Five Messy Practical Jokes

Messy practical jokes are not for the faint of heart. You need to make sure you choose the right environment and target for these jokes. I’m guessing that grandma’s pristine kitchen is not the appropriate place, but a frat house most likely is. Use your common sense when playing jokes, but also have fun! There are a lot of messy practical jokes out there, but here are my favorite five.

I worked at a sleep-away summer camp for five summers and found that icing someone’s bed is a great joke to play. It is particularly useful to do it to someone who has ticked you off—just make sure your victim doesn’t have access to where you sleep! All you have to do is get a bucket of ice and a pitcher of water. Pull the bedsheets back, spread the ice, pour the water, and replace the bedsheets. When your victim tries to get in bed, he or she will have quite the surprise waiting.

#2 Just Cream the Heck Out of ‘em

Everyone has heard or experienced the practical joke where someone puts shaving cream in slippers, right? Well, that’s basically what is going on here, but on a larger scale. Cream everything! That’s right. Cream slippers, shoes, socks, gloves, and hats. If you think your target will use it, cream it. Pockets, purses, and pajamas are all equal prey. Want to make it really dirty? Use whipped cream—it sure will stink! Ew.

#3 Go Crazy, and Vaseline Everything

Vaseline, or petroleum jelly, is oily and greasy. Since it is clear, it won’t be easy to spot. Another reason why it makes a good tool for a prank is that it is hard to wash off. You can apply it to lamp switches, door knobs, and faucet handles. Picture this: your target is sleeping in a dark room. You make a loud noise to wake your target up. He sits up, wondering what caused the noise. He tries to turn on the lamp, but the switch is to slippery. The Vaseline sticks to his fingers. He gropes across the room towards the door. The doorknob has also been slathered with Vaseline. When he finally gets to the bathroom to wash all of the Vaseline off, he has a hard time turning on the sink faucet. Of course, you can combine this with other jokes to make it funnier (decorate his face while he is sleeping, for example). Be sure to take pictures and have a group of people giggling as he gropes and stumbles through the house.

#4 The Paintball Prank

Remember that this hub is entitled Five Messy Practical Jokes – and this one sure is messy. Use your judgment when you attempt this prank because it could create some permanent results. Get a paintball gun and go to town on your target. My high school’s rival school ended up with a parking lot full of paint splatters…of course they were our school colors! Remember the fine line between prank and vandalism.

#5 Water Fight Ambush

This starts off as a prank, but usually ends up as a huge water fight. I’ve definitely participated in a few of these. You have to get people to help you out. Basically, cover all of the doors and windows that your target might use to escape a room. Arm everyone with buckets of water and hoses. Attack the person at the same time. Don’t worry about hitting anyone that might not be the intended target (this is what makes it a water war). Now, I’ve only done this at camp, where it was okay to completely soak a room because it was so rustic and outdoorsy, but be sure to use your judgment here.

Have fun with your pranks, but try not to get into trouble.

For the record: the ideas expressed here are for informational and entertainment purposes only. In no way do I endorse any actions that may result from anyone reading these ideas.