There are so many fun national days to celebrate with our kids, and this one is no exception. August 16 is officially National Tell a Joke Day. Kids love jokes. No matter what age they are, our kids will jump right in when we start telling jokes. And we adults laugh and laugh, even if it’s fake, when we hear the age old jokes we told as children. So on this National Tell a Joke Day, let’s think of some fun jokes to share with our kids. And let’s enjoy laughing together as a family.
Laughter has a lot of benefits
Jokes have been around since ancient times, and it’s no wonder. We humans love to laugh. We have a sense of humor built right into us, or at least most of us do. Perhaps our need to laugh has to do with the benefits that laughter brings to us.
According to the Mayo Clinic, laughter has several benefits, both long term and short term. We all know that laughter relieves stress, but it also has real physical benefits. The Mayo Clinic states that laughter stimulates many organs, releases endorphins, cools down your stress response, improves blood circulation, and relaxes your muscles. And then, over time, it can actually improve your immune response and help your body produce natural painkillers. It can also help you get through difficult situations, connect with other people, and feel less depression and anxiety.
Laughter really is good for us! So let’s figure out how to bring some laughter to our families on National Tell a Joke Day.
Find some good jokes to tell
If you have kids who can read, you’ve likely had a joke book in your home. This weekend, maybe take some time to head to the children’s section of your library and fine some good joke books to bring home. You can also find a lot of kids’ jokes online. Or ask Alexa or Siri to tell you a joke.
Teach your kids some of your favorites
Think through some of your favorites, even if they aren’t new to your family. As you tell familiar jokes, they will try to think of new ones to tell.
And even really little ones can enjoy a simple joke. They seem to really enjoy knock-knock jokes. I think they love being able to participate in them. And there are so many classic knock-knock jokes. There’s the interrupting cow – “Moo.” And kids love the “Orange-you-glad-I-didn’t-say-banana?” one. Once you’ve told these a few times, little kids work so hard to tell these jokes themselves. And they try again and again to get these jokes right. It’s so fun!
You don’t have to only tell jokes
According to National Today, National Tell a Joke Day is about celebrating jokes, gags, puns, pick-up lines, memes, and more. So it’s a celebration of all the silliness we can come up with.
Your family might enjoy the old vaudeville shows like The Three Stooges or Laurel and Hardy. It could be a good time to watch a favorite comedy or a comedian that you enjoy.
There are all kinds of ways to laugh together as a family on National Tell a Joke Day!
As you plan out your jokes, check out the Signing Time Dictionary to see if there are signs you could use in your jokes. We can all at least learn the sign for laugh.
Over at My Signing Time we have lots of fun too! You can access My Signing Time on any device, and you can try out a digital subscription with a 14-day free trial right here.
What fun will your family have on National Tell a Joke Day?