So, you want to write a children’s book that makes little ones giggle until their tummies hurt? That’s what we’re talking about! It’s not about grown-up jokes; it’s all about understanding what makes a kid burst out laughing. Maybe it’s a big, clumsy fall, or a super silly word, or just something really wild that wouldn’t happen in real life. Making kids laugh through stories is amazing. It helps them remember the story, love the characters, and just have a blast reading. This guide is going to give you all the tips and tricks, with some fun examples, to write stories that’ll have young readers cracking up from the very first page to “The End.”
What Makes Kids Laugh Anyway?
Before you even think about putting words on paper, you’ve got to step into a kid’s funny world. What tickles their funny bone? Usually, it’s simpler, more about what they see and do, not complicated thinking like grown-up jokes.
The Wild and Unexpected
Kids are still figuring out how the world works, so anything that’s super different from what they expect can be super funny.
Try this: Add things that don’t make sense in a playful way.
For example: Instead of a regular cat chasing a mouse, imagine a cat chasing a giant, purple, polka-dotted elephant! Or a character who thinks their socks are hats. Richard Scarry’s books are awesome at this. He has animals doing human jobs in the funniest ways. A pig driving a pickle car is hilarious because it makes no sense, but in his world, it’s totally normal.
Physical Comedy: Bumps, Falls, and Oopsies!
This kind of humor is understood by everyone, even before they can talk! Kids love watching characters tumble, spill things, or just be clumsy.
Try this: Put in physical jokes where one thing clearly leads to another.
For example: A character trying to carry too many cupcakes, then tripping and sending them flying everywhere. Or a giant dog trying to squeeze into a tiny teacup. Or a child wearing their pants on their head. Imagine a character carefully building a huge block castle, only for a tiny, innocent sneeze to knock it all down. The funny part is how sudden and unexpected the mess is, and often, they did it to themselves!
Fun with Words and Silly Sounds
Young kids are fascinated by words! Silly words, words that sound alike, words that make sounds (like “kerplunk”), and rhyming can all make them super happy.
Try this: Play around with how words sound and what they mean.
For example: A character whose name is “Bungle Bumble,” or a bad guy called “Grubble-Grumble-Grumble.” Using words like “kerplunk,” “splish-splash,” or “poof.” Picture a story where a character tries to say “rhinoceros” but it comes out as “rhino-snosarus,” and then everyone else in the story starts saying “snosarus” too! It creates a shared, silly language just for the story.
Real-Life Kid Problems with Big Reactions
Kids find humor in situations they know, especially when the characters react in a super big, funny way.
Try this: Take common kid problems (like getting dressed, eating yucky vegetables, or going to bed) and make the reactions totally over-the-top for laughs.
For example: A child who absolutely refuses to wear socks, leading to a crazy chase scene where a sock puppet tries to “eat” their feet. Or a character who sees one little pea on their plate and acts like it’s a huge, scary mountain. The humor isn’t just that they don’t want the pea, but how ridiculously far they go to avoid it, maybe even building a tiny fort around it!
Doing It Again, But Different!
Repeating things builds excitement. When you change the pattern, or add something surprising, it gets even funnier.
Try this: Have a phrase or action that happens over and over, then change it unexpectedly.
For example: A character who asks “Are we there yet?” every five minutes, but on the tenth time, they ask “Are we certainly there yet, for real this time, no fibs?” Or a story where a character keeps trying to catch a butterfly, failing the same way each time, until the last time, the butterfly catches them! The fact that you expect the repetition makes the sudden change even funnier.
Making Funny Characters: Quirks, Flaws, and Big Personalities
Your characters are how you’ll deliver the humor. They need to be real enough for kids to care about, but also have funny flaws and quirks.
The Cheerful Underdog
This is a character who tries their very best but often messes up in hilariously big ways. Their refusal to give up, even when things keep going wrong, makes you love them.
Try this: Give your main character a big goal, then throw in a bunch of funny problems they can’t quite get past without looking ridiculous.
For example: A tiny squirrel determined to be the best acorn gatherer, but constantly tripping over his own paws, dropping all his acorns, or getting stuck in silly places. The humor comes from how confident he is, even though he keeps having adorable, funny problems. Or a character who wants to fly, but every attempt involves them comically falling into a different “soft” thing: a pile of leaves, a laundry basket, a giant meringue.
The Confident-But-Clueless Character
Someone who truly believes they are super smart or super good at something, even though it’s totally clear they’re not. Their mistaken belief in themselves is just so funny.
Try this: Show, don’t just tell, their overconfidence through funny actions and silly misunderstandings.
For example: A chicken who believes he’s a master chef, but only ever manages to bake bread that looks like a hat. Or a character who brags about being the best hide-and-seek player but always hides in the most obvious spot, like right behind the person counting. Their strong belief that no one can see them, even with their foot clearly sticking out, is pure gold for laughs.
The Super Literal Character
A character who takes everything exactly as it’s said, leading to funny misunderstandings.
Try this: Create situations where common phrases or instructions are taken super literally.
For example: A character told to “hold their horses” who then goes and physically grabs two real horses and tries to hold them still. Or someone told to “break a leg” before a show who then tries to actually break their leg, leading to a funny rescue mission. The humor comes from them innocently misunderstanding a common saying.
The Big Reactor
A character who gets super dramatic about small problems, with exaggerated feelings and actions.
Try this: Present a tiny problem and have your character act like it’s the end of the world.
For example: A character finding a tiny speck of dirt on their perfectly clean outfit, then bursting into a dramatic, wailing song and demanding to be flown home. Or a character who finds their favorite cereal box is empty and reacts with the dramatic sadness of losing all their money, throwing themselves on the floor and complaining about their terrible fate.
How to Be Funny: Practical Tips
Now that we know the “what” and the “who,” let’s talk about the “how.”
The Rule of Three (with a Twist!)
Do two similar things, then a third thing that’s different, bigger, or totally unexpected. This classic joke structure builds up excitement.
Try this: Create a pattern of two, then break it with the third thing for big laughs.
For example: A character tries to catch a ball. First, it bounces off their nose. Second, it lands in a mud puddle. Third, it bounces off their nose, lands in a mud puddle, and then a squirrel runs off with it while wearing tiny glasses. Or a character packs for a trip: a toothbrush, a blanket, and then a live badger in a tiny hat.
Making Things Way Bigger (or Smaller!)
Making things ridiculously bigger, smaller, faster, or slower than they really are.
Try this: Take a normal amount, feeling, or action and blow it up to a crazy level.
For example: A character who is “so hungry they could eat a house,” and then actually tries to chew on the doorknob. Or a character so shy they “turn invisible” when someone speaks to them. The humor comes from how silly the exaggerated picture or idea is. Instead of “a little messy,” the room is so messy “it looks like a spaghetti monster exploded in a glitter factory.”
Putting Unalike Things Together: The Funniest Pairings
Placing two very different things side-by-side for a funny effect.
Try this: Put something serious next to something silly, or a tiny object with a huge one, or an old person with something super modern.
For example: A dragon wearing a tutu. A knight fighting a fierce monster with a tiny feather duster. A very proper, serious-looking librarian who has a pet octopus named “Squiggles” that wears bow ties. The humor comes from the surprise and how illogical the pairing is. Imagine a quiet, wise old owl who only gives advice through TikTok dances.
Running Gags
A joke, phrase, or situation that shows up over and over in the story. The more it appears, the funnier it can get, especially when it ends with a big payoff.
Try this: Introduce a funny character habit or an unusual object early on, then put it in the story now and then.
For example: A character who constantly tries to use the word “flibbertigibbet” in every sentence, no matter how wrong it is for the situation. Or a small, seemingly unimportant rubber duck that somehow appears in every big scene, unnoticed by the characters, but more and more obvious to the reader, until the very end where it becomes super important.
The Element of Surprise!
Humor often comes from something unexpected. A sudden twist or reveal that catches the reader by surprise.
Try this: Set up an expectation, then completely do the opposite.
For example: A character is running from a monster, then turns around to find out the “monster” is just their reflection in a funhouse mirror. Or a character opens a treasure chest expecting gold, only to find it filled with socks. The sudden change in what you expect is key. Think of a character nervously walking into a “haunted house,” only to find it’s a perfectly normal house, but everyone inside is wearing banana costumes and doing a chicken dance.
Making Humor Part of Your Story
Humor shouldn’t be random. It needs to fit into the story’s plot and how the characters grow.
Start with a Bang (or a Big Laugh!)
Grab your young readers right away with a silly idea or a funny character.
Try this: Your first scene or sentence should have a strong funny element.
For example: “The day Bartholomew Buttons decided to wear his underwear on his head was the day everything changed.” Or “Sir Reginald the Brave wasn’t brave at all, especially when faced with a rogue dust bunny.” This immediate funny punch sets the tone for the whole story.
Making Things Crazier and Crazier
Start with a funny idea, then make it progressively wilder.
Try this: Each new funny event should be more outlandish or problematic than the last, building up to a hilarious big moment.
For example: A character tries to bake a simple cake, but first accidentally uses salt instead of sugar. Then they add pickle juice instead of milk. Then a live chicken falls into the batter. Each mistake builds until the “cake” is an unspeakable, hilarious mess. This creates “funny tension” that pays off wonderfully.
The Funny Ending
Even if the story is full of funny mistakes, the ending should feel good and maybe even be funny itself.
Try this: Don’t just end the story; end the funny problem in a clever or amusing way.
For example: The main character, after trying and failing to impress their friends, accidentally impresses them with an even more spectacular failure. Or the “problem” they were trying to solve turns out to have a hilariously simple (or absurd) solution they totally missed. If the squirrel trying to collect acorns finally succeeds by using a giant vacuum cleaner. The silliness of the solution is the funny ending.
The Super Important Part: Revising! Making Your Jokes Perfect
Humor isn’t always there from the start; sometimes you have to find it and make it shiny through editing.
Read it Aloud (and to Kids!)
This is super important for how the story sounds and seeing where the jokes land.
Try this: As you read, notice where the rhythm feels off, or where a joke just doesn’t work. Test your writing on real kids.
For example: You might think a complicated play on words is smart, but a child won’t get it. Reading aloud helps you find words that slow down a joke, or times when a visual joke needs a clearer description. Watch kids’ reactions: do they really laugh, or just smile politely? Their honest reaction is your best feedback.
Cut the Unnecessary Stuff: Make Jokes Snappy
Every word should help with the humor or the story. Too much explanation or description can make a joke less funny.
Try this: Don’t be afraid to cut anything that makes the humor less effective. Get straight to the funny part.
For example: Instead of, “The big, fluffy, ginger cat, named Marmalade, who always napped on the windowsill, suddenly sprung up when it saw a passing bird,” shorten to, “Marmalade, the cat, sprung from his nap, startled by a passing bird.” The humor, if any, comes from what he does next, not the long description. Get to the active, funny part faster.
Play with Words and How Sentences Are Built
Sometimes just changing one word or how a sentence is put together can make a joke even better.
Try this: Look up other words that mean the same thing, and move sentences around to find the funniest way to say something.
For example: Instead of “The boy fell down,” try “The boy toppled with a magnificent, wobbly whumpf.” The specific sound word and exaggerated description add a funny touch. Or, instead of “He was clumsy,” try, “He moved with the grace of a startled giraffe on roller skates.”
Things to Avoid: What NOT to Do
Humor is different for everyone, but some things just don’t work well in children’s books.
Don’t Try Too Hard
If you force humor, it usually falls flat. Jokes should feel natural to the story and characters.
Try this: If a joke feels like you just jammed it in there to be funny, it probably is. Take it out.
For example: Don’t have a character suddenly do an obvious, unrelated funny fall just because you haven’t had a laugh in two pages. The humor should come from the character’s personality or how the story is going. If a character known for being very serious suddenly makes a silly face, it might feel out of character and forced.
Stay Away from Sarcasm and Irony
These are grown-up kinds of humor that usually go right over young kids’ heads.
Try this: Stick to simple, obvious humor. Save the subtle, clever jokes for older readers.
For example: A child won’t understand if a character says “Oh, you’re so good at that” when the character is clearly failing. They’ll just think the character is good. Focus on big, laugh-out-loud physical comedy or crazy situations instead.
Don’t Be Mean!
Humor that makes fun of a character’s real pain or embarrassment isn’t right for kids. Characters can be clumsy or silly, but they shouldn’t be truly hurt or made to feel bad.
Try this: Make sure your humor is kind and understanding. The laughter should be with the characters, not at them in a mean way.
For example: If a character spills a drink, the humor comes from the splash and their funny reaction, not from them being made fun of or left out because of it. The character might be annoyed, but the reader shouldn’t feel so sorry for them that it stops being funny. If a character falls, they should bounce back quickly, unhurt, perhaps with a funny stain or a silly expression.
Keep the Language Simple and Easy to Understand
Humor works best when it’s understood quickly. Super complicated words or long sentences can make it hard to get the joke, making it less funny.
Try this: Use words that are right for the age group you’re writing for. It needs to be easy to read.
For example: If your main readers are 3-6 years old, stick to short sentences and words they know. Save the really long words for a glossary. A complicated joke that takes a lot of thinking to figure out won’t work for a child.
To Wrap It Up
Writing funny children’s books is all about connecting with the pure, joyful silliness of being a kid. It’s about seeing the world through eyes that find wonder and fun in the smallest things that are a little out of the ordinary. By understanding what makes young children laugh, creating truly funny characters, using proven joke-making techniques, and carefully editing with your audience in mind, you can write stories that not only entertain but also make kids love reading for a lifetime. So go on, embrace the silly, and make those tiny funny bones tickle!