5 Classic April Fools Pranks to Play On Your Friends and Loved Ones

Every year at the end of March we are faced with the same dilemma ... how to best prank our loved ones. Most people leave this highly important decision until the last minute and end up not partaking in the the jovial event that is April Fools Day. No one is quiet sure how April 1st became such a worldwide phenomenon practiced in countries all around the world, but one thing is for sure ... its f*ing hilarious.

Now, you probably don't have the budget to run a news ad in USA Today making the world think that Burger King is launching a new "Left Handed Whopper" (and yes, in 1998, BK did just that) - but I bet we can find some common household materials that will help make your day a hoot! Here are 5 classic pranks that never seem to fail (or get old).

***Please prank responsibly. Never use a prank that is dangerous to your friend, uses an animal, or could cost someone their job. The best pranks are the ones you are pissed at for a day, and then laugh about for a lifetime.***

This is by far the most classic prank ever pulled by roommates around the globe. If you don't mind a little bit of nasty clean-up, this will go down in [your own personal] history as being one of the most awesome days of your life. Not so much to the person you're pranking though ...

What you'll need :

*Clear Plastic Wrap

*A roommate who gets up early for work / school

In the middle of the night while your roommate is asleep, go grab the plastic wrap from the kitchen. Now, stealthily like a ninja, sneak into their bathroom and open up the lid and the seat to their toilet. Carefully cover the opening to the bowl with a sheet of the plastic wrap. Make sure the wrap is taunt! Now, close the seat on-top of the plastic wrap and sneak back out.

You probably won't have to set your alarm clock this night, as the yelling and cursing of your roommate during their early morning ritual should be more than enough to wake you up.

*Things to consider : You might be forced to clean up the mess you've created. Be prepared for that (and the fact that they might take a #2). To avoid this, just leave for the night so you're not there in the morning ... although then you'll miss all the fun. Also, don't do this one to a significant other. Chances are you'll have a new roommate in a year or so, but you'll be stuck with your loved one for a bit longer.

**This prank also works very well in a dorm setting ... just duplicate the prank on ALL the shared bathroom toilets. Also works on urinals (although its easier to spot)

Another classic April Fools prank is another great one for the morning. This one has many variants and normally includes replacing the toothpaste in a tube with some sort of vile substance like peanut butter or ground beef. Those don't sound "vile" but trust me, it's a shock when you think your about to be feeling all "minty fresh".

However, this prank can be spotted fairly easily by a half-alert target. So, lets mix it up a bit. Instead of replacing the toothpaste, try simply putting salt onto your chosen victims toothbrush. Not only is it almost completely undetectable, but the taste of toothpaste + salt is truly disgusting.

*It might be nice if you bought a new toothbrush for your target so that after they're finished throwing up they can get that nasty taste out of their mouth.

**Kudos to you if you put salt on that one as well.

This is by far one of my personal favorites. Simple pranks are often the most successful, and it doesn't get much simpler than this one.

What you'll need :

*A plastic cup

*A door

*An unsuspecting roommate

Choose a door that your target will have to push open, not pull.  Crack the desired door open slightly and balance the plastic cup filled with water on top of door about 1/3 of the way in from the swinging side ( this is the maximum effect area).  Good doors to target are bathroom doors and bedroom doors.  When your victim opens the door the cup will fall inwards, dousing them with water!

*For added effect, put glitter in the water and mix it up.  Not only is glitter really really annoying, but its also very hard to get rid of completely.  You're target will shimmer all day long as a reminder of your genius.  

**Maple Syrup is a good alternative to water ... just be prepared for a much larger mess and a VERY ticked off roommate.

This prank takes a little bit of time and preparation, but is well worth it.

What you'll need :

*A LOT of old newspapers

*About 3 hours where your target isn't home

Collect newspapers and hide them in your closet or other secret location. You'll need a TON of newspaper to pull this one off, so you'll need to plan for this one a few months in advance ... or just get a lot of friends in on it.

When your roommate / loved one / friend is gone for the day, bring out all your newspapers. One page at a time, lightly crumple the paper and then throw it into your victims room. Start at the back of the room and work your way towards the door. Do this until the entire room is filled with newspaper. And I mean filled. Don't just cover everything in paper ... you want your roommate to open up their door and literally have an avalanche of crumpled newspaper to come flowing out on top of them.

*Its best if you have a group of people working on this one as it takes a lot of time. And don't forget to video tape it and post on YouTube.

This simple, yet effective prank, is guaranteed to raise your chosen target's heart rate to dangerous level. This prank only really works though if April Fools lands on a work day and if your victim has to get up in the morning for work.

Late at night, after everyone has gone to bed (or set your alarm about an hour early), you'll need to sneak around the house and reset all the clocks so that they read an hour or two later than the actual time. When morning comes, your roommate / loved one will get up as normal - but when they see one of the clocks they'll assume their alarm clock was wrong and go into an awesome sort of psychotic panic. Its amazing how fast someone can dress-shower-brush-curse when they think they're an hour late for work ...

Tip : Don't forget to reset the clock in their car forward as well.

Alternative Prank : Set all the clocks, including their alarm clock, an hour early, not late. This way they'll have no clue there is something wrong, until they get to work ... and no one else is there :)