Why puns are great for kids (and how to use them)
Puns have a reputation for being silly, but teachers and parents often like them for a good reason: wordplay is a friendly way to talk about how language works. A child who laughs at a pun has just noticed that one word can mean two things, and that is a real language skill.
What children learn from puns
- Words have more than one meaning. To get "I used to be a banker, but I lost interest", you need to know both meanings of "interest".
- Sound and spelling are different things. Many puns depend on words that sound alike but are written differently, which helps with spelling and reading.
- Listening carefully. The joke is lost if you miss one word, so children learn to pay attention to the whole sentence.
- Vocabulary. Puns often use less common words, such as "shellfish", "dough" or "sheepish", in a memorable way.
- Confidence in speaking. Telling a joke means timing, pauses and delivery, which is real practice in speaking in front of others.
Ideas for using puns at home or in class
- Joke of the day. Put one clean pun on the whiteboard or fridge each morning. Ask everyone to explain the double meaning.
- Pun hunt. Ask children to spot puns on shop signs, in cartoons and on cereal boxes.
- Write-your-own. Use our 5-step guide to help older children write their own jokes.
- Sort the jokes. Ask which puns use words that sound the same, and which use words that are spelled the same. See the types of puns.
- Groan counter. Let children vote on the best groan using the button on our Shorts page.
A note about difficulty
Some puns are too hard for young children, and explaining a joke can ruin it. Start with obvious ones about animals and food, and move to harder wordplay as children get older. If a child does not laugh, do not worry: understanding the joke is already a win.
Safe and friendly
All the jokes on this site are meant to be family friendly. You can browse the Shorts gallery together, or use the filters to find animal and food jokes first. Videos load from YouTube only when you press play, and you can read how we handle data in our privacy policy.