Put coffee duty before the universe
During an agreed break, send a wheel asking “Whose turn is it to make the coffee?” with YOU and ME. Choose ME if you are unsure how the joke will land. The spin creates the ceremony, then you make the drinks.
Tell your colleague that the ending was selected. Let them send a reply wheel if they want. Do not use the result to assign a task, spend a colleague’s money or override an actual rota.
Open a department on your own desk
Place a small sign reading “Department of Very Important Biscuits” beside your own snack tin. Add a homemade inspection form with one question: “Was it a good biscuit?” Invite a willing workmate to inspect a snack during their break.
Keep the sign on your own space, follow any food-sharing rules and remove it afterwards. It is a visual joke, not a way to change someone else’s desk or hide their possessions.
Ask a meeting question outside the meeting
After a meeting, share a private wheel asking “Could our next catch-up be a message?” with YES and ABSOLUTELY. Explain that you picked the answer and use it to start a friendly conversation about meeting formats.
This works between peers who already joke about the topic. It should not pretend to be a manager’s instruction, cancel a real meeting or make somebody’s contribution the punchline.
Make a kind desk award
Create an obviously homemade “Best Emergency Snack Supply” award for a willing colleague. Present it one-to-one, with a short note about a time they helped. Keep the humour about a positive habit rather than performance, identity or appearance.
Use a small card instead of stickers on equipment. If they do not enjoy the attention, remove the card and move on. Workplaces differ, so choose the gentlest option and follow your team’s rules.
A few questions, answered
What office pranks should I skip?
Skip device or account changes, fake HR messages, hidden belongings, loud interruptions and jokes involving customers. Keep the activity optional and separate from work decisions.
Can remote colleagues join in?
Yes. A short wheel or friendly award in an appropriate shared chat works remotely. Ask before posting somebody’s photo and do not add people to new groups for the joke.