17 Family Fun Ideas to Create a Household of Laughter

Integrating family fun in a household both strengthens a family’s bond and provides relief during challenging times. I was reminded of this one day as I was waiting in line at a local pizzeria with my two young daughters. In front of us was a mom and her teenage daughter both poking fun and laughing at each other.  I could tell that the daughter truly enjoyed being with her mom. 

I thought to myself, “Didn’t most teenagers scowl at the thought of spending time with their parents?” Yet in this case, it seemed that there was no other place this teenage girl would rather be than standing with her mother laughing.

From that moment on, I vowed that my daughters and I would have that kind of relationship – one in which we could joke around with one another, even during the challenging teenage years, and truly enjoy each other’s company.

Build a House Filled With Laughter

Building a relationship of levity and laughter with your loved ones starts at home.  

If you build a home environment in which laughter is a priority, it will result in a long-term cheerfulness that your children will carry with them throughout life.

When my daughters look back at their childhood, I want them to remember a household filled with rich moments of laughter.  I want them to have a treasure chest of silly memories that they can pull from and smile about during challenging times. 

How Can I Make My Family Life Fun?

It’s not about forcing fun or spending copious amounts of time choreographing complicated family activities.  It’s about finding moments of levity in the normal everyday things. 

Here are a 17 simple family activities to spark moments of laughter in your household –

1. Open your eyes to opportunities for everyday silliness. One day I was taking the lint out of the dryer.  When my daughter asked me what it was, I started chasing her around the house with it.  That one lint ball sparked many minutes of belly laughs.
2. Read silly books together. Here are a few children’s authors and books that are sure to bring laughter to bed-time reading: Julius – The Baby of the World by Kevin Henkes, the Olivia Series by Ian Falconer, the Splat the Cat Series by Rob Scotton, Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series by Jeff Kinney.
3. Have a drawing contest. See who can draw the silliest character, animal, person, etc.
4. Play a silly family board game.  A few of our favorites are Beat the Parents or Would You Rather?
5. Have an impromptu dance party. Create a stage area and take turns showing off each other’s dance moves. Vote for the one who has the silliest moves. 
6. Imitate your furry friends.  My daughters and I laugh endlessly when my husband imitates our golden retriever’s many facial expressions.
7. Watch funny animal videos together.  Our favorite series on You Tube is the Golden Retriever, Tucker Budzyn.
8. Have a family karaoke night.  Nothing evokes laughter better than horrible singing.
9. Buy a joke book.  Invest in a few joke books including Tongue Twisters and Knock-Knock jokes.  They are nice to have on hand for a good laugh every now and then.
10. Make a family trivia quiz.  Create a multiple-choice quiz of silly questions for each family member. For example, if I were an animal what would I be? Then guess each other’s answers.
11. Relive funny memories.  You know those moments when you laugh so hard that you cry?  Those moments are gifts that keep on giving.  When I relive those moments with my family, they never disappoint. 
12. Hang up pictures of laughter.  Framing pictures of you and your family laughing and smiling will create an environment of joy.  They will serve as a shot of joy every time someone looks at them. 
13. Go to a dog park.  For a good dose of laughter, my daughters and I go to the local dog park and laugh at all the silly things we see dogs doing.  Each of us picks one dog and pretends to be their voice. 
14. Create family traditions.  Fun family traditions give everyone something to look forward to each year.  One of my co-workers hosts an Annual Family Feud game during Christmas break that their college aged kids can’t wait to come home for.  Another family I know has an Annual Talent Show with their family every summer. 
15. Be an observer.  Look around and listen for laughter.  Chances are you can ride the laughter wave of others’ funny moments.
16. Give each other funny nick names.  Each member in our family has a nick name that speaks to their personality.  For example, we call my youngest daughter “Spit Fire” for her spunky personality and my oldest daughter “Bubbylicious” for her bubbly smile. 
17. Jump in puddles.  Prior to children, I would have shirked at the idea of going out in the rain and getting wet.  Now I see rain as an opportunity to watch my daughters giggle as they carelessly jump in puddles. 

Laughter is a Key Ingredient to Joy

Laughter is not optional.  It is an essential ingredient to joy.  It is a powerful tool that both strengthens relationships and diffuses anger. Without it, we would live in a dark and sullen world.

Use these 17 family fun tips to create an environment of laughter, one that your children will want to return to fondly as they get older.  A family that laughs together stays together. 

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