As a parent, there’s no better, happier, more wonderful sound in the world than the sound of your child in the middle of an absolute, all-out giggle-fit:
Honestly, how could that NOT brighten your day? All the endless sleepless nights and the scary, messy diapers are instantly forgotten as soon as your child lets out one of those incredible belly laughs. Most babies laugh for the first time around age three or four months, and there are lots of tricks you can use to encourage your baby to laugh early and often.
Before you try some of the tips below, make sure your mini audience is ready. Babies who are rested, fed and dry are most likely to be in the mood for a good giggle. And don’t forget to get in the mood yourself. Laughter is contagious, and when your baby sees you smiling and chuckling, they’ll want to join in on the fun themselves!
- Blow Raspberries on Their Tummy
Around three to six months, babies will laugh at unexpected physical sensations and sounds. Blow raspberries on their tummy and the silly sound and funny feeling will elicit all the giggles.
- Make Funny Sounds
Whether it’s animal sounds, silly nonsense noises or imitations of favorite characters, your baby will recognize that you don’t sound like you. . . and that’s funny! Blow your nose as loud as you can. Oink like a pig. Talk like Elmo!
- Eat Some Fingers and Toes
Pretend to nibble on baby’s hands and feet, making silly munching and gobbling sounds as you go. These sounds elicit the same responses that blowing raspberries do, and babies can’t get enough of it! Even kids as old as two enjoy this game.
- Play Giddy-up
Another crowd-pleaser is a good ol’ game of “Giddy-up.” All you have to do is bounce your baby gently on your knee while making whinnying noises.
- Make Some Homemade Bubbles
A little bit of dish soap and a tiny wand made out of wire will create bubbles that babies find fascinating and wildly amusing. You can try these six super recipes for homemade bubbles to get your little one giggling for hours.
- Play Peek-a-Boo
Peek-a-Boo is a tried-and-true baby laugh factory. When you know your baby is watching you, suddenly make your face disappear behind your hands, a towel or a nearby curtain. Say, Where did Mommy go?” And then, after a second or two, reveal yourself and say Peek-a-boo! Here’s Mommy!” When your baby is a little older, you can teach them to play peek-a-boo, too. As they put their hands in front of their face, say, Where did Baby go?” Then, as they drop their hands, exclaim, There you are!” They’ll love turning the tables and making you laugh, too.
- Make Funny Faces
Your baby loves looking at your face, and they’ll think it’s hysterically funny when there’s suddenly something different about it. Scrunch up your nose, stick out your tongue, pop your cheeks. To your baby, you’ll be funnier than Jim Carrey!
- Dance, Dance, Dance!
Put on your favorite tunes, grab your baby and start moving to the beat. Or, have your baby watch while you do the silliest moves you can think of. (This one, by the way, works at least through your children’s teenage years!)
- Get Favorite Toys to Come to Life
If your baby has a favorite toy or stuffed animal, turn it into a puppet and make it move and speak in a funny voice. The unexpected animation of their toy will get them rolling with laughter.
- Sing Silly Songs
So what if you can’t carry a tune? Your baby doesn’t care, and might even find it funnier if you can’t. Sing a song like Old MacDonald Had a Farm,” which involves lots of animal noises, or The Wheels on the Bus,” complete with imitations of windshield wipers and bus horns.
- Shake up Their Routine
You can turn a feeding or dressing routine into a comedy show by doing something different than what your baby expects. For instance, when you’re feeding your baby some pured peas, suddenly put a dab on your nose. Then, put some on your baby’s nose too, while you both giggle. Drop something on purpose and say Oops!” in an exaggerated voice. Balance a shoe on your head instead of putting it on your foot. Babies know what’s supposed to happen and think it’s hilarious when it doesn’t.
- Activate the “Tickle Attack”
If there’s one no-fail way to make a baby laugh, it’s tickling. Babies can be ticklish on their feet, necks, tummies. For best results, set up the tickle attack, since anticipation is half the fun. Say, Mommy’s going to tickle you!” as you wiggle your fingers and get closer and closer. Your baby will be laughing before you even touch them!
Don’t limit yourself to the ideas on this list. Experiment with your own ways to make your baby laugh. Humor is learned, not genetic, and your baby will develop a sense of humor based on what you think is funny or silly, too. Your baby might laugh hysterically when your cat yawns, or even when you crumple a piece of newspaper or tin foil and it makes a noise. You never know what will set your baby off into fits of giggles. Whatever it is, you won’t mind doing it over and over, just to hear that laugh again!
How do you get your baby to giggle for hours? Share your tips and tricks with us in the comments section below!
