Best High School Pranks

Named one of the 17 wildest high school pranks by The Chive, this prank idea was done by a high school class who had a taste for drama and geekery. They organized a class walk-out, but it was not to protest. They walked out to LARP (Live Action Role Playing). Yes, they dressed as knights, wizards, and warrior maidens, and conducted a shameless LARPing session on the front lawn of the high school. Students even set up a water balloon medieval catapult. This could even make a great April Fools prank for a teacher with a sense of humor.

Some of the best high school pranks involve animals, but remember if you use an animal for your mischief, take the safety of the animal into consideration. In this hilarious prank included on Buzzfeed's best high school pranks of all time, students obtained three small pigs, placed the numbers 1, 2, and 4 on them, then released them in a confined area in the school. Confusion reigned as school officials searched with diligence for the third pig that didn't exist. This can work with any animal. Just make sure you let them loose in a space where they can't run off campus or get hit by vehicles.

An Arkansas high school made it on MTV for their prank idea. They listed their school for sale on Craig'slist for $2,015 or best offer. Their senioritis was so intense they were willing to sell their educators to the highest bidder. The prank resulted in some very confused phone conversations at the desk of the school's administrative assistant. On a positive note, the students pledged in their ad to use the proceeds of the sale for their college education.

Another top 17 prank on The Chive, this one was designed for the incoming freshmen. On the first day of school, seniors switched the numbers on the classes, then sat back and watched as bewildered newbies wandered the campus scratching their heads. One student reportedly couldn't find his history class for two days.

This prom proposal prank made the New York Post in 2017. A creative, rascally young Romeo convinced the local police department to help him invite his girlfriend to prom. A police officer pulled her over one day, and just as her panic mode reached 11, the officer handed her a ticket. Except the ticket was fake, and it was a signed noted from the boyfriend that said, "Will you go to prom with me?"

This high school prank made it on Teen Vogue's list of best pranks. Students brought several boxes of cereal to school, poured different cereals in the sinks, and placed the cereal box next to each sink just in case students had any doubt which cereal selection augmented their daily ablutions. You could augment this prank by also pouring cereal in toilets.

Like the pig prank, this prank featured on The Chive's list will require access to farm animals. It's easiest to pull off if you live in a farming community or if your school has an agriculture program that is willing to cooperate. It's simple but endlessly entertaining: take a few chickens to school, then release them in the administration offices. Stand outside the windows and behold the glorious site of office workers running around chasing chickens.

This made it onto Buzzfeed's best high school pranks of all time, and it's easy to see why. Seniors surprised the school by renting a mobile petting zoo and setting it up in the main quad of campus. Imagine walking to class and hearing the bleats of sheep and goats as you turn the corner.

The students at Santa Barbara High School in Santa Barbara, California pranked their principle by hiring a mariachi band and having the band follow the principle around campus all day. The prank made it in Teen Vogue's prank gallery. If you don't have any mariachi bands in your area, you can get the school marching band to lend some of its musicians.

This one takes careful planning to ensure safety, but this video of a high schooler riding a dirt bike through a high school's halls proves it's possible to do without hurting anyone. The prank went viral on YouTube with 13 million views. The senior class planned for the ride-through by having door sentries open the door for the motorcyclist. Groups of students were stationed along the halls to make sure no one walked in the bike's way. The deafening loudness of a dirt bike revving its engine in a long echoing hallway is amazing to behold, and the look of shock on the faces of students and staff is classic.