The science of jokes for kids Children laugh at the unexpected

The science of jokes for kids Children laugh at the unexpectedThe science of jokes for kids Children laugh at the unexpectedUnlike sarcasm or irony,jokes for kidsarent funny because of subtlety. Thankfully, the quality of laughter is largely unrelated to the sophistication of the joke teller. For children, humblepotty humorhas no less brain-boosting worth thana clever pun. As long as the end result is laughter, kids will reap the benefits. But what about parents who are worried they cant tell jokes at all? Happily, there are professionals who know exactly where a kids funny bone is located and can help parents get the laugh every time.Neuroscientist Robert Provine, author ofLaughter A Scientific Investigationhas made a career of studying how and why people laugh. In his research, he found some important neurological factors to laughter that might help parents trying to get a kid to laugh. First off, laughter isnt necessarily about whats funny. Also, it occurs autonomously and without effort. And finally, its a behavior deeply rooted in relationships, which is also why its contagious. Often laughter itself is all thats needed to elicit laughter.Laughter is the sound of play - physical and cognitive, explains Provine. And can be encuraged by engaging in more play. But calling laughter the the sound of play isnt just a metaphor. It is the literal evolutionary origin of laughter. The panting of our playful ancestors became the laughter of modern humans. No jokes were necessary.Also, since laughter is highly social, occurring 30-times more often in social than solitary settings, Provine says. For more laughter in your kids life, they must be in the presence of others.How to make a kid laugh every timeLaugh FirstLaughter is contagious. If your laughing your kid might just start laughing along with you.The Jokes on YouKids love laughing at adults. Its empowering and surprising. Make yourself the butt of the joke and laughter will follow.Add a TwistThe best jokes have an unexpected twist, lean into the surprise.Add PoopPotty humor never fails. Just be prepared for the repercussions.Repeat YourselfIf a kid found a joke funny once, theyll find it funny again, and long after youve tired of telling it.No one knows the reality of social kid laughter better than entertainers. After all, Its their job to make kids laugh. Jack Bedell-Pearce is a father of two and a professional magician and member of the prestigious Magic Circle. He notes that one of the best ways to make a child laugh is to offer the unexpected, particularly if its at the expense of an adult. Balloons popping, puppets misbehaving, props spontaneously breaking and things generally going missing are hilarious to kids, he explains.Bedell-Pearce also notes that kids find it funny to have more information than adults. Kids are rarely in the punkt of having more information than adults, so when the roles are reversed not only is it funny, its also empowering.His experience is very much in li ne with research about what makes jokes funny. Consider the work of psychologist Richard Wiseman who spent a year looking for the funniest joke in the world through his LaughLab project. Based on his research, Wiseman found that while a persons taste plays a small factor in whether or not someone finds a joke funny, the most hilarious jokes share a few distinct qualities. According to his final analysis, Wiseman found the best jokes sometimes make us feel superior to others, reduce the emotional impact of anxiety-provoking situations, or surprise us because of some kind of incongruity.A kid-friendly joke from Belgium is exemplary in those factors Why do ducks have webbed feet? To stamp out fires. Why do elephants have flat feet? To stamp out burning ducks.The factors of a funny joke may also explainwhat Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Katie Ziskindone considers one of the most hilarious subjects a parent can address with a kid. Children laugh at jokes that have to do with poo p, she says. Children are fascinated with their bodies and even adolescent will laugh at poop emojis and poop jokes.Why is that? For kids, poop jokes hit at least two of the three factors that make a joke funny. For one, they address the anxiety-provoking topic of pooping. Also, poop jokes offer an incongruous surprise in that its a private subject being talked about in a public way - with adults. Whats not to laugh about?Sure, scatological humor is gross and cheap, but again, the social benefit of laughter is not dependent on whether or not the joke will pass muster with people who listen to NPR. Laughing together directly improves family relationships, Ziskindone explains. Laughter can be used to help a child overcome a challenging situation and cheer them up. Laughing together increases bonding, trust, and attachment.In other words, its a very good thing. And its not hard to keep a good thing going, according toBedell-Pearce. Remember that a childs appetite for repetition is not like that of an adult, he says. Making a kid laugh is one distributionspolitik where variety may not particularly helpful. As long as adults dont mind repetition, they can get they laugh as often as theyre willing to repeat the joke.Which means that parents might want to get ready to tell their best poop joke over and over (and over) again. And guess what After you and your kid have been laughing at that poop joke for long enough, you might actually start to get it.This article first appeared on Fatherly.