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Did you know that laughter plays an important role in the learning process? A giggling child is not only enjoying himself, he is exercising his brain. "Humor is a vital part of children's educational experience," says early-childhood expert Jackie Silberg, author of The Learning Power of Laughter. Young children have a special propensity toward silliness that has important developmental benefits for building social skills, cognitive thinking, and creativity. Laughter helps children retain more information, while making learning an enjoyable experience for all involved. Laughter also creates bonds between people. "As children grow and their social world expands," says Silberg, "they will use the link of silliness and laughter to solidify other friendships." Stretching the imagination, thinking outside the box, and learning to look at a situation from different angles are other long-term benefits of developing a sense of humor. "Laughter, fun, and humor serve an important developmental function for young children as a way to express their growing powers of reasoning and creativity," says Silberg. "The educational value of this bond is inestimable." Silberg suggests trying the following activities to stimulate laughter and learning with young children: Make up silly rhyming jingles to accompany children's names. "Because language is supposed to be logical and orderly, and sentences don't usually rhyme, it seems funny to children when they do," explains Silberg. Try tongue twisters, such as double bubble gum doubles bubbles. "Tongue twisters develop language fluency, alliteration skills, and letter recognition,"notes Silberg. "They're also amusing and fun." Tell children jokes and riddles. Knock-knock jokes are delightful, fun ways to develop social skills because they require more than one person to play the game. Do something out of the ordinary, such as wearing shoes backwards or putting clothes on inside out. "Children enjoy the implausible or incongruous-a cartoon of a fish wearing glasses or the sight of the family dog licking the dinner plates, for example," explains Silberg. "Almost anything that goes against what children consider normal and predictable can tickle their funny bones." |
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