The best thing about being part of a family is the fact that someone truly understands you and knows who you are, in your heart of hearts. It’s our greatest strength… and our biggest weakness. You see, when you move aside all the wholesomeness and heart-warming stuff, you realize that the people closest to you have an unprecedented wealth of information on how to push your buttons and make you laugh. Maybe even at the same time! That’s where practical jokes come in.
Pranks are an inevitable part of growing up with siblings. Depending on how much you like practical humor, this might mean living in a never-ending nightmare or fabulously roleplaying as comedy legends and prank grandmasters Fred and George Weasley. One thing that’s great is that pranks don’t have an expiration date: it doesn’t matter how old you are, so long as you’ve got that spark of humor burning brightly in your soul.
To get you in a great mood right before the weekend, Bored Panda has compiled this list of the very best sibling pranks. Check them out below! Bored Panda also reached out to British comedy expert, writer, and stand-up comedian Ariane Sherine to go in-depth about pranks. You’ll find the full interview if you’ll scroll down.
In the mood for some more sibling rivalry and creative pranks? We know you are, Pandas! Once you’re done enjoying this list and upvoting all the imaginative pranks that got you chuckling, you should definitely check out our two articles right over here and here. Pranks on top of pranks, and there’s no end to them!
#1 I Told My Sister If She Graduated With Honors I Would Wear A Matching Dress To Her Graduation
She said the thought of seeing me in a dress was her motivation when she wanted to quit. Worth it to me.
Image credits: frekkenstein
#2 5 Years Ago I Promised My Sister I Would Bring A Llama To Her Wedding
Image credits: DJ117Xx
#3 When My Parents Got Married, They Had To Kneel At The Alter And Unknowingly To My Father, His Brother Wrote This On The Bottom Of His Shoes
Earlier that day my uncle had "kindly offered to shine his shoes for him". My mother's side was a bit more conservative and unimpressed, dad's side howled!
Image credits: emilybowser
Bored Panda reached out to London-based comedy writer and all-around humor expert Ariane to get her opinion on pranks and humor in family contexts. She was kind enough to answer a few of our questions. She believes that pranks need to be funny and harmless, with an important emphasis on the ‘harmless’ part.
“For me, a good prank is funny and believable but harmless with little or no risk to the person being pranked,” she told Bored Panda. “For instance, when my daughter was five, I put her toy dog on a tea stain on the bed and pretended it had done a wee! I personally don’t like pranks where anyone gets hurt or upset, but maybe I’m just a bit soft.”
#4 That Young Man Is My New Hero
Image credits: southern_ell
#5 Okay Y'all, I'm Pranking My Sis Let's Hope She Poops Her Pants
#6 $100 In Singles Individually Wrapped For My Brother
Image credits: thatrommelswag
We were interested to know how much potential pranksters should take into account other people’s feelings before setting their humor loose on the world. After all, far from everyone is a fan of pranks (though they might love a good laugh, just in a slightly different form!)
“I’m generally very conscious of people’s wishes and feelings. For instance, if I knew that someone was arachnophobic (had a spider phobia) there’s no way I’d give them a wrapped gift box with a big spider in!” comedy expert Ariane gave us her personal preference.
#7 Each Year My Brother And I Compete To Give The Hardest To Open Birthday Gift. This Year I’ve Wrapped His Gift In Concrete
Image credits: Jordanc369
#8 My Friend Found A Photo I Gave Her In Kindergarten. My Older Brother Helped Me Write The Note
Image credits: diaryofasamsquanch
#9 My Little Brother Is A Jerk
Image credits: undercoverantichrist
“My daughter wanted to prank her stepmum with a fake rat as her stepmum has a phobia of them, but I managed to persuade her not to,” she opened up to Bored Panda.
As for some advice on staying fun-loving, full of humor, and silly as we grow up, Ariane suggested having kids. “Kids are hilarious and very silly so it’s hard to become boring when they’re in the house,” she exclaimed. It’s hard to argue with her: if things were different, this article wouldn’t exist.
“My daughter and I love pranking each other. I remember the time she took some brown plasticine and molded it into a convincing poo shape, then asked me why there was a poo on the floor! We make each other laugh all the time,” Ariane shared a bit more about the humor dynamic with her daughter.
#10 My Brother Turns 30 Tomorrow. This Is What He's Unwrapping vs. What I'll Bring Out Once He Realizes
Image credits: BurnieTheBrony
#11 Sibling Gift Exchange
Image credits: rrrroasted
#12 I Thought I Was Seeing My Soon To Be Bride For The First Time, My Brother Stepped In
Image credits: chosenplatypus
During a previous interview, comedian Ariane explained to Bored Panda that courage plays a vital role in comedy, whether we’re talking about making people laugh during a stand-up night on stage or elsewhere. “The more courageous you are, the more you'll shed your inhibitions and the greater the chance that you'll say something shocking and funny."
#13 Birthday Present For My Sister
Image credits: Murttu
#14 Finished Wrapping My Sister's Present. It's A Necklace
Image credits: Trees_and_bees_plees
#15 My Sister Learned A Valuable Lesson: If You Let Your Older Brother Take An Ugly Picture Of You, You Will Get It On A Custom Color-Changing Mug As A Gag Gift
Image credits: Alomba87
Ariane pointed out that comedy can’t exist without the element of surprise. It’s absolutely “essential.” We also have to be aware of the fact that most comedy, from jokes to epics comebacks, has “an edge or a hint of cruelty” to it. “If you're timid and careful, then you're probably not going to want to offend people with comebacks and will be polite rather than witty," she told Bored Panda.
#16 My Sister Thought My Leg Could Use More Holiday Spirit
Image credits: stalnoypirat
#17 My Wife Is Way Too Amused At My Sister's Gift To Me
Image credits: TheIndulgery
#18 “Shirtception" - My Favorite Gift Every Year From My Brother. We're Now At Level 7
Image credits: GeorgieWashington
Anonymity helps a lot when it comes to feeling safer, braver, and freer. We’re more likely to state our real opinions and our jokes will be less censored if we know that our identities and careers aren’t on the line. However, there is a problem that many people are aware of. Anonymity also breeds bullying and empowers some individuals to be hateful towards others.
#19 My Sister Bought Me This Ring With Our Birthstones For My Birthday With A Super Sentimental Message Engraved On The Inside
Image credits: Do_the_Scarn77
#20 Sister Had A Tooth Thing Going On And Covid Has Prevented Her From Getting It Fixed. I Got A Mask Made For Her
Ya know, to make her feel less conscience about it. It is what brothers do, right?
Image credits: mandrew32183
#21 I’m Gonna Prank My Sister By Making A Fake Stranger Things 4 Advertisement. Instead Of Linking To A Trailer, It Will Link To A Rickroll. I’m Almost Done
Image credits: Basil_9
"We feel freer to say things we wouldn't say in real life, but that also means we're more likely to be hurtful. I think the same is true of being on stage for comics—when we're holding the mic we feel free to dispense with niceties," Ariane explained the relationship between comedy and honesty.
#22 I Received My First Letter From My Brother After He Moved Halfway Across The Country
It says: “You can pay a dude like 41¢ to hand deliver a note calling your brother a b***h”
Image credits: Dannyg4821
#23 I Was Chillin On The Couch When My Brother Gave Me This
Image credits: LaptopDanzpie
#24 Not Sure If I Should Be Proud Or Concerned. My Daughter Said “He’s Got The Rona!” And Started Making Him A Coffin
Image credits: alxrite
Jokes are a lot of fun, but we do tend to find them more amusing if they don’t come at our expense. If you ever find yourself being poked fun at or heckled, it’s time to whip out some oven-baked roasts and powerful comebacks to launch some humor back. “I think the most important thing with comebacks is speed. Even if the joke isn't a total zinger, people will be impressed by your quickfire response," comedian Ariane said earlier.
#25 Uncle Level 100 Achieved Today
Image credits: bg422
#26 My Brother Sent This While House Sitting 5 Chihuahuas
Image credits: la_baconator
#27 I Got My Sister And Her Boyfriend A Fleece Blanket With Pictures Of Me On It So They Know Not To Misbehave
Image credits: McChillin8
“It needs to be very fast, well-timed, and take people by surprise as well as being clever, witty, and immediately understandable,” she said what a good comeback needs to get everyone laughing. “You don't want to give them [the audience] the chance to reject you—you've got to get in there first with a funny insult!"
#28 My Brother Cleaned And Organized Our Bathroom While I Was Away Last Week. Last Night I Accidentally Left Some Things Out, So He Set This Little Scene Up With His Legos
Image credits: Literally_Jaden
#29 Genius
Image credits: Dilicious23
#30 My Little Sister Knocked On My Door And I Came Out To This
Image credits: RexFry2005
#31 Labeling Everything In My Brother's Room Until He Realizes Day 4
Image credits: Dankosaurus420
#32 I Got Married This Weekend And My Sister Saw An Opportunity With This Picture
Image credits: damwards
#33 I Found Out I’m Going To Be An Uncle. My Sister Wasn’t Too Happy About My Interpretation Of Her Upside Down Ultrasound
Image credits: jmkillilea2
#34 My Brother Got Stuck On A Swing So I Put The Hose Underneath Him Like A Good Brother Would
Image credits: russian-florida-man
#35 Little Sister Has Got Her Back
Image credits: deployedinspiration
#36 Today Is My Sister's Birthday, She Is A K-Pop Fan, I Took Care Of The Decoration, Since I Don't Know These Bands, I Made The Theme Of The Most Famous Korean I Knew. She Loved It
Image credits: vitor.desouza.944
#37 When You Ask Your Brother To Pick You Up From The Airport After A 25-Hour Flight
Image credits: doctor.singer
#38 My Sister Is Visiting Me For Christmas. I Prepared Some Bedding For The Guest Room
Image credits: ChocolateCrepe
#39 I Swear, I Will Do This Every Single Time One Of My Little Brothers Graduates From Somewhere
Image credits: librarian-byday
#40 We Made "Healthy" Ferrero Rocher Chocolates For My Brother
Image credits: ambadatusername
#41 Decided To Spice Up My Brother's Baby Photos
Image credits: Starannosc
#42 The Switch Game My Little Brother Wanted To Gift Me This Christmas Was Only Digitally Available. He Wanted Me To Be Able To Unwrap Something, So He Did This
He recreated the package on his own. With some creative liberties.
Image credits: gugugagatg
#43 My Family Has 2 Vases That We Keep Leaving At Each Other's House. This Is Where I Hid One Today
The other I left on my sister's lawn and drove away while she was yelling at me.
Image credits: yeahnasweetasbro
#44 My Sister Thought I Would Like This For Christmas. Thanks, Sis. Merry Christmas
Image credits: Toledojoe
#45 I Wrapped Every Single LEGO Piece For My Little Brother, Merry Christmas
Image credits: sneki_snek
#46 My Sister Started Crying In The Shopping Center So I Put This Over Her. Now I Can't Take Her Seriously
Image credits: redditrunner2
#47 My Brother Wanted To Measure The Trees In His Yard. This Is How He Did It
Image credits: Shwnwllms
#48 My Sister Got This For My Colorblind Brother
Image credits: WeabooHater9136
#49 My Sister Got Me This For My Birthday
Image credits: poovy23
#50 My Younger Brother Did Me Dirty
Image credits: Asackofgiantpotatoes
#51 My Brother Rearranged My Keyboard
Image credits: TheBk_1er
#52 When Your Little Brother Does This To Your Bass
Image credits: michoarmani
#53 Bridesmaid Shows Up In T-Rex Costume For Her Sister’s Wedding After The Bride Told Her To Wear "Whatever She Wants"
Image credits: Christina A. Meador
#54 My Daughter Gave My Son, Her Older Brother, A Signed Picture Of Herself For Christmas
Image credits: Nomad-Rambler
#55 Celebrated My Little Brothers 35th Birthday Today And Got Him The Best Cake Ever
Image credits: JSFord815
#56 My Sister Made A Happy-One-Year-Since-Brain-Surgery Cake
Image credits: lasertoast
#57 This Is What Happens When I Ask My Sister To Take A Picture Of Me Next To A Fountain
Image credits: soulcityyoga_
#58 Sister Was Trying To Be Funny
Image credits: ralland
#59 This Is One Of Those Situations Where Mom Has To Intervene. Setup For Little Brother
Image credits: estherpickard
#60 While I Was Out Of Town, My Sister Sent Me An Update On Our Dog
Image credits: mynameisnotkamron
#61 Hell Yeah Brother
Image credits: charleswalsh207
#62 As A Prank, My Brother Wrapped 8 Pairs Of My Shoes Up In Tinfoil And Duct Tape. I'm 23 And He's 31. We May Never Grow Up (Hat For Size Reference)
Image credits: danielwson
#63 Decided To Decorate My Sister’s Room Before She Comes Home For The Holidays. I Hope She Likes It
Image credits: scrambelina
#64 My Brother Asked For A Ladder
Image credits: gooses_geeses_
#65 I Got My Brother A Spare Part For His Bike For Christmas. Only Spent About 4 Hours Wrapping It
Image credits: bakeseal
#66 Sister Left Me In Charge Of Her New Puppy. Sent Her This Saying "He's On A Wok"
Image credits: JestarAuthor
#67 My Little Brother Is Getting A New Room. I'll Sleep Better Knowing That Whenever He Bends Down To Charge His Phone, He’ll Be A Dummy
Image credits: screaming_bagpipes
#68 My Brother Got Me Back For Wrapping His Gift In Zip Ties Last Year. Let The Games Begin
Image credits: adapperlifeforme
#69 My Brother Offered My Mom A Sandwich, She Said No And Then I Said “Well How Rude, I Want A Sandwich!”. He Did Not Disappoint
Image credits: PixieDust91xo
#70 DIY Bandage
Image credits: skyemcreid
#71 McDonald's Fries
Image credits: kyungscammer
#72 My Brother Bought Me An Outfit, 10 Mins Later, He Walked Into The Room Like This. He Likes Twinning
Image credits: pomomp
#73 This Madlad Changed Folder Names Of His Sister's Chemistry Notes, When Assignment Was Due On The Same Day
Image credits: Nicksharma93
#74 My Daughter Tells Jokes That My Son Finds Uncomfortable
Image credits: parksandtheoffice
#75 This Cake My Sister Made
Image credits: badcaffeine
#76 So I Wrapped My Brother's Present As A Toilet For His 8th Birthday
Image credits: Hey_2b2t
#77 So My Brother Stole Arya For A Bit Today. This Happened
Image credits: kellycalifragilistico
#78 He Started A Little Bit Of A Prank War Now He's Waiting For His Moment To Get Her Back For This One
Image credits: freshyhead
#79 So, As A Gag Gift, I'm Giving My Brother His Own Framed Mugshot. Merry Christmas
Image credits: kris190
#80 Brother Said He Just Wanted Money This X-Mas. We Decided To Play Him A Bit
Image credits: Puresub0
#81 My Brothers Wrapped Their Christmas Present To Me In Cement
Image credits: Knot_Much
#82 Me And My Brother Changed The Backgrounds Of Every Single iPhone/iPad In An Apple Store While Our Family Went Black Friday Shopping
Each one had its own unique photo with its own personality.
Image credits: mpantone
#83 For April Fool's Day, I Hide 75 Of These Ball Things All Over My Sister's Room
Image credits: 42-cups-of-tea
#84 My Sister Hid Eggs For My Niece & Nephews. Some Had Candy, Some Had IOUs From Me
Image credits: daverockstar
#85 Had To Teach My Sister Why Not To Dress Up My Nephew Like That
Image credits: bryanmonk
#86 I Was A Mean Sister
Image credits: stepsister69
#87 Every Time I Take A Shower, I Draw Something On The Mirror So It Reappears When My Brother Showers. Today I Went For Something A Little Creepier Than Normal
Image credits: kingcomer
#88 When Siblings Give Gifts
Image credits: stillinbed23
#89 This Happens If You Fall Asleep During A Movie
Image credits: richiebabb
#90 My Sister And I Traded “Bad Taste” Gifts This Year. My Contribution
Image credits: RI_PA
#91 Daughter About To Unleash A Fun Prank On Her Little Brother
Image credits: kitaro53085
#92 My Little Brother Tried To Block The Lens
Image credits: Teebeutel94
#93 My Brother Cut Off The Wire Of His Broken Earbuds To Make Them Look Like AirPods Then Gave Them To My 5-Year-Old Brother As A Present
Image credits: jorgestaxcos
#94 My Little Brother Always Asking Me For Money
Image credits: ohbubbie
#95 She's Crying Because Her Brother Proudly Announced The Size Of A Turd He Laid, But Flushed It Before She Could See It
Image credits: T0BYs_Grundle
#96 The Birthday Cake My Siblings Got Me
Image credits: 50ShadesofBeyBladez
#97 My Fiancé And I Copied My Sister’s Photo
Image credits: ElleonNotnomis
#98 I Gave My Brother My Car, Mixed Feelings
Image credits: Finrojo
#99 Every Christmas My Sister Gets Me A Weapon From Clue. The Collection Is Now Complete
Image credits: DontTrustKevin
#100 When Your Sister Pranks You. She Asked Me To Wake Her Up And I Walked Downstairs To This. I Thought She Was Sleeping In A Really Weird Position Before I Realized
Image credits: aurore_du_ciel
#101 Practicing Halloween Makeup And She Decided She Wants To Scare Her Brother When He Comes Home. So This Little Creep Is Sitting Nonchalant Awaiting His Arrival
Image credits: bldill88
#102 So I’m Going In To Put Her Back In Bed And See My Boy's Face And Ask Her What She Did. This Face Is What I Get
Image credits: prettty_n_pinkk
#103 I Like To Wear This Shirt To My Brother's Sunday School Meetings
Image credits: CharlesButtlet
#104 My Brother Is A Jerk
Image credits: thedarcy
#105 My Sister And Her Cat Share The Same Birthday
Image credits: iratul226
#106 It's My 19th Birthday Today And My Sister Made Me A Cake
Image credits: aaRecessive
#107 My Sister Got Me Some Artwork For My New Apartment To Show How I'm Now A Mature Adult
Image credits: lousyelectrician
#108 Switched Out A Picture Of My Younger Sister With This Fancy Boy And No One Has Noticed For 2 Months
Image credits: popcorn_shmopcorn
#109 Siblings
Image credits: degrudv
#110 I Sent The Blurred Photo To My Brother (Left One) And He Sent Me Back The One On The Right
Image credits: FrewZzy44
#111 Brother Is Cat Sitting And I Asked For Update Pictures. This Is What He Sent
Image credits: SoftballNDrawing
#112 My 9-Year-Old Niece Personally Picked Out A “Get Well” Card For Her Baby Sister. I Can’t Stop Laughing
Image credits: RaccoonJim
#113 Buying A 2nd Index For My Little Brother. But First I Want To Prank Him On Christmas By Wrapping Up My Old Index Box
Image credits: reddit.com
#114 My Sister Tried To Prank Me
Image credits: CheesySofia
#115 My Sister (7) Left This Right Outside Our Door And Ran Back Inside, Looked Through The Window And Told Us The "Doll Maker" Was Coming For Us
Image credits: HeyMaybeStfu
#116 My 8-Year-Old Sister Sent Me This GIF From My Mum's Phone
Image credits: MrDuffyDo
#117 My Son Strikes Again. How Am I Supposed To Continue Yelling And Respond To This Without Laughing?
Image credits: human_geek
#118 How Creepy Does This Look Peering In The Nighttime Window. Sister's Prank
Image credits: pattilf
#119 A Customized Cake From A Loving Brother To His Dearest Sister. Age Is Just A Number For Siblings Fun And Teasing
Image credits: mishtmagic_cakes
#120 Chloe Tried To Scare Her Brother This Morning By Putting A Huge Plastic Spider On His Head So He's Freak Out When He Woke Up
He rolled over and it fell off before he did but she sure thought it was hilarious just the thought of it
Image credits: nicole_mantooth
#121 My Brother Doesn't Like Almonds On His Brownies, So I Made Him A Special Piece Just For Him
There is also exactly 1 almond slice bake into the batter as well.
Image credits: morgan.ninjakitten
#122 That Moment When Your Surprise Whip Cream Your Sister's Face
Image credits: sheshallwander
#123 My Brother’s Guide To Women
Image credits: YoshiCreeper
#124 My Sister Just Got A Fish. He's Her Everything. She Went Out Of Town For The Weekend And Left This
Image credits: jiminie_cricket
#125 A Few Days Ago I Tickled My 6-Year-Old Sister As A Playful Thing. Today I Went For Fun To Tickle Her And She Pointed It Out That I Was Not Allowed To Tickle Her
She put up a sign that forbade it. The photo is the sign she drew and put it up on the door.
Image credits: niox210
#126 I Like To Decorate Wrapping Paper With Absurd Things. Today Is My Little Brother’s Birthday
Image credits: jimmylamstudio
#127 My 8-Year-Old Sister Sent This To Me
Image credits: Xch4v3z21
#128 Just My Son Casually Ripping His Sister's Hair Out
Image credits: Dumpstertrash1
#129 Yesterday My Sister Found Out She Has A Brain Tumor So I Made Her This
Image credits: Ahpla
#130 So I Got Back Home And My Sis Decided To Leave Me A Subtle Message
Image credits: soul_fuzzy
#131 My Brother's Guest Bedroom
Image credits: EOD_for_the_internet
#132 Time To Head Back Home. And Guess Who Was The First To Go To Sleep
Image credits: rusticdesignsbyruby
#133 I Bought A Car Boot For Just $1 At An Estate Sale. So Worth It For The Best Prank I've Pulled On My Brother In A Long Time
Image credits: greengiantj
#134 My Brother Couldn't Help Himself While At The Urologist For Vasectomy Consultation
Image credits: chrispy_bacon
#135 My Brother Wanted Ram For Christmas
Image credits: TheGnomecop
#136 How My Siblings “Hid” The Skittles
Image credits: El-Waffle
#137 Bought My Brother & His Dog Matching Sweaters. Photo Taken In Our Hallway And Edited
Image credits: sunshineandsarcasm
#138 I Seriously Just Came Home To Find This In My Refrigerator. Sibling Pranks
Image credits: typhenyalyssyn36
#139 My Brother Isn’t Very Social, He Sent Me This
Image credits: zombiemullet
