Top 20 Office Prank Ideas to Steal

Looking for great office pranks ideas? Look no further! We prepared a list of 20 brilliant office prank ideas you can steal and use to spice up the everyday life at the office.

The ultimate guide to office pranks

Looking for some brilliant office prank ideas?

You’ve come to the right place. We love to have fun and joke around. This is why we’ve put together the ultimate guide for pranking your colleagues!

Using humor in the workplace has many benefits. Simple office pranks can brighten up a regular, everyday life at the office and bring a smile to everyone’s face.

Using practical jokes at work can help boost teamwork. Jokes and pranks are a great, fun and effective way to manage teams.

➡️ Get more great tips for managing your team! Subscribe to FREE 7 days e-mail course: Short Leaderships Tips for Managers .

In this blog post, you’ll learn all about the vast benefits of using humor in the workplace. You’ll also discover some practical pranking tips and brilliant office prank ideas you can steal.

The benefits of using humor in the workplace

Using humor at the workplace has many benefits.

Dr. David Abramis at Cal State Long Beach has studied fun at work for years. He discovered that employees who have fun on the job are more creative, more productive, better decision-makers and get along better with co-workers. They also have fewer absentee, late, and sick days than people who aren’t having fun.

Therefore, the main benefits of using humor are:

• Increased employee engagement
• Increased employee productivity
• Lower absenteeism
• Decreased turnover rates.

These are certainly some very good reasons to have some fun at the office!

How and when to use office prank ideas?

Before we dive deep into hilarious office prank ideas, a word of warning.

Let me cite the most famous office worker Dwight Schrute, a character in the American television sitcom The Office. Here is his word of wisdom:

Please, apply this rule whenever you think about pulling some hilarious office prank.

A good office prank is the one that everyone can enjoy and laugh about. Be careful not to go overboard and hurt somebody’s feelings or overly humiliate your coworkers.

In short, don’t be an idiot.

Best office prank ideas

We compiled a list of the 20 most awesome office prank ideas. We divided them into 7 different categories:

1. Cubicle pranks
2. Desk pranks
3. Computer pranks
4. Toilet pranks
5. Simple pranks
6. Cute pranks
7. Advanced office prank ideas.

Check out these 20 hilarious office prank examples:

1. Cubicle pranks

There are many ways you can decorate your colleague’s cubicle. You can use:

➡️ Newspapers

(Source: Pinterest )

➡️ Post-its

(Source: Cubelolz.com )

➡️ Toilet paper

(Source: prankcandles.com)

➡️ Wrapping paper

(Source: Instagram: north_peace_cultural_centre )

➡️ Wool

(Source: pinterest.com )

2. Desk drawer pranks

We found 2 great examples of desk drawer office pranks:

➡️ Fish tank drawer

Turn your coworker’s desk drawer into a fish tank:

(Source: pinterest.com )

➡️ Jelly bean drawer

Fill your coworker’s desk drawer with jelly beans for a sweet surprise:

(Source: Eyedull)

3. Computer pranks

➡️ Desktop prank

Change your colleague’s desktop photo. Get creative! Here is a brilliant example:

(Source: boredomtherapy.com )

➡️ Computer mouse prank

Put a strip of clear tape over the optical sensors on a computer mouse. When the mouse is moved, it won’t work.

(Source: rebloggy.com )

➡️ Chrome extension prank

Prank your colleagues by installing one of the funny chrome extensions on their computer. Our favorites are:

• Cornify – This extension will add sparkly unicorns and rainbows to any website your colleague visits.

(Source: techmixer.com )

• Nicholas Page – This extension replaces every image in Chrome with a picture of Nicolas Cage.
• Hair on the screen – This extension will place a small, thin line on your colleague’s display, making them believe there’s a hair on their computer screen.

4. Toilet pranks

Here are 2 examples of funny toilet pranks you can pull at your office’s bathroom. All you need is a plain black marker!

➡️Toilet paper art

(Source: pinterest.com )

➡️”Let it go” toilet

(Source: pinterest.com )

➡️ Extra toilet prank: Nicholas Cage

(Source: pinterest.com )

5. Simple pranks

Here are 2 ideas for a very simple, yet effective office prank:

➡️ Glued pen caps

Buy a bunch of cheap pens and glue their caps on them. Replace your colleague’s pens with the glued ones.

➡️ Hidden alarm clocks

Buy a few inexpensive alarm clocks and set alarms on them. Hide them in your colleague’s desk. Put one in the drawer, tape another under the table, third under the chair and so on. Enjoy watching your colleague trying to locate the clocks as the alarm goes on.

6. Cute pranks

Here are 2 examples of cute and creative office pranks:

➡️Computer mouse

(Source: pinterest.com )

➡️ Copy machine

(Source: pinterest.com )

7. Next level pranks

Finally, here are the top 3 advanced office pranks. These 3 examples really took it to the next level!

➡️ Lift up your colleague’s desk

(Source: buzzfeed.com )

➡️ Turn your colleague’s desk into an actual lawn

If your colleague is away on vacation for 2 weeks, you should be able to pull this off. Here are detailed instructions by Inter-Conntections.

➡️ Fake office wall

There are no words to describe this state of the art office prank. You simply gotta see it for yourself:

An additional idea for using humor at the office

Another great way to add humor to your everyday office life is by establishing funny employee awards.

Turn your old, boring “Employee of the Month” award into something much more fun! Check out our list of ideas for funny employee awards !

Frequently asked questions

Are office pranks suitable for all workplaces?

Office pranks should be carefully considered based on workplace culture and the personalities of team members. It’s important to ensure that any prank is appropriate, inoffensive, and does not disrupt productivity or cause unnecessary stress.

How can I ensure an office prank is well-received?

Ensure the prank is light-hearted, does not target anyone’s insecurities or personal challenges, and is appropriate for your workplace environment. It’s also wise to consider the timing of the prank to avoid interrupting important work or meetings.

What are some creative yet harmless office prank ideas?

Creative and harmless pranks include rearranging desk items, subtle changes to computer settings (like mouse speed), and playful decorations in someone’s workspace, ensuring that they are easily reversible and do not cause any harm or significant inconvenience.

Can office pranks contribute to team building?

Yes, when done appropriately, office pranks can contribute to team building by injecting humor into the workplace, strengthening relationships, and fostering a sense of camaraderie, as long as everyone involved appreciates the fun.

What should I avoid when planning an office prank?

Avoid pranks that could be perceived as mean-spirited, disrespectful, or disruptive. It’s crucial to ensure that any prank will not offend, embarrass, or negatively affect the work or well-being of colleagues.