Humor comes from the Latin word “umor” which means fluid or liquid. That is exactly how humor works: It loosens up people and gets them ‘flowing’ together.

Laughter has many positive effects such as it: fosters closeness between people, promotes relaxation, decreases stress hormones, increases joy and optimism, stimulates abstract and creative thinking, to name a few. It is said that we should laugh at least 15 times a day to take advantage of its’ health benefits. Laughter may not be the cure-all, but it can make some tough times easier to take. Laughter is also an essential part of parenting in the preschool years – and beyond.

So, what makes children laugh? Silly words, pictures, surprises, things that go against what children consider normal offer amusement to children. When you pretend to be confused or have a memory lapse, children crack up!

Preschoolers find amusement in stringing together rhyming words or nonsense syllables. Since language is supposed to be logical and orderly and sentences do not usually rhyme, it’s funny when they do. Making up words to rhyme with ‘real’ words is a great way to spark the imagination of a child!

Humor expands creativity, attention span, language acquisition, and evaluation skills. Good humor has been found to build self-confidence, deal with daily stress, and create successful social interactions.

Smiles, and laughter, chuckles and joy belong in everyone’s life. Unlock your sense of humor and you will find it is contagious!

Taken from “Humor and Laughter” by Joan E. Le Febvre, professor of Family Development, University of Wisconsin