Welcome to the Institute of Practical Jokes, Pranks, and Trickery

This is the new home of the Institute of Practical Jokes, Pranks, and Trickery which is the leading institution of higher education for jokes and tomfoolery. We'll be posting regular ideas for practical jokes, pranks, and tricks that you can play on your family, friends, and enemies and we welcome your suggestions and ideas of great practical jokes. The best submissions may earn a place on the Dean's List!

Frozen Shaving Cream Bomb

The frozen shaving cream bomb is another practical joke that involves making a mess with shaving cream using unconventional methods. It will allow you to completely fill your victim's mailbox (or other small space, such as a drawer) with shaving cream. This method only requires the prankster to be at the mailbox for less than 10 seconds and is much faster than emptying a can of shaving foam into the box. This prank relies on the fact that shaving cream is highly compressed inside of the can and expands greatly when exposed to air.

Here is how it works:

1) Place a can of shaving cream (foam, not gel) in the freezer for at least one week. If you have access to a very low temperature liquid, such as liquid nitrogen, you can freeze the shaving cream much faster by dipping the can into the liquid nitrogen. Regardless, it is crucial that the shaving cream inside of the can is frozen solid.

2) Get a cooler filled with ice, or dry ice (if available) to transport the shaving cream can and keep it cold and frozen. Dry ice is often available at the grocery store if you ask the butcher. As long as the shaving cream remains frozen, the foam will remain compressed and will not expand.

3) Get a tool that will allow you to cut open the can of shaving cream to reveal the frozen solid cylinder of shaving cream inside. Cut open the can so the frozen chunk of shaving cream is readily available to quickly place in the victim's mailbox or drawer.

4) Drive up to the victim's mailbox and quickly drop the frozen cylinder of shaving foam into the box and drive away. It is a good idea to do this at nighttime so you have some cover from the darkness and so that it is less likely that there will be mail in the box.

5) Wait. Once the frozen chunk of shaving foam is in the victim's mailbox or drawer, it will begin to dethaw and begin to expand and completely fill the mailbox or the drawer. It is likely that the shaving cream will expand so much that it will begin to ooze out of the seams of the box.

Toilet Papering - TPing

Toilet papering, or TPing, a home is a prank that makes a complete mess of a house, trees, and anything else that is high up. It not only makes the victims home look ridiculous to the neighbors, it is also a lot of trouble for the victim to clean up.

Here is how it works:

1) Purchase a large number of toilet paper rolls. It may be a good idea to go to a bulk warehouse club style store such as Costco or Sam's Club to buy in bulk. If you do not want to arouse suspicion of the sales clerks, you can purchase the toilet paper over time.

2) Gather a team of people who will help you to toilet paper a house. It is too big of a job to do yourself and will go much quicker with friends helping you. This prank is also a lot more fun with friends.

3) Scope out the victim's house in advance to make sure there are no gates, barking dogs, or other impediments to your success. Also plan any escape routes that may be necessary if you have to run.

4) Go to the house late at night when the victim will be asleep. You and your team should spread out across the property and throw the toilet paper rolls over the house and over the trees. Throw the roll and the loose end will unravel and be stuck in the tree or on the house. Stay as quiet as possible while doing this so you do not wake the victim. The goal is to cover the house and the trees in as much toilet paper as possible.

5) When you are out of toilet paper, quietly leave the property and drive away. Avoid the temptation to drive by the next day to admire your work unless you can do so very discretely.

This is a good practical joke to combine with planting plastic forks in the laws and putting campaign signs in somebody's lawn.

Black Soap Joke

Trick black soap begins looking like an ordinary bar of soap. However, once it gets wet it turns black in color and the person washing his hands will never get their hands clean. The hands will just keep getting blacker and blacker. A trick bar of soap like this can be used to play a great practical joke.

Here is how it works:

1) Place the bar of trick black soap in the bathroom that your victims will be using before they come over to your house.


2)Replace any towels in the bathroom that you do not want to get ruined with some cheaper towels that you do not mind getting ruined.

3)When your victim comes over and needs to use the bathroom, direct them to the bathroom with the bar of trick black soap.

4)Go stand outside the bathroom door so you can hear the person's reaction when their hands begin to turn black. The other benefit of playing this prank is that you can find out whether the victim practices good hygeine after they use the bathroom. This prank is perfect for houseguests and also can be done to people you live with such as moms, dads, brothers, sisters, roommates, and more.

Plant Plastic Forks in the Lawn

Planting plastic forks in somebody's lawn is a prank for anytime during the year when the ground will freeze during the night. The result of the prank is that the victim will have plastic forks in their lawn that will be difficult to get out. This prank can be done at the same time as you are toilet papering somebody's house or planting plastic forks.

Here is how it works:

1) Purchase a few boxes of plastic picnic forks. A cheaper variety will be better for this trick.

2) Wait until the night and go to the victim's house and stick as many plastic forks (prong side down) into the victim's lawn as you can manage and as deep down as possible. Ideally you just want the handles of the forks to be visible. The handles should be very visible as you want the prank to be obvious. This is why it is important to use as many plastic forks as possible.

3) Now, your work is done. During the night, the ground will freeze and the forks will become stuck in the ground.

4) In the morning, your victim will see the forks in his lawn and when he comes to remove them, the prongs will be frozen solid into the ground and the plastic handle will most likely break off. Then, the victim will be left with little handle-less fork heads in his lawn and it will be very difficult and time consuming to remove them.

Soap Suds in a Fountain

Soap Suds in the Fountain

Soap in the Fountain is a prank that is harmless and that many people can laugh at. It involves finding a public fountain that is near a high traffic area that you want to fill up with soap suds. The key to this trick is that the fountain shooting will constantly agitate the water which will generate a lot of soap suds. If you have ever put liquid dish soap into a dishwasher or laundry washing machine by mistake and had your whole room fill up with suds, then you will understand how much suds can be generated.

Here is how it works:

1) Get some dish soap.. A few bottles of liquid ivory or dawn dish soap works great because it gets the most sudsy.

2) In the middle of the night, or whenever it can be done discretely, go to the fountain that you wish to fill with suds and pour the bottles of soap into the fountain. The middle of the night is good because the fountain will be off so you can evenly distribute the soap in the fountain without getting wet.

3) In the morning, once the fountain has been turned on, go back and admire your work. The agitation of the fountain water should have made the soap sudsy and the fountain should be filled with suds.

Pranks with Eggs

Eggs Fly Out of the Fridge

This practical joke causes multiple eggs to shoot out of the refrigerator when the refrigerator door is opened causing the eggs to break on the floor and surprising the victim. This prank involves several eggs, string, toothpicks, duct tape, and/or any other materials that you use to rig it up. The key is to create some "egg holders" out of the materials which will be tied to the refrigerator door and will pull the eggs off of the shelf and onto the floor.

Here is how it works:

1) First you have to create the egg holders. Again, this is what will pull the eggs off of the shelf. You can use the toothpicks to provide the structure for the egg holder and the duct tape will provide the backing that will push the eggs off. You then tie two pieces of string to the sides of each of the egg holders. These strings will be tied to the inside of the refrigerator door and the strings should be long enough to allow the refrigerator door to be opened slightly (so you can set the trap) but short enough so that when the door is opened fully, the eggs will be pulled off of the shelf.

2) Once your egg holders are complete, you are ready to play the trick. Attach the strings to the inside of the refrigerator doors and place the raw eggs on the shelves with the egg holders behind the eggs on the shelf. Again, it needs to be set up so that when the door is opened, the egg holders will pull the eggs off of the shelf.

3) It is a good idea to make vary the lengths of the strings so that the eggs come out one after another in a rat-a-tat machine gun fashion. This makes for the best effect.

4) Another good touch is to leave a taunting note inside of the refrigerator that the victim will see once the eggs have crashed to the floor.

Prank: Order a Pizza For Somebody Else

The goal of this trick is to make create an awkward scene of a pizza or food delivery person at your victim's front door expecting payment for a pizza that your victim did not order. This practical joke is a double edge sword as it can backfire upon an innocent pizza delivery person. However, as a well known prank, it must be included in the Institute's Encyclopedia.

Here is how it works:

1) Make sure you have your victim's address and phone number

2) Make sure that your victim will be home.

3) Call a food delivery service, traditionally a pizza delivery place, and order some food to be delivered to your victim's house. Say that you will pay with cash.

4) In 30-40 minutes, the pizza delivery person will ring your victim's doorbell and your victim will be very surprised and, if they have a conscience, will pay the bill and take the pizza. Hopefully, your victim will not forget to tip the delivery person.

Again, be aware that this trick can backfire against the pizza delivery person may become the victim if your intended victim does not pay. As food delivery person is not a lucrative career, this is not a suggested practical joke.

Classic Practical Jokes - Itching Powder

Itching Powder comes in a small package and is a substance which causes your victim's skin to itch terribly until it is washed off. The itching should subside once the powder is washed off and there should not be any long term affects.

Here is how it works:

1) Get your package of itching powder and select your victim.

2) Look for an opportunity to apply the powder. There are two approaches you can take:

(a) Sneak up on your victim and put the powder down their back in a surprise attack. Your victim will immediately know what happened and will wash the powder off immediately so the itching will not last long. The upside is the fun you will get seeing the immediate reaction and the hilarity that will ensue.

(b) Put the powder on the inside of a tee shirt, sock, or other clothing item that the victim will be wearing soon. This is the incognito method and will cause the victim to be confused as to why they have been itching the entire day. You can silently enjoy your victim's frustration throughout the day.

Itching powder is made from plant fibers that are irritants to the skin. It is harmless and inexpensive and can be found online or at most joke shops.

Advanced Practical Jokes: Fake Broken Leg

The fake broken leg trick is an advanced practical joke and is one of the most difficult to execute. The timing and the planning must be perfect. The trick is designed to make your victim wake up from being passed out to find a cast on his leg. The victim will think that his leg broke and had to be set while he was passed out and he will wear the cast for several weeks.

Here is how it works:

1) In preparation, you will need to be in cahoots with a doctor who has the facilities to put a cast on somebodies leg. '

2) Your victim will need to have passed out for this prank to work - generally after a night of heavy drinking.

3) Once your victim is unconscious, take them to the doctor that you are working with and have a cast put on their leg (or arm). Before putting the cast on, write a note on a piece of paper that says, "Gotcha! Your leg was never broken! Hahaha!" and place it inside the cast where it will be found once the cast is cut off.

4) Get an x-ray of somebody else's leg so when your victim wakes up, you can show them the x-ray of a broken leg and make them think it is his leg.

Please be aware that this is a very extreme trick and should only be performed on somebody who has a very good sense of humor or on somebody who you do not want to have a future relationship with.

Pranks to play on a house: Campaign Signs in the Yard

This prank involves collecting a huge number of political campaign signs and planting them in your victim's grass. The goal is to make the victim's yard look ridiculous and to leave him with a large amount of junk in his yard. This practical joke can only be done during campaign season of election years when there are a large number of campaign signs that can be collected.

Here is how it works:

1) Drive around your town and look for campaign yard signs that you can take and put in your trunk. When you have collected a large number of campaign yard signs, you are ready to go.

2) Scope out the victim's house in advance to make sure there are no barking dogs or other impediments to your success. Also plan any escape routes that may be necessary if you have to run.

3) In the middle of the night, go to your target's house and begin to place all of the yard signs in their front yard. Ideally, there should be little to no grass visible when you are done planting all of the signs.

Please be aware that there may be laws against taking campaign signs in some regions so please be careful when executing this practical joke.

This is a perfect practical joke to do in conjunction with Toilet papering and/or planting plastic forks in the grass

Car Practical Jokes - Move the Car

By getting ahold of a copy of your friend's car key, you can confuse them endlessly by sneaking to where the car is parked and moving it to a different spot in the parking lot. A good trick to play on your colleagues at the office.

Here is how it works:

1) When the opportunity presents itself, sneak your target's car key off of his key ring and run to the hardware store to get a copy made.

2) Once you have the copy of the car key, return the car key to your target's key ring

3) About once a week, use your copy of the car key to move your victim's car from its original space to a different space in the same parking lot. Vary the distance which you move the car in the parking lot each time.

4) Your target should be initally confused and then, over time, increasingly frustrated about why they are having trouble finding their car in the parking lot. The victim should be frustrated enough that you will hear him complain about the problem around the office to many people.

Pranks for the Home: Alarm Clock Wakeup

The Alarm Clock Wakeup trick is a way to rudely awaken your victim in the middle of the night using a common household alarm clock. This practical joke will annoy your victim because they will not get a good nights sleep and will be very surprised when the alarm bells or ringing start sounding in the middle of the night.

Here is how it works:

1) Set the alarm clock to go off in the middle of the night.

2) Hide the alarm clock somewhere where it will not be seen before the person falls asleep. If your target looks in the bedside cabinet each night before bed, it will not be a good spot. Hiding places to consider are underneath the bed, behind a dresser, or in a rarely-used drawer.

3) When the person falls asleep, they will not suspect a rude-awakening when the alarm clock goes off in the middle of the night. Hilarity will ensue as the victim frantically searches for the ringing alarm clock.

Battery powered alarm clocks are best unless you can find a hiding place near an outlet. This, however, will allow the victim to simply unplug the alarm clock to get it to turnoff instead of having to scramble to figure out how to disarm the battery powered alarm clock. Be sure that the alarm clocks are loud and annoying and do not be afraid to set multiple alarm clocks.

WARNING: Once the prank is executed, the victim will be in possession of the alarm clocks and can do the same trick to you. Or, the victim will smash the alarm clock to pieces and so it should not be a time device that you value. Beware of these pitfalls!

Whoopie Cushion - Classic Practical Joke

The whoopie cushion is a classic joke that can be hard to execute as the cushion tends to be a large and conspicuous prop. Here is how it works:

1)The whoopie cushion is a rubber bladder type advice that allows a prankster to blow air into it so it puffs up.

2)Place the inflated cushion on a seat where a victim will sit down.

3)Once the victim sits on the inflated whoopie cushion, the air will be forced out and it will make a loud embarrassing farting sound.

The whoopie cushion was invented in the 1940s.

College Practical Jokes - Shaving Cream Under the Door

This practical joke uses shaving cream and a plastic bag to make a mess on the floor of a room with a locked door. When the victim returns home, he will be surprised to find the floor inside the locked room completely covered with shaving cream. This prank is very good for college dorm rooms where you will have easy access to the hallway outside of the door and where there is often a gap between the bottom of the door and the floor.

Here is how it works:

1) Purchase several cans of shaving cream. Do not purchase the shaving gel; only the foam style of shaving cream will work as it expands the most when sprayed out of the can so you get the most volume possible. You will also need a plastic garbage bag.

2) Empty the cans of shaving cream into the plastic bag so that you are left with a big bag of shaving cream.

3) When the victim is not in his room, place the opening of the plastic garbage bag in the gap between the bottom of the door and the floor.

4) Stomp on the bag to force the shaving cream out of the opening of the bag and into the locked room. By stomping hard, you can project the shaving cream far into the room. This will effectively get the shaving cream all over the floor of the victim's room. Continue doing this until the plastic bag is empty and all of the shaving foam is in the victim's room.

5) Remove the plastic bag, flee the scene, and dispose of the evidence!

Pranks to play on a house: Campaign Signs in the Yard

This prank involves collecting a huge number of political campaign signs and planting them in your victim's grass. The goal is to make the victim's yard look ridiculous and to leave him with a large amount of junk in his yard. This practical joke can only be done during campaign season of election years when there are a large number of campaign signs that can be collected.

Here is how it works:

1) Drive around your town and look for campaign yard signs that you can take and put in your trunk. When you have collected a large number of campaign yard signs, you are ready to go.

2) Scope out the victim's house in advance to make sure there are no barking dogs or other impediments to your success. Also plan any escape routes that may be necessary if you have to run.

3) In the middle of the night, go to your target's house and begin to place all of the yard signs in their front yard. Ideally, there should be little to no grass visible when you are done planting all of the signs.

Please be aware that there may be laws against taking campaign signs in some regions so please be careful when executing this practical joke.

This is a perfect practical joke to do in conjunction with Toilet papering and/or planting plastic forks in the grass