Senior pranks are some of the things that you look forward to most throughout your entire high school career. Whether you started thinking of ideas your freshman year or obsessed over MTV’s High School Stories (R.I.P.), the time has finally come to pull off an awesome prank that will be remembered even after you graduate. Let’s be honest, though––it’s not that easy! It can be tough bringing together the entire class for one, solid plan that won’t forbid you from graduating. Don’t worry, we’re here to give you some funny ideas to try, and warn you about ones you should avoid!
The Good
Cups full of water
This idea is pretty simple, but it does require either spending money or compiling supplies! According to Jamie, a junior at Pitt State University, you’ll fill a ton (like, a ton) of paper or plastic cups with water and place them side-by-side in a busy area in your school – like a foyer, locker commons or something similar. Students and teachers will either have to step in the mess, or avoid going to class entirely. Who wouldn’t want the latter?!
Phone alarm fiasco
For this prank, you’ll have to coordinate with lots of people – but it’s worth it. Have everyone set their phone alarm to go off at the exact same time, particularly when people will be in class. Have some leave their phones in their lockers and others to class, just ensuring that the volume is turned all the way up. When they go off, teachers and the administration will have no idea what’s happening!
Erica, a junior at Boston University, had her senior class do this. “We had the entire student body of seniors set their alarms for 2:13, since we were the class of 2013,” she says. “Once 2:13 hit, we all stormed the hallways.” Fun!
Rubber mice
Well, you don’t necessarily have to use mice – but you get the point. Placing a bunch of rubber animals or bugs throughout the school is hilarious, without causing any issues that real creatures would! Some of the best places to hide them include: bathroom stalls, in lockers, around the hallways, under desks and more.
Beach party
This one is a classic. Get the entire senior class together for a Hawaiian-themed party! Depending on how risky you’re feeling, you could either use the cafeteria or the parking lot. Either way, go all out by bringing inflatable palm trees, Tiki torches, beach chairs, a small pool and even a BBQ to grill on (if you’re going to be outside, that is)! This is also a great last hoorah for your class before graduation.
Giant nap
Similar to the phone prank, plan out a time with the rest of your class to do this – preferably during a transition between classes or even while class is in session! Have people bring sleeping bags, blankets, pillows or even pajamas to change into. At a specific time, have everyone drop to the floor and pretend to (or actually) fall asleep! Your teachers will definitely be perplexed, and it will be hilarious.
Graduation chairs
While you don’t want to do anything too ridiculous at graduation, there is one prank that’s bound to make the audience laugh! Lauren McClure, a senior at the University of Wyoming, executed this perfect graduation trick. “When our class president did her speech at our graduation, she said ‘class of 2012’ four times, and every time she said it, all 870 people in my class lifted up our chairs a quarter turn to the right,” McClure says. “So, by the end of the speech we had faced all sides of the stadium and ended up facing the stage again. The parents and administration actually loved it and it was really fun for all of us to do together.” If you have a big class like Lauren did, start coordinating now!
Related: 5 Ways To Make The Most Out Of Your Second Semester of Senior Year
The Bad
Impromptu party
Yes, an actual party – with alcohol and everything. Contrary to popular belief, some students do think doing this on school property would not land them in any trouble. This happens year after year, and it never ends well. Just because the year is ending, doesn’t mean you can break the rules without consequences.
Sign change
This should go without saying, but a lot of pranks do this and end up costing students – literally. If your school has either a marquee sign or one with letters that can be moved, you might want to avoid messing with them. A lot of times, students will be charged for tampering with the property! It’s best to avoid anything of this sort.
Craigslist scam
Although most Craigslist users who come across a high school listed for $1 would know the post to be a prank, that’s not always the case. When students at a Ohio high school posted exactly this, school administrators called the police. Luckily for the students, the local law enforcement was more understandable than the school and did nothing to punish them. However, you shouldn’t push your luck!
Related: 5 Problems All Second Semester Seniors Have (& How to Fix Them!)
The Ugly
Goldfish murder
Surprisingly enough, these are done practically every year! Seniors will take some sort of live animal or bug and put it in their school’s pool. It doesn’t usually turn out, well.
Brooke Grasso, a sophomore at the University of La Verne, saw this first hand. “Some seniors at my high school put nearly a hundred real living gold fish in the swimming pool so that water polo couldn’t practice,” she says. “Well, the fish quickly died in the heavily chlorinated pool.” Not so fun.
Vandalism
Unfortunately, there are many senior pranks that go too far. Last April, a Tennessee high school 100 students were banned from graduation after filling the hallways with crickets, chickens, urine, trash, and dead animals. It started out innocent and was only supposed to involve balloons and glitter; however, things got out of hand when more and more students began to show up. You shouldn’t ever risk missing out on graduation, so always be careful and respect school property!
Water Balloon fight
This sounds innocent, right? Wrong. Oftentimes, when you bring together the entire senior class, there are bound to be some students who don’t exactly get along. This is when situations like a water balloon fight turn ugly. A high school in Florida learned this the hard way when fights broke out at what was intended to be a playful water balloon war, and the police were called. 21 students were pepper-sprayed and 3 were arrested. Just don’t even go there.
As graduation gets closer and closer, the more prepared you and your friends should be for your epic senior prank! As your parents would say, have fun AND be smart.