Easy April Fool's Pranks (with littleBits)

Play some tricks on your family and colleagues, and get acquainted with every module of your LittleBits Base Kit! These three easy projects have you covered.

This is a variation on the classic office chair airhorn prank, as well as the joy buzzer-inspired trick described in the booklet that comes with your Base Kit. It's a little milder than a full airhorn, though.

We'll be using the power, button, and buzzer modules.

Simply attach the battery and power module to the stem of your target's chair, then place the button so that it'll be pressed when they sit down. Put the buzzer in line with it, and your chair-horn is complete!

This next prank can vary in cruelty: start with confetti, then work your way up to thumbtacks, or even – dare we say it – glitter.

Start with what we just had, but swap the buzzer out for a motor module.

Attach the "motor mate" extension and stick a cup to it, using double-sided foam tape on the side of the cup.

Use scissors to cut strips of colorful index card into triangles, and fill your cup. You can also use a hole punch to create confetti from anything. Try it with construction paper, bills, credit cards...

You can use the orange wire modules to extend your reach – or, add in a cloudBit to enable your system for remote destruction!! The assembly will be mounted above a door frame. Place the button so that an opening door will contact it, and watch colorful doom rain down. Indulge in an evil laugh.

You can even make this more stealthy – the motor can make a fair amount of noise, alerting your victim and giving them time to dodge.

This must not be. Add the dimmer (potentiometer) module and bar graph. Now, you can tip the cup slowly, making much less noise. As long as your speed is in the green, you're good; get to yellow or red, and you risk tipping off your mark.

This one should be reserved only for those that you know very well. Siblings, partners, that sort of thing.

You'll need just the power module, the light sensor, and two of your little bright LED bits. Switch the sensor to "dark" mode.

We're gonna give somebody nightmares.

Take your power module, stick the light sensor to it, and then put the two LEDs right next to each other. These are the "eyes", which will gaze out at your victim from some dark corner of their room, just as they go to sleep. Cover the red power light on your battery module, and put a color filter in front of the LEDs for a more subtle effect.

Now, hide the assembly someplace where it'll get light during the day, but as soon as they turn out the light, they'll get the feeling that they're being... watched.

It's a great prank.

But maybe... for a few days afterwards...

...watch your back.