Laughter is the Best Medicine Ways to Make Sure Your Kids Laugh
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105 Ways to Make Your Kids Laugh: Laughter Is The Best Medicine

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Do you enjoy seeing your child throw their head back and let out a deep belly contagious laugh? Wouldn’t it be great if you could get your child to laugh as often as you wanted them to?  I’ll show you ways to make your kids laugh, so you can connect with them and make wonderful memories.  You will get the exact ways I keep my kids smiling and laughing daily!

Laughter is super duper therapeutic! That’s why there’s a saying, “Laughter is the best medicine.” 

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The Benefits of Finding Ways to Make Your Kids Laugh (Source)

Just to name a few reasons why laughter should be a priority:  Laughter can do great things for the family.  It can heal, build resilience, help family members forgive, stop children from having meltdowns and fits, and there are a number of physical, mental and social benefits. 

Crying and laughing release anxiety. Laughing can have the same effect emotionally and psychologically for a  person as crying.  A no-brainer- I wanted to choose laughter!

Our children carry around emotional backpacks that they will eventually unload.  If we are making sure that our children are laughing regularly, then there will almost definitely be less crying and whining. 

This keeps us looking for ways to make your kids laugh because crying and whining give me anxiety!

105 Ways to Make Your Child Laugh: Find out the benefits of being a fun mom. Use the framework I give you, to become a fun mom and connect with your child. #intentionalparenting #parentingtips #parenthood #howtotalktoyourchild

Physical Benefits:

  • Boosts immunity
  • More blood flows to the brain
  • Relaxes muscles
  • Healthier heart
  • Lowers stress hormones

Mental Benefits:

  • Eases anxiety and stress
  • Improves moods
  • Strengthens resilience
  • More joy and happiness
  • Changes perspective
  • Releases endorphins

Social Benefits:

  • Strengthens relationships
  • Helps reduce conflict
  • Promotes bonding
  • Improves Cooperation
  • Feel comfortable with each other
  • Enhances teamwork
105 Ways to Make Your Kids Laugh: Laughter Is The Best Medicine Find out the benefits of laughter as well as 10 ideas for getting your kids to laugh #connnectwithyourkids #intentionalparenting #parentingtips #raisingkids

Kids Feed Off of the Parent’s Moods

Laughing is one of my favorite things to do.  It’s fun.  It’s free. It feels good!  What else do you need?

You can gauge your child’s moods and your connectedness throughout the day by how easily you can make them laugh.  You start to realize your child feeds off of your moods and giggles or lack thereof. Uh, do the parenting responsibilities ever end?

Related Article: A Family That Laughs Together Stays Together- 100 Jokes to Make Your Kids Laugh

How to Make Sure There Is Laughter

You will need to put a plan into action.  Begin to keep a mental note of how much laughter your family has had throughout the day.  Try to make sure and have a good pre-lunch laugh and an evening laugh. Of course, you will have others, but be very intentional about these two.  It makes a world of difference. 

You and your child will be more connected, and they stay focused longer. Kids who laugh more often rarely have fits. In fact, when things get hectic around there, and you go, go, go, and there’s whining and crying and lots of needinesses, you will realize laughter is the missing piece. Pull out the list and get the giggles going!

100 Jokes Worth Telling Your Child PDF

Intentional About Laughter

Over the years I have learned, when I say, “This is so fun”, and laugh or just start making myself laugh, the boys follow my lead. It’s infectious. It shifts their mindset.  Also, I try to be intentional throughout the day to smile real big when they look at me.  It’s amazing the smile they mirror back.  

Related Article:  Making FUN a Part of Your Family Culture!

Laughter is the Best Medicine Ways to Make Sure Your Kids Laugh

Always make kids laugh at your expense.  Never at the child’s expense.  Don’t embarrass or humiliate a child!  It breaks trust.

Ways to Make Your Kids Laugh

  1. Roughhouse with your child.  If you’re not used to roughhousing, read Dr. Laura Markham’s 10 Tips.
  2. Tell the kids no laughing or giggling, then say funny stuff, make silly noises and crazy faces, remind them they are not supposed to laugh.
  3. Act goofy, make mistakes on purpose, act like you’re having trouble walking or talking or remembering things.
  4. Read funny books.
  5. Play hide and seek.  When you find your child, act thrilled to see them.
  6. Play chase inside or out.  Make funny noises when you are the chaser.
  7. Chase the kids with a stuffed animal or puppet.  Make the sound of the animal as you chase.
  8. Play on the bed. Make a parachute with the sheets. Let the kids jump into it.
  9. Act like the kids are so strong they can push you over.
  10. Say, “I sure am hungry. What do I want? How about a finger? Leg? Belly button? Neck?” and act like I’m eating them on my kids.
  11. Act like you tripped over something and fall down.
  12. Play this little piggy.  Kids are never too old for this btw!
  13. Ride a little horsey, down to town, you better watch out so you don’t fall down (they ride on your legs & you act like you’re going to tump them off.)
  14. Change the words to songs to include the kids or to be goofy.
  15. Only talk in rhyme.
  16. Make up a story that includes your child and friends.  Make them the hero and include humor. My kids will listen to as many stories as we are willing to make up!
  17. Start singing your favorite song. Jam out dancing and singing dramatically.  Pick up the nearest item to use as a microphone.
  18. Let your child tickle you.  Die laughing and act like you can hardly stand it. 
  19. Say, “Where’s your Mommy?” They’ll say, “You’re our Mommy!” Then I say no I’m a _____, and I act like that animal until they say, “No, be Mommy, be Mommy.”
  20. If you wear glasses, take them off and act like you can’t see. Stumble over things.  Trip and fall.  Stick your arms out in front of you as if you are searching, and say, “Where is (your child’s name)?  Oh, I hear something.”
  21. Put a sheet or blanket over yourself and try to get your kids. Stick your arms out in front and try to grab at your child!
  22. Hide & Seek 
  23. Tickle your child.
  24. Pretend you are sleeping and start snoring.  When your child comes close to you, grab them and start roughhousing.
  25. Play Who Can Make the Silliest Face? game.
  26. Talk in a funny voice.
  27. Talk silly about food.  What do you want for lunch?  Fried armadillo or unwashed broccoli?  What do you want to drink?  Potato juice or water?
  28. Tell Knock-Knock jokes.
  29. Say funny words in a funny voice.
  30. Blow raspberries on their bellies.
  31. Think of what made you laugh as a child and do that.
  32. When you are getting them dressed, pull their pants up high or put their pants on their head and other garments in the wrong area.
  33. Have a water balloon fight.  Let them bomb you often.
  34. Play with silly string.
  35. Watch a funny movie.
  36. Do tongue twisters.
  37. Take funny selfies together. 
  38. Talk in babble and when they laugh, repeat it as if you’re waiting for them to answer you back.
  39. Play truth or dare.
  40. Have a pillow fight.
  41. Play Twister.
  42. Let them put make-up on you.
  43. Let them face paint with each other.  Our favorite face paint.
  44. Act like your tongue is too long and when you talk, let it kind of hang out of your mouth.
  45. Do the Hokey Pokey.
  46. Ask Alexa to tell a joke.
  47. Play Follow the Leader and do crazy stuff.
  48. Tell jokes.  There are 100 great ones here.
  49. Hit a balloon back and forth.  Don’t let it touch the ground.
  50. Have water gunfights.
  51. Have a hula-hoop contest.
  52. Have a Who Can Laugh the Funniest? contest.  It will turn into real laughter.
  53. See who can touch their tongue to their nose.
  54. Watch dance videos and try to imitate the professionals.
  55. Have a sack race.
  56. Have a wheelbarrow race.
  57. Tickle your spouse in front of the kids.
  58. Make funny faces in the mirror.
  59. Let them squirt you with the water hose.
  60. Wash the car.  Spray the kids.
  61. Play Guess Which Animal?  Make animal noises.
  62. Make noises with your armpits.
  63. See who can stare the longest without smiling.
  64. Crank up the radio in the car.  Sing loudly.  Honk every now and then!
  65. Take pictures of the kids acting super silly.  Then look at the pics together.
  66. Play a game of Peek-a-Boo.  Adjust depending on the child’s age.
  67. Do the Chicken Dance.
  68. Play Would You Rather?
  69. Have a mud fight.  Especially if you have boys!
  70. Talk with accents.
  71. Eat ice cream out of a bowl with no utensil.
  72. Jump out and surprise your kids.
  73. Act like a monkey
  74. Let your kids take pictures of you making funny faces.
  75. See who can hold their breath the longest.  Try to make them laugh, so they lose.
  76. Call objects by the wrong name.
  77. Tie your shoe strings together and try to walk quickly.  Accuse the kids of doing it.
  78. Offer horsy rides on your back.  Act silly so the kids have to really hang on.
  79. When you’re going to read a book, act silly.  Turn the book upside down, read from back to front, read in a super silly voice.  When the kids, try to correct you, act as if you have no idea what all the drama is about.
  80. Dance crazy with your partner in order to make the kids laugh.
  81. Everyone gets a cup of water and a straw.  Who can blow the loudest bubbles?
  82. Silly pranks.  Kids love whoopie cushions.  I’ve heard there’s a whoopie cushion app!
  83. Imitate and impersonate your family’s favorite people.  Grandma, a singer, an actor… the possibilities are endless.
  84. Start a joke jar.  Everybody in the family puts a favorite joke or 2 or 3 in.  Every once in a while, pull one out and share it.
  85. Family game night.
  86. Tell your kids something really funny from your childhood.
  87. Put a big mark on your face.  When the kids start pointing it out, act like you have no idea what they’re talking about.
  88. Get some slime in your hands.  Sneeze and throw the slime outward.  Depending on your family culture, throw it on the kids or not?
  89. Hide from Dad when you hear him pull in the driveway.  Let him find ya’ll or jump out and scare him.  You could text him ahead of time, so he knows to add drama.
  90. Go in the yard and do a family spin until everyone is dizzy.
  91. Jump on the trampoline with the kids.
  92. Recruit siblings to get the giggles going.  Siblings know how to turn on the sillies.
  93. Watch funny videos on YouTube.
  94. Dig deep for your inner child and just act silly.
  95. Ask the child for a hug and then squeeze pretty snuggly.  Say, “I love you so much I have to squeeze you this tight!”
  96. Celebrate unique or wacky holidays.
  97. Potty humor never fails.  It just depends on your family culture. Name that poop.  Ex:  Ghost Poop- I thought I pooped.  Where did it go? or Sneaky Poop- I thought it was time to wipe, but here comes another one.  
  98. Something good to know.  If a kid finds a joke funny once, they’ll find it funny again and again.  Way after you’re tired of telling it!
  99. If you make the joke about yourself, kids love it.  They like to be in a position of power.
  100. Use an object for something it’s not made for.  Like a frisbee for a hat or a dishrag for a scarf.
  101. Play Alphabet Improv.  You take back and forth in single sentences.  The first sentence starts with and A word, the second a B word, the third a C word…
  102. Play name that song.  Take turns humming a song and the others have to guess which song your humming.
  103. Play One Word Story
  104. Get involved in Shake My Sillies Out
  105. Last but not least, laughing is contagious.  The more you laugh and the louder you laugh, your kids will follow your lead.

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You will have to test out your humor on your child and see what works and what doesn’t.  Humor comes pretty naturally for me.  My brother and I spent a lot of time trying to make each other laugh, and these are some of my favorite childhood memories. 

If it doesn’t come naturally to you or one of your children, I encourage you to keep at it.  Once you are intentional, kids catch on and they even request some of your funny behaviors. I love it when Jock says, “You’re so funny, Mom.” Both boys are now quite the comedians themselves for which I am grateful.

Laughter- it’s a free form of entertainment for your family!  Don’t forget to use these ways to make your kids laugh!

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Make it a great day or not, the choice is yours!  Remember to have fun, laugh and give God the glory! I love you! SS

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One Comment

  1. Thanks Lena, I appreciate your compliments. I just got into blogging, and lately, I’m kind of down and out. I really feel led to do it though, so I’m going to keep on keepin’ on! Take care & cheers to 2018!

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