How to Develop a Child’s Funny Bone

Kids like to laugh. Every age and stage of development has a genre of jokes that reflect how children are learning to connect with people around them. Babies show the first signs of enjoyment by smiling when looking at their mother or hearing her voice. From then on they learn to play funny games like peek-a-boo or drop the spoon on the floor and let Mom pick it up. Pre-schoolers respond to nonsense sounds and silly rhymes. Five-year olds often get a kick out of body parts and stinky jokes. Some kids would rather play tricks and plan surprises than tell jokes. As verbal skills develop, riddles tickle the funny bone of many kids. Others fall down in fits of laughter over slapstick and sight gags. A sense of the ridiculous is linked to creativity and stimulates intellectual growth. Here are nine ways to keep your kids laughing.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Jokes and riddles
• Funny books
• Funny pictures

1. Giggle with your child every day. Being able to appreciate the silly side turns boredom into pleasure. Besides, a hearty laugh is free and good for health and attitude. If you can't think of anything to giggle about, fake it till you make it. Fake a laugh and you might be surprised how quickly it turns natural.
2. Allow bodily function jokes. As kids grow, they are infatuated with bodies and body parts. Kids love potty jokes and poop books and there are plenty of good ones. It helps them understand how their own body works.
3. Read funny poems and riddles out loud. Make silly sounds and rhymes. Click your tongue and whistle while reading. Use funny voices. This makes reading a stimulating activity and adds a splash of excitement to opening a book.
4. Draw funny pictures. Humor and pictures stimulate the imagination, which is the foundation of creativity. Hang cartoons around the house to remind the kids to do their chores. When you get creative with your humor, you'll motivate the kids tp chip in more easily.
5. Dance around the kitchen and do the weekly chores to happy music. Put on your favorite music and show the kids your dance steps. That will probably be enough to get the giggling started. Besides, you'll be creating such a joyful climate that when the kids grow up and move out, they'll likely think of you and tap their toes.
6. If humor doesn’t come easily for you, then go ahead and steal it from others. Give your kids a book of age appropriate jokes. Take turns telling them to each other.
7. When one of you is mad find a funny way to get it off your chest. Humor is a socially acceptable way to express frustration as long as you're not poking fun at each other or hurting feelings.
8. Approach the day with a light heart. Expect to enjoy being alive. Your kid is watching you, so don’t be a sourpuss all the time. Practice looking for the humor in the day. During dinner take turns telling about a silly thing that happened that day. End the day with a funny story.
9. Always laugh at your child’s attempt at humor. Even it you don’t get the childish or silly joke, be sure to encourage your children to see the sunny side of things. When they grow up and move away from home, they'll think of you and be amused.

Tips & Warnings

• Here are some fun bodily function books: "The Gas We Pass," "Everyone Poops," "Toilets of the World," "The Truth About Poop."