We all need a break, some time to switch things up, get out of our heads, and laugh out loud ⌠at least once a week is the nonprofessional recommendation. When youâre bored in the house, with the spouse and the kids and the pets, it can feel impossible to catch a few minutes to relax and be lighthearted. That's why we have pranks.
Do you remember what it was like to play pranks on friends when you were younger? Not the kind of pranks that will cause hurt or damage, but harmless pranks that will remind you what it feels like to laugh and be in the moment.
Play these harmless pranks on kids (or adults) â and donât worry â you wonât scar them for life.
Spilled Nail Polish
This nail polish prank from Lanie Buck also works on the teen who loves to polish nails, and just hates to waste it. Once complete, it should look like a messy spill and you can place it on a rug or a bed or any other flat surface for a harmless prank.
Supplies: school glue, paint, an empty nail polish bottle, a plastic baggie or plastic wrap to dry the âpolishâ on.
How-to:
- Fill the bottle almost to the top with half glue and half paint.
- Put some plastic down, and leave the bottle on its side. Pour a little out over time just to get that "drop" out of the bottle that meets the spill. Let it dry in between the times you tilt more out. You can use a toothpick to spread the paint mix around to make a larger spill and to help it dry faster.
- Once youâre happy with the spill, let the spill dry overnight.
- The next morning, carefully remove the polish bottle and spill from the plastic. It should be stiff and ready to place.
Really Blue Water
This is an easy prank for bath time from Kids Activities Blog. Simply turning the water blue with safe food coloring will send the little kids (think 3- or 4-year-olds) into giggles.
Supplies: gel food dye (blue works great), a cotton swab
How-to:
- Swab the water aerator (it looks like a metal screen) on the underside of the faucet with a cotton swab full of dye. The heavier you apply the dye, the brighter the water will be. Use a little bit to surprise the kids when you turn on the faucet. More will make them get blue skin in the bath.
- If you want it to be a full tub of water, wait for the first swabbing of dye to dry, come back and add a second later.
- The kids will love it as they watch you turn on the water in the tub, getting ready for their baths.
It's Popping!
This is a great prank for kids but also adults, maybe a dad coming home from work would be a great target. The blog Make It & Love It suggests putting bubble wrap under the entryway rug and theyâll get a loud surprise when they come through the door!
Just hide strips of bubble wrap underneath rugs all over the house and when they get stepped on, the pooping begins!
Not Potato Chips
If your kids love a bag of potato chips as a treat, theyâll be surprised by this harmless prank (another fun one by Make It & Love It) that substitutes veggies for those crispy chips.
Supplies: a few empty potato chip bags carefully opened at the seam, a hot glue gun, baby carrots or another small bunch of vegetables.
How-to:
- Open the chips bag from the bottom and dump out the chips (you can save them in a plastic sealed bag for later, of course).
- Pour carrots inside and use hot glue to reseal the bottom of the bag. If you seal almost the entire bottom closed and then blow some air into the little opening before sealing the rest of the bag shut, it'll look more puffed up like a bag of chips.
- Hand them over to the kids.
Bugged Out Lamps
Unsuspecting guests â or your kids â will get a buggy surprise when you ask them to turn on the light for you. The folks at SayYes.com did a great job with this one.
Supplies: printable contact paper, a printer, and scissors.
How-to:
- Download a big bug shape from the internet like these at patternuniverse.com, print it onto your contact paper, and cut out the creepy insects.
- If you donât have printable contact paper or a printer, you can use black construction paper, cut out the printable shape (or draw your own) and draw the outline on the black paper and cut that out.
- If youâve used the contact paper method, just stick the bug shape inside of your lampshade. Turn on the light before sticking them down, but be careful as the bulbs get hot quickly. To make the bugs look more realistic, try bending the legs a little so that not every part of the sticker is touching the lampshade.
- If youâve used the black contact paper, carefully tape the cut out of the bug inside the lampshade.
- Ask someone to turn on the lamp for you!
I Wish It Was Cake Pops
This is a tasty trick! Cook Brussels sprouts and put them on cake pop sticks. As seen by Briain on Imgur.com, dip the vegetables in melted chocolate and add sprinkles for a nice decorative presentation. When the kids bite into these, run for cover, moms!
Frozen Cereal
Put a bowl of cereal and milk in the freezer overnight, then watch in the morning as your unsuspecting kid clanks a spoon against the frozen milk. Mom Jasmin pulled this prank on her son, who still had a sweet smile for the camera.
