8 Ways to Enjoy Humor with Your Kids

You can support your child's sense of humor by creating a playful environment in your home. Experimenting with words, exchanging jokes, and sharing humorous stories are ways to help kids see the lighter side of life. Humor is a great stress-reducer, which makes it good for everyone's health. Kids who are able to use humor with their peers have an easier time in social situations.

Knock! Knock! April 2008 Highlights High Five

Here are 8 ways to enjoy humor with your kids:

  • Make up funny, alternative lyrics to familiar songs.
  • Create new endings to nursery rhymes.
  • Laugh at your children's puns and riddles—even if you've heard them before.
  • Read humorous stories and jokes.
  • Watch funny movies.
  • Create a comedy night where you each do a stand-up routine.
  • Help your kids understand that there's a difference between having fun and making fun of somebody. People's physical attributes, names, families, and origins are off-limits for jokes.
  • Older kids will find it interesting to learn about various types of humor like satire, caricature, comics, and slapstick.

To read about what kids find funny, go to It’s a Funny Thing....

To get ideas for making a Family Joke Book, click here.

To find great jokes, riddles, and humorous stories, check out Highlights ®, Highlights High Five ™, and HighlightsKids.com.