Lovely birthday

Funny surprises that liven up birthdays. Prank ideas that get everyone excited.

Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICsasashina
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. During my student years at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, I studied a wide range of fields including sound, lighting, and video technology, building a foundation in comprehensive stage production and creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, consistently building experience in production and engaging in a variety of music-centered tasks. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting and what I feel and discover through daily interactions with my kids. I hope my work can be of help to you, even in a small way!
lighterutatane
A person from the melodic hardcore boom generation who loves music, photography, and eating. I’ve been going to live houses for over 20 years. I’m at the age where summer festivals are starting to feel tough physically. I sometimes try shooting live photos and videos for MVs. I’m not great at English, so I often listen to straightforward Japanese rock that hits directly, but if someone recommends something, I’ll listen to anything—Western or Japanese—broadly and casually. I like cooking while listening to music; it’s a nice way to relieve stress.

When you think, “I want to celebrate the birthday of a friend, family member, or partner!!” how would you celebrate it?

If you feel that “just a normal celebration isn’t enough,” you probably want to try a surprise or a prank, right?

So in this article, we’ll introduce plenty of surprise and prank ideas that are perfect for birthday celebrations!

We’ve picked out not only heartwarming surprises but also lots of playful prank-style ideas, so please use them as a reference!

Funny surprises that liven up birthdays. Hilarious prank ideas (71–80)

Handmade! Russian Bath Bomb

[Prank] I tried putting a ton of bath bombs with cockroaches in the tub!

Handmade! Russian Bath Bomb

Bath bombs are cute and delightful to receive, but did you know they’re surprisingly easy to make at home? If you gift a handmade bath bomb crafted with love for someone’s birthday, they’re sure to be thrilled! You could add nicely scented bath salts or pretty dried flowers, too.

But just making them happy might be a bit boring! In that case, it could be fun to secretly tuck in a little toy insect (haha).

It’ll be a birthday they won’t forget!

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Send a celebratory LINE message to everyone at once

Isn’t almost everyone keeping in touch with friends on LINE? Here’s a surprise idea: send a flood of celebratory LINE messages all at once.

The plan is to decide on a time in advance and have everyone send their congratulatory messages simultaneously.

If you send from individual chats, the screens will fill up with celebration messages, boosting the sense of happiness.

Try thinking up warm messages to send.

As a variation, you can also send stickers or gifts.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Be celebrated by strangers

[Unprecedented Prank] A Stranger Suddenly Celebrated Her Birthday, and the Potato Girl’s Reaction Was Insane lol

Be celebrated by strangers

When it comes to birthday surprises, many people probably think of throwing a surprise party.

The usual setup is to call the birthday person out under some pretext, and at the destination there’s a venue ready to celebrate—plus their friends.

But how about this twist: arrange for a complete stranger to congratulate them instead? Since it’s a stranger, choose someone who seems as un-suspicious and refreshing as possible to do the celebrating! And be sure to capture the whole scene with a hidden camera!

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Homemade bento as a present

How about a heartwarming surprise with a homemade bento? The contents can be anything, but it’s nice to tie them to a birthday or to the person themselves.

For example, you could recreate a birthday cake in the style of a character bento, or pack it full of their favorite foods.

This is a surprise you can pull off either by yourself or with a group of friends.

Beforehand, don’t forget to tell them, “Don’t bring a lunch tomorrow!” Alternatively, you could focus mainly on desserts.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

“Congratulations!” in a reverse playback telephone game

[Prank] We pulled off a surprise during a reverse-playback telephone game and everyone was swept up in emotion #Justistar #TelephoneGame #Prank

“Congratulations!” in a reverse playback telephone game

Do you know the reverse-playback telephone game? The reverse-playback telephone game is a version of the telephone game played using a recording app that has a reverse playback feature.

Players can only listen to what’s being said in reverse, so it’s more challenging than usual.

It’s also great for birthday surprises.

Make the birthday person go last and pass along a keyword like “Happy Birthday.” When they figure it out, they’ll be both surprised and moved.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Prank with special effects makeup

[Beyond terrifying] I secretly shaved my head and came home without telling my husband!!!

Prank with special effects makeup

If you’re looking for a prank that will truly shock someone, special-effects makeup pranks are highly recommended.

For women, you could use SFX makeup to look completely bald, or go with the classic zombie makeup to give them a scare—there are plenty of ways to surprise people.

Professional makeup can be expensive, but variety stores sell more accessible options you can enjoy more easily.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Birthday flash mob

[Flash Mob] [Birthday] Birthday surprise! A message for my best friend turning 20 [Waseda]

Birthday flash mob

To celebrate my childhood best friend’s 20th birthday, I arranged a flash mob.

Suddenly, a dance started right in front of us, and with each song change, more people joined in.

In the end, the girl who planned it danced together with her best friend, including a solo.

The grandeur and sincerity of it brought me to tears.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem