Off the Prank

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Figure out logistics beforehand. To make sure your senior prank goes off without a hitch, you'll need to figure out everything before you get to the school. Some things to consider are:
- The time. When will the senior prank be unveiled to the school? It's one thing to pull a prank during school hours, but if your prank requires some extensive setup before school, you'll also need to figure out when you can get in without a teacher spotting you (if you don't have staff permission).
- The budget. A more elaborate prank will probably require more money, and if school property is damaged, you may have to pay for it.
- Who's with you. Is your plan to split up among the school or work in groups? Is someone the ringleader and others just the supporters, or is the work of the prank divided up equally?
- Transport. If you need to get to the school at an unusual time to set up your prank, you'll need to figure out how to get there and back. Can you walk, drive, take public transport, or get a ride with a friend?
- Backup plans. What will people do if your entry route is locked, someone gets trapped in a room or injured during the setup, or you (or someone else) gets caught?
2
Set a date. Most senior pranks are enacted near the end of the school year, even sometimes on the very last day of school (though they can be pulled at any time). Find a good day and time to pull off your senior prank, and if you're working with other people to accomplish the prank, work with them to pick a day.
- If you don't want to get caught pulling your prank, steer clear of days when there will likely be school administrators patrolling campus after-hours - for example, nights where your school's football team is having a game.
- You’ll also want to avoid any days where you know your school is having a visitor, such as a guest speaker. This can make a really bad impression not only on you, but on your school as well.
- Be prepared to change your date at the last minute, especially if a good part of your prank is executed during the school day. Sometimes, the school board or another public official may show up unannounced to conduct an inspection or observe something. This too can leave a bad impression on both you and your school.
3
Gather the materials you'll need.
- Don't count on getting your supplies at the school. Using school materials for your prank can be considered theft.^{[6]
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  Research source} Bring the aluminum foil from home - don't take it from the Home Economics room!
4
Keep your teammates in the loop. If you're working with other seniors to pull off the prank, everyone needs to be up-to-date on information, whether it's a matter of who's bringing what to the prank, or a matter of having to suddenly pull the prank on a different day.
- Have a way to communicate with them on campus, especially if you're going to be working on the prank at night or in separate spaces. Texting via (preferably silenced) cell phones, perhaps in a pre-made group chat, or using old-school walkie-talkies are good options.
5
Try to move quickly. It's hard to rush a good senior prank, but the longer you take to pull something off, the easier it is to get caught - whether by campus security or by a nearby underclassman.
- Preferably, your prank should be completed before sunrise.
6
Get off the campus as soon as possible. If you're on the campus at a time that you shouldn't be, once the setup is complete, get out of the school as fast as possible to avoid being caught on the grounds.
- If you're working with others, you may want to agree ahead of time on a meeting point after everyone has finished their part of the prank so that nobody lags behind.

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Pulling Classic Pranks

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Have the seniors show up in unusual outfits. Whether it's pajamas, costumes, or even just wearing casual clothes instead of your uniforms, the wardrobe change is likely to cause confusion or laughter amongst those who weren't expecting it! You can even try adding another element of the prank that correlates to your outfits, such as having everyone "sleep" in the hallways in their pajamas, or staging a real-life Pac-Man game in the cafeteria.^{[7]
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Rearrange a room. While you may not be able to stick all the desks to the ceiling or put the whiteboard on the other side of the room, you may be able to move the teacher’s desk to another area of the room, and possibly rearrange student desks as well.
- Don't do this with a certain if you know that they won’t find it funny. Do it with a teacher who is known to be laid back.
3
Hide odd objects around the school. Many high school seniors find things to stash around the school, and take it up a notch by leaving them in out-of-the-way places that will be found years later. Try hiding something in your school colors, or memorabilia from your class year.
- If you want to prank the administration, too, try putting tags or cards on the objects saying that students who find the object should bring it to the principal or vice principal. You can even write that the administrator will give a prize (which will confuse them), or that the student has to do something unusual (e.g. doing the Cha Cha Slide).
- Don't hide anything that would actually be needed, such as computer equipment - this could get you in trouble, as it disrupts the school day.
4
Involve music. This is a fun, harmless way to get everyone in the school smiling.
- Get music to play on the school intercom or in a classroom at a time when this wouldn't normally be expected. Going on the intercom can usually be accomplished with permission from your school administrator, while playing it in a class would usually need teacher permission.
- Have the seniors burst into a musical number or begin playing instruments at an odd time. This should be a fun, lighthearted school appropriate song that everyone (or most people) knows.
- Hire someone to play an instrument. You can just hire someone to do something such as play the bagpipes in front of the school, or take it a step further and hire a marching band to play all around the campus!
5
Fill a random room such as the Custodian's office with balloons packing peanuts, or Post-Its. Alternatively, you can use other lightweight objects to fill up the room, such as beach balls or cardboard boxes. ^{[8]
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Research source} Again, you’ll want to choose the teacher’s room you do this to wisely.
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Wrap up a room. A common prank both inside and outside of a high school setting is to wrap someone's room in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Pick a room (or several rooms) to be wrapped up, and then wrap up everything you can find. Try wrapping all of the items individually if you have time - this shows dedication to your prank!
- Be careful not to wrap up things that generate excessive heat, such as a computer - this could be a fire hazard.
7
Prank those listening to the announcements.
- Play "Never Gonna Give You Up" or an equally notorious song over the intercom.
- Put in lighthearted fake announcements, such as "All freshmen must obey the seniors" or “It has been decided that the graduating class of (insert graduation year) will forever be the best class this school has ever had”
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Pull a prank during graduation.^{[9]
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- Have everyone hand the principal an item when receiving their diplomas. Common items to use for this are coins, marbles, Legos, or even jingly bells! If you're in a big school, chances are the principal will have to be putting the objects in their sleeves before long.
- Bring cardboard cutouts of celebrities or cartoon characters wearing graduation caps. Place them in the lobby or even in the back of the auditorium.
- Organize a flash mob. During the weeks leading up to graduation, learn a song and dance routine. Try and talk to a speaker ahead of time and have them say or designate a word or phrase in their speech that signals the performance to begin.

Warnings

Make sure that before you even decide to partake in a senior prank, you are well aware of any possible consequences you could face.

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Never do anything illegal for a senior prank such as vandalism, theft or prank calling emergency services, these actions will get the senior class in trouble with the police. It will be best if your senior class is remembered as a fun class not as a class that had 30 members going to jail over a prank.

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Comply with school administration when you’re doing the prank. If they ask you to stop, stop immediately, and if they call you down to the office afterwards, go down. If you don’t follow their directions, you risk punishment such as detention, suspension, or even not being able to walk at graduation.

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Make sure you avoid doing any loud or disruptive pranks during final exams. This is cause not only for serious distraction, but serious trouble for you.

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