First Day of School

We all know that the last day of school is great for pranksters (Mischief Maker's Manual, page 68), but what about the first day of school? No one will be expecting it, and teachers haven't had time to form opinions of anyone yet. So, the prankster could be anyone!

Only it's not, of course. It's you.

For some great first day of school prank ideas, see:
- Back-to-School Pranks
- Easy, Sticky Prank
- Phantom Keyboard Prank
- Post-It Prank
- How to Prank Your Teacher Without Getting in Trouble.

Just don't forget to study hard and get good grades -- that way, the teacher will never suspect you!

Teacher Trouble

Pranks don't have to end in scary surprises or sticky situations -- the very romantic prankster Jeremiah wants to help his teachers find love! Awwww!

His prank requires a bit of work but could be a lot of fun, and is sure to get people talking. Pick two teachers you want to prank (we know, you're thinking "only two?") and get out the pen and paper.

Practice the handwriting of one of the teachers -- this will take some time, but it's a useful pranking skill to have. It's easy to get some of their handwriting, because they give it to you every day in class, and on your homework. Take your time, and then write a short love letter from this teacher to another teacher. Keep it short and sweet -- the longer the letter, the easier it is to make a mistake.

It works even better if you buy a "Secret Admirer" card to use!

Hide the letter in the second teacher's desk, and wait for the fun!

How to Prank Your Teacher (Without Getting in Trouble)

Sometimes school can feel like you're trapped by endless questions you don't really care about -- now you can do the same to your teacher! Set this one up with some friends before the class begins, and it will work really well.

Raise your hand, and ask a question about something the teacher explained five minutes ago. They can't get mad, because you're interested and just didn't understand, so they'll explain it again (and the rest of the class has free time while they repeat themselves).

Then when they're finished and start talking about new things, another person asks about something else from five minutes ago ... and then another friend ... and then another friend! If it's just one person asking over and over, they'll be told to stop, but as long as the questions are scattered between different people, you can use up the whole period.

Thanks to M3 prankster Jeremiah for suggesting this clever way to prank your teacher without getting in trouble. It's a great way to have fun with teachers who wander off the point -- they won't even notice that you're in charge of the class now!

Cock-A-Doodle-Doo

This one's fun and easy, unless you live in a cave and tell time by the sun. Get up early in the morning (or late at night, if you can't sleep) and set all the clocks forward by half an hour. Be careful not to set off any alarms, and be careful not to laugh!

This works best on days where there's a big test or field trip. You can run around yelling "We're late!" and watching everyone scramble to get going. Even better, it's a free gift -- because even when they find out they've been tricked (which won't take long), they're already up and now they're early, with a free extra half hour to get ready!

NOTE: Don't move the clocks more than a half hour, or they'll be able to tell by the daylight. And NEVER set the clocks backward -- that can lead to real trouble!

Your Brother, The Fairy Princess

Let's be honest: having a fairy princess in your family would be awesome. They look magical, they smell nice, and they're royalty (so they can issue a royal decree that it's Ice Cream Day!). A fairy princess would be so much better than a brother, and that's why M3 prankster Hanna has told us how to make the swap!

Your brother would look so much prettier, dressed as one of these.

Gather all your makeup (the sparklier the better), shiny tiaras, and pink nail polish, then sneak into your brother's room early in the morning. It'll have to be pretty early, so that he's still deeply asleep. Gently apply the makeup and put on the princess clothes, trying not to laugh, and leave him asleep. Then tiptoe out of the room, and wait for the screams!

When you hear your brother discover his transformation into a beautiful princess, call out in your best singsong voice, "Oh, Prinnncessss!"

Then run.

Push/Pull/Prank!

This is one we've all done by accident, that embarrassing situation where you try to PULL a PUSH door in front of friends. It's especially silly when there's a sign saying which way you should go. But what if that sign was lying?

With a printer, you can easily make up some PUSH and PULL signs, then tape them on doors -- the wrong way! The best way to do this is to find doors which already have signs, then spend some time making copies on your computer that match them as closely as possible (most signs are simple text on a block of color). Or, you can add signs to a door that doesn't have any -- even if they look fake, people will think someone stuck them up to help.

We'll even give you some starting signs here ...

The Shower Shocker

An absolutely classic prank, and one which should be saved up for just the right moment. You need to find the hot water shutoff valve, which may be in the basement, or even in the room behind the shower. In older houses, simply running the hot tap in the kitchen can have the same effect. Wait until someone who can take a joke is in the shower, shut off the hot water, and listen for the scream!

You should only do this for a couple of seconds -- a sudden shock of cold can be a joke, but being stuck in a freezing shower isn't very funny. And even if you think it is, you won't when they get out and come looking for you! The best time to try this is some relaxed weekend, maybe after camping or playing sports outside. That's when everyone is in a good mood. Don't mess with your parents when they're preparing for work, or you'll really be in hot water!

The Missing Mouthwash

There are few liquids in the world that taste stronger than mouthwash. A true prankster can turn even the tingle of teeth-cleaner into a funny prank, surprising your family members when they least expect it!

A rainbow of mouthwash

When a bottle runs out, save it. Fill the empty mouthwash bottle with water...

The World's Longest Pee

Don't worry! You won't actually have to do the world's longest pee (which would still be funny for other people, but pretty boring for you. And do you really want to have that World Record beside your name?). Instead, it's a great prank if you have a bathroom near your room, or wherever you and your friends hang out.

Fill a bucket of water, and hide it in the bath or shower behind the curtain. When your friends are over, complain that you really have to go. Then go to the bathroom, but instead of peeing, slowly pour the bucket into the toilet. Groan loudly, as you pour for what seems like hours, far longer than any human should be able to go.

Finally, after a long while, stop pouring. Wait a few seconds, then start again!

If you can actually get a hose up to the bathroom (as pictured here), even better -- the prank can go on for as long as you have the patience, and the ability to keep yourself from exploding with laughter.

How to Make Dirty Face Soap (That Works)

A great trick is when something does the opposite of what you expect -- imagine if your Xbox made you do homework, or your homework let you explode aliens. Slightly less exciting, but much more likely to surprise your family, is soap which makes your hands dirtier!

Now, you can buy "dirty face soap" at prank shops, but it doesn't really work. This method does.

If your family uses liquid hand soap (the kind that comes in a bottle), wait until it's nearly empty, then open the bottle. Add a few drops of food coloring, then give it a good stir and a shake. The next person to "clean" their hands will have a dirty look on their face when a horrible dark liquid comes out -- but it's safe, because it's still soap!

This works best, of course, with liquid hand soap bottles you can't see through. If you can see through it, then try to use food coloring that matches the color of the bottle.

The worst that will happen with this prank is their hands will have a slight bluish coloring for the day, but that just gives you the opportunity to make Avatar jokes.