10 of the Best Office Pranks

At On-Target!, we're a huge fan of work hard + play hard. Visit our office on an employee birthday and you just might get a glimpse of the creme of the crop of office pranks, like that time we turned Lindsey's desk into a fort. Here are a few ideas to liven up your workday. 

1. The Wireless Mouse

This is one of the simpler tasks on this list, because it requires only a wireless mouse and proximity to your coworker’s computer. While the “prankee” is away from their desk, attach a USB to their computer that syncs with your wireless mouse. Then watch the fun as they struggle to get anything done while you’re in control.

2. The Voice Activation

Place a sign on some machine in the office (printers, shredders, and copiers work best) that says the machine is now voice activated. Get a few of your other coworkers in on the fun while everyone else makes a fool out of themselves shouting at inanimate objects.

3. The Nicholas Cage

Feel free to improvise on this one, but this prank involves replacing a coworker’s family photos with pictures of Nicholas Cage or some other bizarre actor like Christopher Walken or Steve Buscemi. You might be surprised how long it takes them to notice.

4. The Slippery Hand Sanitizer

Got a communal office hand sanitizer? Replace it with lubricant jelly. It will only take a few seconds before they realize it’s not rubbing in. This is a good option for when you want to prank the whole office instead of targeting someone specific.

5. The Keyboard Switch

The Keyboard Switch is a classic. Simply pop off two or more keyboard keys and switch them. They will grow more and more frustrated as they mistype everything. Just make sure to do this on a detached keyboard and not a laptop!

6. The Seat Adjustment

Pick a coworker to target, and whenever they get up to use the bathroom or make copies, adjust their seat to comic proportions. Make the adjustments noticeable. The first few times they might think its chance, but after a while they’ll start keeping an eye out for the culprit, which will make sneaking around even more fun.

7. The Balloon Surprise

This prank might not be perfect for every office, but if your office tends to be boisterous it’ll be sure to get laughs. Tape a balloon behind a door, right at the jamb. Then wait for someone to swing the door open wide enough and pop it. They’ll jump a foot, and you and your coworkers will be laughing at the unlucky victim.

8. The Radio Silence

Drive your coworkers nuts with this simple prank that only requires a small radio. Hide the radio somewhere in the office and set it to a really low volume that is just barely audible. When they start asking if you hear anything, deny, deny, deny. Their frustration will grow all day. This one is funnier if you have a few people in on it.

9. The Goldfish

This prank is not for the faint of heart and requires more preparation, but the pay off will be huge. Line an empty file cabinet with a garbage bag, fill with water and goldfish. When your colleague opens it to find their files, they’ll get quite the fishy surprise.

10. The Minefield

An oldie, but a goodie—this prank has been used by high schoolers for decades. Fill dozens of cups with water, then fill every surface in someone’s office with them. They won’t be able to get to their desk without knocking them over or picking them all up, one by one.