When do babies get a sense of humor? And how you can help it grow

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Laughing together at any age is a great way to bond and boost your wellbeing.

But for babies and toddlers, it’s also a great chance to learn and an opportunity to show that they’re starting to understand the world around them.

“Humour is linked to development but there’s so much more to it!” says Professor Vasu Reddy, an expert in child humour from the University of Portsmouth.

We laugh and play together because it’s fun; it makes for happiness, contentment and feels good.

And while there is no one way to build a sense of humour, experts have discovered some common behaviours and stages as it emerges.

What's the earliest age that babies show humour?

Researchers at the University of Portsmouth found that from the age of seven or eight months children intentionally use their faces, bodies and voices to make adults laugh or smile.

And a University of Sheffield study found children as young as 16 months can understand the difference between pretending and joking.

Father laughing with his children — Image caption,
Laughing and playing are great ways to bond together.

What makes babies laugh?

Most laughter in the early years is all about simple human interaction, so don’t worry that you have to be a 24/7 on-call comedian to make your children laugh – just concentrate on simple things like chatting and interacting.

Their sense of humour will adapt and change as they develop imagination, language skills and the ability to see things from someone else’s point of view.

“But it’s important to not compare your child with others as everyone learns at their own rate,” says Professor Reddy. “Humour feeds off audience reactions, so if you want a comedian in your family – keep laughing.”

Find out more about what makes babies laugh.

Dad smiling and looking at his little baby who is looking back at him — Image caption,
Your baby's brain benefits from all the small and meaningful interactions you have with each other.

Humor development in childhood

Age	Stage of humour
3-4 months: First giggles	Babies start laughing as young as three-months-old. It can feel like their laughter comes at odd times, but it’s usually triggered by something they see or hear their parents do for them.
7-8 months: Baby comedians	Babies get creative with their faces, bodies and voices in an effort get their parents and families laughing. You might notice them repeating the sounds and faces you laugh at.
9-10 months: Cheeky monkeys	Has your baby started to play with things they know they shouldn’t with a cheeky grin on their face? This is the beginning of what is known as ‘disruptive’ or ‘teasing’ humour.
End of first year: Rule breakers	Babies’ amazing brains have developed quickly to understand some basic social rules and they start to find it funny when these rules are broken. This starts with silly faces and ‘wrong’ actions, for example if they see an adult pretend to drink out of their bottle.
End of second year: Laughing at language	As children get older, they start to show their sense of humour through breaking language ‘rules’. It might seem silly when your baby says ‘cats go moo’ or they call mum ‘daddy’ but the fact they’ve learned to know these things are wrong and funny, shows a lot of understanding.
Toilet training: Potty mouth	Around the time you start toilet training, you might notice that your child becomes obsessed with poo and wee overnight. Going to the toilet (and the things that happen there) might seem normal and everyday to you but in their little worlds, it’s really important. So, if your child is finding poo and wee really funny, see as a good sign that they understand what’s happening around them.

A playful mother feeding baby son at table. — Image caption,
Babies start laughing from as young as three months old.

Why do babies find surprises funny?

Their sense of humour may change as they get older, but one constant is that surprises are always funny.

By showing things going wrong and teaching us how to break rules in a safe way, they guarantee laughter and help build your bond.

“Babies can be surprised even in the first few months of life,” says Professor Reddy.

But not everything surprising is funny. To be humorous, there also needs to be a ‘playful frame’.

In other words, to enjoy surprises, babies need to understand the context in which they happen and be able to share the emotional reactions of people around them.

Peekaboo is a great (and possibly universal) example of the element of playful surprise, and it’s usually a favourite of younger children who aren’t talking yet.

When they’re older, children start to play with language and this is reflected in the kinds of surprises that entertain them.

Adding an unexpected word in their favourite song or choosing unexpected music for your dance together are easy ways to introduce surprise to older children, recommends Sam Avery, a stand-up comedian and dad to twin five-year-old boys.

“I remember when the boys were really into rainbows, I decided to sing ‘Heads, shoulders, knees and rainbows’ and they screamed with laughter! We tried it again with ‘wheels on the rainbow’ and they laughed and laughed.”

Woman holding up her baby and smiling — Image caption,
The sound of a child laughing is magical and good for parents too - it does wonders for your stress levels.

How to help your baby's sense of humour develop

Developing a sense of humour has plenty of benefits for your child; it will help them build relationships with friends and family, feel confident, and learn about their culture.

It’s great for you too – the sound of a child laughing is magical and can do wonders for your stress levels. And there are easy ways you can help make everyday life more comical.

1. Start early

Babies are born ready to laugh – experts believe they even start practising to chuckle in the womb. See how they respond to humour in their first months – even really young babies can start to learn about it through physical games, such as peekaboo and they love tickling.

2. Let them lead

What makes your child laugh changes every day, so trust the moment. “If you let them lead, they’re more likely to engage,” says Professor Reddy.

3. Get involved

Pretending together helps children understand and learn language, and builds their imagination too. Calling daddy ‘mummy’ or ‘baby’ is one easy way to role play and pretend together.

4. Lift the mood with comedy

Laughter can instantly defuse a tense situation but you can also use it indirectly. “For example, I’ve found humour can be a great way to explore the ideas of failure and success,” says Sam. Your child might think their wonky drawings are ‘wrong’ but if you talk about them as ‘silly’ and ‘funny’ it can help lift their mood and confidence.

5. Use laughter to learn

Laughing and playing can be a great way to support children’s memory. “Anything you can find to keep you and your kids laughing will win,” says Sam. Silly dance to music together or use funny sound-effects at story time – it all helps children learn.