DIY Life

Lots of April Fool's pranks take weeks in preparation, devising complicated plots, gathering obscure materials, and finally getting that long awaited reaction when you pull it off. That doesn't mean that the fun is reserved for those of you who are willing to stage fake bank foreclosures or fudge positive pregnancy tests. The rest of us, who just want to have a little fun, can get in on the games too.

If you're looking for a way to prank your office mate, this booby trapped chair is simple and harmless. The scheming, weaselly guy in the video pulls this prank on his unsuspecting co-worker. Choose your victim wisely, and you'll both be left laughing.

All you need is a few minutes, some clear fishing line, and your office mates desk and chair. Wait until he slips away, and tie fishing line to various desk items, then to the leg of his chair. When he comes back and pulls his chair out, his other office supplies will come flying out along with it. Make sure you don't attach it to anything that could be dangerous, or could get damaged.

This is a great way to break up the work day, and bring a little light-hearted April 1 spirit into the office.

Do you have the ultimate April Fool's day prank planned for tomorrow? Are you just itching to catch your unsuspecting victim's reaction on camera?

Well, now you can get a little extra credit for your hard work and planning. Get out your camera early, and document the whole thing, from conception, set-up, and finally the seamless execution on your brilliant plan.

If you're game, enter the Instructables April Fools Speed Contest. They only want pranks that are in good taste; nothing harmful, malicious or nasty. Entry deadline is April 13, so document your final preparations and capture the reactions you get this April 1.

Each prize package includes a robot t-shirt, and a mystery prize package. Considering the theme of this contest, I'm curious to see what these surprise packages include. Some of the current top votes include the toilet prank, and the jelly donut surprise. Enter your own gag, or vote for your favorites today.

Have you ever taught a four-year-old to tell knock-knock jokes? They get the idea, but not quite well enough to pull it off. (Knock knock. Who's there? Banana. Banana who? Orange you glad I didn't say banana? But you did say banan...oh, never mind.)

That's kind of how it is when you teach a young child about April Fool's Day. I tried to teach my then four-year-old last year, but eventually it dissolved into "Mama, there's an elephant in the driveway." By the 1,000th time, I was wishing April Fool's Day would be done already.

This year, I'm committed to expanding their humor base. Laughter is important in a household and pranks that are funny, but not hurtful, can tickle everyone's funny bone. These food pranks from Family Fun are a great place to start. Surprise kids at breakfast with some alien milk, put a surprise in their lunch box, or help them prank the whole family at dinner with a fauxberry pie.

After reading these quick computer pranks, I can't tell you how badly I wished my brother lived nearby. We have a long history of playing April Fool's pranks on each other, so long that if the phone even rings on April Fool's Day, we've already got our defenses up. But a prank on his computer? That I haven't tried before.

April Fool's Day is tomorrow and it's the perfect time to have a little fun with your co-workers. Before you start making a list of victims, however, keep a few tips in mind when playing pranks at work:

• Avoid embarrassing your co-workers or making a disruption at work.
• Think ahead and consider all possible consequences of your prank.
• Don't be mean -- April Fool's Day is supposed to be fun, not an opportunity for revenge.
• Remember that you're a professional -- some jokes just aren't appropriate.
• If your boss is the target, be very, very careful.
• Keep pranks short, sweet, and simple.