Kids love to laugh and have fun. I remember the first time I told my kids a joke that they actually got they thought it was the funniest thing in the world. Naturally, of course, they wanted to try and tell me a joke, which was not very funny! So I had to teach them how to write a joke that actually makes people laugh.
Developing a sense of humor in kids takes time. By the time kids are 6 or 7, they’re the perfect age to introduce to the world of jokes. It’s also a good time to let them start having fun telling jokes and writing their own.
So get ready to teach your kids how to write a joke. Writing jokes and telling jokes are fun to do together.
How to Write a Joke
Here are some ways to help your kid learn how to write a joke
1. Read Funny Books
Sitting down and reading a few funny books can get your kids’ creativity going. This can be useful when teaching your kid how to write a joke.
No matter your child’s age there are plenty of funny books out there to read with them. I love reading the Pigeon and Elephant books by Mo Willems. Piggie and Elephant are always making me laugh.
After the book, you can discuss what made them laugh in the story. Just pointing how what is funny to them can help them make someone else laugh!
2. Draw A Comic Strip Together
Grab some white paper and make some big squares on it. Then take turns drawing pictures in each square. Have your child write the script to the comic.
As they work through each comic square they will see the importance of piecing a story together. This important skill is so helpful when it comes time to learning how to write a joke.
3. Play a Word Game
The word game is so fun to play and it really helps kids learn how to be funny.
To play the word game you’ll need some strips of paper and a hat.
- Write 10 to 20 random words on the strips of paper and place them in the hat. Depending on how many kids you have playing you may need more words.
- Have each child pull out 5 words each and tell them they have 10 minutes to write a story using the words they drew from the hat.
Be prepared to laugh because it gets pretty funny when they start talking about the purple dancing banana that goes to the white house.
This is a great way to help your kids learn how to write a joke because it will help them be creative and spontaneous. As a bonus, it is a great way to spend time together as a family.
Now that you have helped their creative side grow with a few fun activities now comes the part of helping them actually write the joke
4. Teach Them How to Structure a Joke
Start by asking your kids to think of the funniest thing that has ever happened to them.
Once they have come up with something funny that has happened to them then have them break it down piece by piece.
As they break it down this will help them write their own joke off of a real-life event. This is a simple way to teach a kid how to write a joke.
The possibilities are endless because everything has funny things that have happened to them. My kid’s favorite joke they tell is how I just need 1 thing at the store and it will just take a quick minute to grab. 10 minutes later and 5 bags later we are leaving the store.
A real-life scenario, but a joke for sure. No mom runs into the store and comes out with just one thing.
Their joke goes like this: My mom says we have to go to the store it will only be a minute because she only needs one thing, well that was the longest minute of my life… 1 hour later [insert laughing].
Teaching your kid how to write a joke starts with letting them see them how to structure their joke and just looking into their own day to day events can help write them!
5. Keep a Notebook
If you are going to be a joke teller, you need to gather your materials.
You can start out by writing pages and pages of jokes you already know or even find some funny jokes on the internet.
Encourage your kids to write down funny things people say or do that way they can learn from others on how to make someone laugh.
Knowing your audience is a big key in helping your kid learn how to write a joke.
By keeping a notebook your kid will become a master of writing jokes because just observing can be the start of a great joke!
Time to Share Your Jokes!
Now that you have taught your kid how to write a joke they will have tons of fun sharing them with others.
You may want to set up a little comedy night and make it a special night with a mic and even some friends.
When you teach your kids how to write a joke you have just opened a whole new world for them to explore, so be prepared to laugh at just about anything.
keep joking, keep making fun with your children.
really enjoyed this article.
Thanks for the tips