Whether one thinks high school is fun or not, everyone can agree that it is a very important milestone in one’s life. During these years, friendships are formed and life is explored. It is also during this time that one transitions slowly and beautifully into a young adult who is ready to face the world.
When seniors leave their high school, they want to do it with a bang. Thus, it is a time-honored tradition that graduating students do one last hurrah of a prank to commemorate the end of an era.
Here are 56 pranks that are so well-executed that if it were not for the evidence scattered on the Internet, they would have become urban legends.
In the world’s greatest show of teamwork, one senior class stole a restaurant’s Paul Bunyan statue at 4 a.m. and hauled it down the highway in a silent convoy of 100 cars. They put it on the school roof, where a crane fetched it the next day.
2. They were getting revenge for their brothers
One class put several dozen chickens in pet carriers and hauled them to the school on Saturday night. On Monday morning, administrators found the school in chaos. Incidentally, Monday was “chicken day” in the cafeteria.
3. There’s no way to avoid a mess
Often considered the “classic” senior prank, all you need for this one is water, cups, and a lot of patience. It’s simple but effective since no one can go anywhere without either making a mess or taking the time to move every single one.
4. That stuff will never come off
At one graduation, several students threw glitter into the air instead of their caps. The principal was furious. It might be small, but if you’ve ever tried to clean up glitter, you know it’s impossible.
5. It was a good day for that company
The seniors at one school paid a local company to haul an enormous boulder in front of the school doors. The administration, unable to get in, had to call the same company to haul it away.
6. How to make everyone come unscrewed
One poster says the entire senior class took screwdrivers to school for several months and gradually removed screws from various objects. They only removed non-central screws so the objects stayed intact, then they sent all the screws to the principal’s office.
7. Make sure they never forget you
A poster of students who graduated in 1985 say their class bought 10,000 business cards with the words “Class of 1985.” They hid them in every crevice they could think of. To this day, 34 years later, students are still finding cards.
8. How to cause pandemonium with one simple change
On the night of March 31, nine high school students broke into the school and switched the top center desk of every single teacher. With more than 75 staff members, the chaos that ensued on the morning of April 1 was legendary.
9. The day he decided to retire
One senior class listed their principal’s house on Craigslist for dirt cheap. The “house showing” was scheduled at the same time as their graduation. He came home to find 12 people eager to tour.
10. The whole school was the butt of this one
Gluing down coins to the floor is a classic prank. But this senior class went one further. They glued them in hallways and on countertops in eating areas, then caught all the fumbles on camera to play at graduation.
11. Don’t abuse, just confuse
The plan was simple: every senior would bring in a minimum of two watermelons. So that’s exactly what they did. The result? The school had more watermelons than it could handle.
12. Chaos, but sweet chaos
One senior class got hundreds of ping pong balls and wrote messages to the school on each one. Then, they sent them flying down five flights of stairs. Not every prank is mean-spirited!
13. Operation Catfish took weeks of preparation
These seniors made a big show of whispering, spreading rumors, and acting as though they were planning an event called “Operation Catfish.” After whipping the teachers into a frenzy, they did…nothing. It was real-life catfishing.
14. This one is great for a good-natured laugh
The seniors asked the teachers a question, “What would you wake up in the middle of the night for?” They collected the answers and bought the items that were listed …then proceeded to wake the teachers up for midnight delivery.
15. They can’t punish all of you
One senior class skipped out of school and had a tailgate party in the parking lot, complete with barbecue, snacks, and soda pong. Thankfully, the administration was good-natured about it and even took on a couple of students in the game.
16. This one got two schools in on the prank
Two senior classes caused pandemonium at two different schools by switching high schools for the day. Each of them took the place and class schedule of a student at the other school, resulting in a glorious show of teamwork.
17. How to give teachers a heart attack
There’s nothing teachers dread more than a fight among students. One senior class staged a fight and gathered around to watch. When the teachers and police officer pushed through the chaos, they found two students playing chess.
18. Sometimes, the best pranks are the simple ones
One senior class set up pillows, blankets, and brought their pajamas for the best pillow fort of all time. Naturally, it was in the middle of the school hallway, disrupting everything.
19. He’ll never be able to listen to mariachi music again
One poor principal was the butt of the joke when a senior class paid a mariachi band to follow him around all day and play constantly. Everything he said and did that day had a soundtrack.
One all-girls school that wore uniforms got their moms in on a prank. The girls stayed home while the moms dressed up in their uniforms and went to class.
21. Who can be mad about a petting zoo?
Another senior class made things a little more interesting by bringing in a petting zoo and putting it in the main quad. There’s no way the school administration could be mad about cute animals to pet!
22. This one requires special cow knowledge
One senior class pooled their money and bought a cow, which they then led up two flights of stairs. Since cows can’t walk down steps unless they’re very shallow, the school had to hire a crane to remove the animal.
23. Harmless but hilarious
Sometimes, the simplest pranks are the best. One senior class decided to go for a classic. They changed the backdrop of a man wearing a sombrero and poncho with the caption “Señor Prank.”
24. *insert Ryan Gosling giggling GIF here*
The students at Pinecrest High School saw an opportunity and took it. How they got up there and removed the letters will probably never be known, but this was the glorious result.
25. This one got the police involved
…and they loved it. These seniors got the cops called on them after their fake car crash looked a little bit too real. The cops congratulated them on their amazing prank.
26. But was there a basilisk?
Remember how scary the scene in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was? Here’s the slightly goofier version, complete with a dangling Mrs. Norris.
27. How on earth did they get it in there?
Parking a car inside the school is a popular senior prank. It throws everyone off their rhythm and of course, forces administrators to figure out how to remove it.
28. At least it’s only soap
Schools with fountains are always at risk of a bubble explosion. Although it’s mostly harmless, it can easily spiral out of control and cause havoc from the sheer amount of soap.
29. The security guard was down for anything
One senior class made a deal with their school’s security guard, who agreed to arrest the principal. He fed him a story about his motorcycle being reported as stolen and put him in handcuffs…to everyone’s amusement.
30. It’s immature, but admit it, you laughed
This graduating class rearranged the bushes of their track field. Originally it read “Bears” and now it reads …well, something else. Is it that clever? No. Is it immature? Definitely. But you still chuckled.
One senior class put up this heartfelt message of thanks, decorating the senior patio with bras. They then topped it off with a water balloon fight in the parking lot.
Every senior brought their dog to school, which is a prank where everyone wins. And be honest, what school official could get mad about a bunch of puppies?
One senior class loaded up furniture into a Les Misérables-style barricade in front of the main school entrance. No one could get in and those who tried were greeted with French flags waving and the sound of angry men.
34. The day the teachers went insane
The seniors knew the staff held its weekly meeting in the library, so they hid alarm clocks everywhere and set them to go at two-minute intervals. By the time the teachers found one alarm clock, another was ringing.
35. Pig #3 is still there to this day
One senior released three pigs into the high school where they wrought chaos. Each pig had a number painted on it: 1, 2, and 4. The staff spent hours catching the pigs and searching for the nonexistent Pig #3.
36. How much Jell-O did they have to buy?
The senior class filled the school swimming pool with Jell-O, which caused havoc. Finally, the school administrators decided to drain it completely, clean it, and fill it again.
37. Hey guys, what day is it?
Some would argue that Wednesday is the hardest day of the week. To celebrate their final “hump day,” one senior class brought a camel to school. Where they found a camel is a mystery.
38. This isn’t school, it’s a party
One senior class turned the school parking lot into a beach scene, complete with sun, sand, and water. Of course, they were all in their bathing suits to make things authentic. It was the perfect way to derail the day.
39. Cement and a car make sure they remember you
Putting a car in the halls of the school is so basic. But putting an old junk car around the school flagpole and then filling it with cement so that it can’t be moved? That’s making sure they remember you.
40. Probably dangerous but oh so fun
One senior class turned their school hallway into a Slip N’ Slide by lining it with trash bags and pouring on water and soap. It was fun for anyone who was part of the prank but downright dangerous for others caught off guard!
41. Sometimes, it’s all about throwing them off their groove
One senior went to the school in the middle of the night and changed the locks on every door. When staff arrived for the day, they couldn’t even get into the building. Naturally, he had the only key.
42. It’s a prank AND a good deed
One senior class erected a jungle gym in the middle of the cafeteria, which meant they nicely derailed the lunch hour. But even better, they donated the jungle gym to an underprivileged school struggling to buy playground equipment.
43. Were there any takers?
Here’s just a snippet of the advertisement the seniors wrote listing their school for sale. Although they made some compelling arguments, the offer didn’t interest anyone.
Another senior class decided to go a slightly smellier route when they strung hundreds of raw hot dogs from every ceiling and doorway in the building. You can only imagine how many people got smacked in the face that day.
Sometimes, it’s fun to make a dramatic exit. Like this senior class that came to school with scooters and literally “scooted out.” Those school hallways are the perfect place to ride.
46. A step up from Wear Your Pajamas to School Day
How about a massive cuddle session on the stairs, complete with blankets, pillows, and even hammocks? Hope none of the teachers or other students needed to use the stairs today.
47. Is anyone feeling thirsty?
Yes, those are goldfish in the water bottles. How they got the vending machine open and the goldfish in the bottles remains a mystery.
48. How badly do you need to go upstairs?
You have two choices: either stay where you are or let all those balloons tumble down the stairs only to make the world’s biggest balloon explosion.
One senior organized a school-wide game with a prize. The condition was that before you got your prize, you had to dance the Macarena. It resulted in a crowd of students dancing with loud demands to dance more enthusiastically.
50. This one is…memorable for sure
In a prank that went as terribly as expected, one senior tossed a pillowcase of 20 mice onto the basketball court during the cheerleaders’ half-time performance. The mice, stunned, didn’t move immediately, and the principal decided to intervene. He was instantly bitten.
51. It may be juvenile, but it’s classic
Well, we’ll give them one thing — it’s certainly noticeable. Even better, you know it made teachers angry, so really, it’s a classic for a reason.
52. Animals seem to be a popular theme
Pigs, cows, dogs, and camels have all been featured in senior pranks, but this senior class managed to fill the school with sheep. They look as confused as the teachers probably were.
Here’s yet another senior class that listed their school for sale to the amusement of some of the faculty. They generously included the underclassmen so buyers are getting a real deal!
54. Anyone up for volleyball?
Forget bringing the beach to the parking lot — how about to the cafeteria? These seniors set up a beach volleyball pit and proceeded to enjoy a game during lunchtime.
55. All you need is water and a LOT of cups
Here’s another take on the classic water and cups prank. It’s impossible to get up the stairs without making a mess. So, your only option is to stop everything and move one cup at a time.
56. That seems dangerous!
How about moving furniture onto the playing field…even better, getting it onto a goal post? Yes, that’s a desk hanging there. No word on how the students got it there OR how they got it down.
