I’m Kayla, and I live for a good groan. This summer, I tested a stack of kid jokes at the pool, in the car, and during camp snack time. I used a little paperback called “Summer Jokes for Kids” I grabbed at the grocery store check stand, plus a printable card set I cut out and tossed in a zip bag. Nothing fancy. Just clean, sunny fun. (You can peek at the complete play-by-play here.)
And you know what? It worked better than sunscreen on day one.
For times when my jar ran empty, I stole fresh material from CrazyLaughs, a free site packed with kid-safe puns that kept the giggles rolling. Another stash I bookmarked was this set of hilarious summer jokes for kids—gold for last-minute laugh emergencies.
So… do kids really laugh?
Yes. But it depends on age and timing. My second grader loved the quick puns. My preschool neighbor needed short setups and big pauses. At the splash pad, the louder the kids got, the bigger I made the faces. Corny works when you commit.
I kept the jokes in a jar on the counter. One for breakfast. One for the car. Two if we were stuck in line for ice cream. Some days the jar saved my sanity.
The jokes that crushed it
Here are the ones that got the biggest laughs (and yes, I told every single one):
- Why did the sun go to school? To get brighter.
- What did the ocean say to the beach? Nothing. It just waved.
- Why do seagulls fly over the sea? Because if they flew over the bay, they’d be bagels.
- What do you call a snowman in July? A puddle. (When winter rolls in, try these Christmas belly-laughers for nonstop ho-ho-howls.)
- Why did the watermelon stop on the road? It ran out of juice.
- How do you make a lemon drop? You just let it fall.
- What kind of sandals do frogs wear? Open-toad.
- Why did the banana wear sunscreen? So it wouldn’t peel.
- What do you call a cat on the beach? Sandy Claws.
- Why do fish live in salt water? Because pepper makes them sneeze.
- What’s a shark’s favorite sandwich? Peanut butter and jellyfish.
- Why did the kid bring a ladder to the pool? To reach the high board.
- What did one tide say to the other? See you later.
- Why don’t crabs share? Because they’re a little shellfish.
- What happens when the ice cream truck breaks down? It turns into a popsicle stand.
- Why is ice cream so friendly? It’s cool with everyone.
- What do you call a fish with no eyes? Fsh.
- What kind of tree fits in your hand at the beach? A palm.
- Why did the lifeguard sit on the pencil? To draw attention. (This one slayed the third graders.)
- What’s a surfer’s favorite card? The current one.
Kids love a rhythm: setup… pause… punchline… face. I point at the sky on sun jokes. I wave big at the “ocean” line. It’s silly theater. That’s the secret sauce.
Where I used them (and how it felt)
- Pool line: I told one joke per kid while they waited for goggles. The bagel joke became a chant.
- Backyard picnic: I put cards under plates. Everyone read theirs out loud. Even shy kids joined in.
- Long drive: I let my son be “MC.” He ran the cards. I just did sound effects. Less “Are we there yet?” More giggle snorts.
Side note: sticky hands and paper cards don’t mix. I laminated five favorites with packing tape. Not fancy. Good enough.
What I liked
- Quick wins: Most jokes are short. No long stories. Good for wiggly kids.
- Clean and safe: No weird lines. I didn’t have to skip pages.
- Easy to share: Call-and-response works with cousins, neighbors, the whole gang.
- Teaches wordplay: Hearing “bagels” vs “bay” clicks after a few tries. It’s sneaky reading practice.
One other digital-safety sidenote for the grown-ups: while I’m busy keeping the punchlines squeaky clean, I’m also monitoring what pops up on my kids’ screens. If you need a sobering reminder of how fast private images can spread, this eye-opening rundown of recent celebrity phone hacks and leaked images explains the risks of oversharing and offers concrete steps for tightening privacy settings before your own budding comedians start snapping summer selfies.
And hey, if an entire day of knock-knock jokes has you craving some strictly grown-up conversation once the littles are tucked in, Kitsap-area parents can scroll through the local listings at Bremerton hookups to set up a low-key coffee date or sunset patio meet-up with someone who appreciates adult humor—the site is free to browse and lets you filter by interests so you can connect fast and get back to perfecting your punchline game.
What missed for us
- Wordy puns fall flat with 4-year-olds. “Current one” got a blank stare at first.
- Repeats happen. After three days, my son finished the punchlines for me.
- A few setups need context. Not every kid knows what a “tide” is. I had to point at the water and explain. It was cute, but it slowed the bit.
Little tricks that helped
- Keep a “hot list” of five winners and rotate them.
- Use voices. A crab voice helps. So does a big wave motion.
- Let kids “boo” and then swap roles. They love to boo me. It’s fair.
- Theme nights: all ice cream jokes on Fridays. It became a thing. (Next up: a barn-yard set from these side-splitting farmer jokes.)
- Make a “joke ticket” jar. One chore = one ticket = one joke.
Age guide (from my porch)
- Ages 4–5: Go super short. Use big faces and hand signs. Pick sun, beach, and ice cream jokes.
- Ages 6–8: Add puns like “shellfish” and “bagels.” They start to get it and ask for more.
- Ages 9–10: Let them be the host. They’ll tweak punchlines and roast you a little. It’s healthy.
The book vs the printables vs my messy jar
The little paperback was easy to toss in a tote. No batteries. No fuss. The printable cards were great for games, but they need cutting and a clip. My jam? Mix both. I also add my own scribbles on blank cards. “Why did the flip-flop cross the road? It heard the beach calling.” Is it good? Eh. Did my kid laugh anyway? Yup.
Final take
If your summer days feel long and a bit sticky, grab some jokes. The book I used and the simple card set both did the job. They filled the quiet spots and cooled the cranky moments. Not every line lands, but the mood shifts. That’s the win.
My score: 4.5 out of 5 giggles. Would I bring them to the pool again? In a heartbeat.
Now if you’ll excuse me—Why did the popsicle sit in the shade? Because it didn’t want to be a drip. And yes, I’m telling that one at snack time, too.