DO prank your friends—but only the ones that can take a good-natured joke. Put some time into planning 
your prank because the last time you pulled an April Fools’ joke on your friend was most likely a prank you thought up ten minutes beforehand. Assume the role of Ashton Kutcher when he was on Punk’d, and come up with a ridiculous prank to fool your friends. Next time, instead of spending your time looking up pictures of cats in bread (Catsinbread.com), look up a few conniving pranks to avenge yourself for the last time your friend table-topped you at a party.
DON’T implement a prank that will leave your prankee steaming, stained or scarred. As funny as it might be making your friend sit in a puddle of ink or singeing off a tuft of hair, we promise you it will not be as funny when you must confront their mother. Talk about a walk of shame—next time you ring their doorbell it will not be a platter of Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies that greet you at the door. No matter how great of friends you are, nobody likes a permanent prank, so remember to keep it light and only semi-embarrassing…not something that will leave your friend’s cheeks red forever.
DO make sure you put on your sense of humor in the morning because nobody likes a sour spirit after a light-hearted joke. In fact, if you’re the one getting pranked and haven’t prepared yourself defensively for April Fools’ Day, not only is it your own fault that you have chocolate smeared on your pants, but it’s also your fault that you haven’t prepared a prank to join in the fun.
DON’T get pranked yourself. April Fools’ Day is a day where being on the defensive is extremely important. Make sure you put in your contacts for your back-of-the-head eyes, and wake up an hour early to sharpen your cat-like reflexes for the day ahead. Even if you haven’t been to a karate class, bring out a colored belt and smear on some eyeblack as a sign to your friends that you are prepared.
-BRITTANY FILE and EMMA FUZIE
