Child Development & Guidance
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Laughing Lessons: Bonding young learners with humor
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Laughing Lessons: Bonding young learners with humor
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I love to read children’s books. Every generation of children at the daycare enjoy the physical, face and voice animations along with props. One of my favorites is “THE 3 LITTLE PIGS & THE BIG BAD WOLF”. Clyde the big bad wolf, Ralph the youngest little pig, Keith the middle little pig and Bob the oldest brother. As I read the story, each character had their own persona and voice and blowing the houses down was quite an exasperating experience that made the children laugh. At times I’d leave the written story to ad lib humorous thoughts and ideas about what each character may have been thinking. Truly halarious. The children and staff loved it.
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Could you tell us about a time when humor helped you connect with children in your classroom? How did these lighthearted moments influence the classroom atmosphere?
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Nijole, your reflection on using humor to connect with children is insightful! Lighthearted moments can truly transform the classroom atmosphere, fostering trust and engagement among students. Great job!
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There was a day when everyone came in a little grumpy — rainy weather, missed naps, the usual. During circle time, I pretended the storybook frog on the cover was snoring so loudly that I “couldn’t even read.” A few giggles started, then full laughter as we all tried to “wake the frog” by whispering silly words.That moment flipped the mood completely. The tension in the room melted, and the kids re-engaged on their own. Humor reminded them that the classroom is a safe place to feel, to play, and to reconnect. It also showed that laughter can reset a tough day faster than any lecture ever could.
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Nijole, your use of humor to transform the classroom atmosphere is inspiring! It beautifully illustrates how playful moments can foster connection and create a supportive environment for learning. Great job!
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Para mi el juego y las risas ayudan con los niños a conectar mas con ellos y que los niños les guste el ir a clases o las guarderías
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Great insight, Paola! Humor and play truly foster strong connections with children, making the classroom a welcoming space. Your perspective highlights the importance of joy in learning environments.
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One of my students in class was sad that their parent was dropping them off at school. Many other teachers were unable to console this child. So I tried my best with humor. I ultimately gave them silly ideas as to where the grown-ups could have been and all the adventures they could have gone on. Together, the child and I became elaborate with the ideas, and it made us both laugh in the end.
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One morning during car line drop-off, a child was having a hard time getting out of the car. To lighten the mood, I said, “You’re like melting chocolate—nice and easy, let’s swim to the classroom!” He laughed, and it made the transition into the classroom much smoother and more cheerful.
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Every now and then the children will get into a funk where they are not interested in the toys or activities or I see that they’re creativity has gone stagnant. In those moments it’s important as a teacher to observe when that happens and interject some silly humor and fun, such as playing dress up and performing for the students in elaborate story telling or encouraging the kids to put on a play
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Diana, your insights on using humor to re-engage students are spot on! Incorporating playful activities like dress-up and storytelling not only boosts creativity but also fosters a joyful classroom atmosphere. Great approach!
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When trying to encourage our toddler class to try broccoli at lunch time I said that it looked like little trees. They thought that was silly but they did try them thinking it was funny to eat trees.
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Great example, M! Using humor like describing broccoli as “little trees” not only made the food appealing but also fostered a fun, engaging atmosphere that encourages exploration and openness in learning.
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One of the technicians i use at circle time sometimes if the kids are a bit squirelly is i will bring out one of the stuffed animals or baby dolls and I will do a ventriloquist act with the toy and the kids. I’ll have the toy be the one to lead circle time and it gets their attention and we have a lot of fun.
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Humor plays a significant role in fostering emotional connections with children by promoting engagement and creating a relaxed environment. When greeting to children, we can have some silly funny words to cheer up children in the beginning of a day.
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Great insights, Mary! Your emphasis on using humor to create a relaxed atmosphere is spot on. Lighthearted greetings can truly enhance emotional connections and set a positive tone for the day!
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I choose to use humor most often as a tool for connect with the children and building a bond between us. Like a bridge to a real connection on the other side. My funny side allows me to build relationships with every kid, even kids that other teacher can’t or sadly sometimes won’t build trust with. These relationships that are built through humor lead to connecting with these kids in more meaningful situations, if there is something we’d like to see from this kid, he may not respond in the way we’d like to see from teachers with a different relationship to that child. But may be more reciprocating to a teacher they have a humorous bond with.
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Michael, your insights on using humor as a bridge to connect with students are profound. Building trust through laughter truly enriches the classroom atmosphere and fosters deeper relationships. Great reflection!
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This kind of experience actually happened recently. What happened was a child was showing me a craft she made in class and explaining what it was when she stopped talking abruptly to point at my face and looked so confused. Her mother was also present because it was the end of the day and everyone was going home. But the child asked me what I had on my face with the most puzzled expression ever. Her mother and I laughed about it after making eye contact because what I had on my face were pimple patches and the child didn’t have a clue. I told her they were stickers and the child asked why I would put stickers on my face. Her mother chimed in and said why not. It was actually hilarious and I love how that kind of humor helped me get closer to the child and her family. Especially when they first started coming to the childcare center.
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Mary, your story beautifully illustrates how humor can bridge connections. It’s heartwarming to see how a lighthearted moment not only fostered rapport with the child but also created a welcoming atmosphere for her family. Great job!
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I remember a time where we running in circles inside the classroom one child tripped and fell, another kid noticed and begin to point and laugh. All of the other children followed pointing their fingers and laughing, this made the child that fell down super upset. He started crying, and in that moment I could have talked to children about how they were making a friend feel. But instead I fell down to the ground too, all of the children paused and looked at me unsure if they should laugh or not. Until I started laughing too, did I fall too ? See accidents happen no big deal let’s get up and keep going ?
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I remember one time this little girl came up to me and said to me your fat. So instead of me getting upset about it I said to her why do you think that. She replied because your stomach sticks out. So one of the other children said like this. the other child had gotten one of the pillows out of the cozy corner and put it under her shirt. all the children in the classroom began to laugh and pretty soon all the other children were taking turns. So instead of me putting humor into that situation the other children did it for me.
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I sit and draw with my four five year olds and I am helpless at drawing much more than a stick figure. I laugh about it when they are frustrated with what they are having trouble with , and say “look I am this many years old, and I can only draw a circle” and they find it funny and get inspired to one up me.
