National Let’s Laugh Day Done the Nature Way

To all the jokesters, punny people, pranksters, and lovers of laughter…your day is here! This is snow joke! There really is a day 100% devoted to enhancing the laughter in this world and this post is all about sharing laughter with others! Run Wild My Child is all about getting families outside, so together let’s celebrate National Let’s Laugh Day the nature way.

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National Let’s Laugh Day

What does it mean to celebrate Let’s Laugh Day the nature way? It means I’ve focused my brainstorming powers on finding the best ways to get your family chuckling, chortling, giggling, guffawing, loling, and laughing outside together. Everything in this post has an outdoor or nature spin on it. That’s right, the activities, jokes, puns, and books all are related to the great outdoors in some way. 

You didn’t think I forgot about making you laugh though, did you? While this post may be geared toward helping you find ways to bring laughter into your outdoor adventures, there are specific puns and jokes added especially for your reading pleasure. 

In laughter, the ‘L’ comes first,
and the rest of the letters come ‘aughter’ it.

Photo credit: Katie Fox @familyinwanderland

The benefits of laughter

Before you dive into the chuckle-filled content below, take a moment to browse through the amazing benefits of laughter. Seriously, whoever coined the adage, laughter is the best medicine, was really onto something.

1. Laughter stimulates organs

As you laugh, you naturally bring more oxygen into your body. This increased oxygen supply stimulates vital organs and increases the endorphins sent to your brain.

2. Laughing relieves stress

Beleave it or not (this is not a joke, though the nature pun is chuckle-worthy), laughter lowers your stress levels. As you laugh, your heart rate increases and as the laughter subsides, your heart rate decreases. The result is a relaxed and calm feeling. Plus, a lot happens with the endorphins and cortisol (the stress hormone) levels in your body.

3. Laughter improves immunity

Positive thoughts, such as those that cause fits of laughter, are proven to help lower stress responses in our bodies. Since stress is actually linked to lower immunity, laughter helps lower stress and boost immunity.

4. Laughing increases personal satisfaction and decreases pain

Whenever we face a difficult situation, chuckling at ourselves or laughing at what is happening can actually make the situation better. On the flip side, laughter has the ability to help our body create its own natural painkiller. So, next time you fracture a rib, just laugh until it doesn’t hurt anymore. (This last part was a joke. Don’t do that. It will hurt A LOT!)

5. Laughter strengthens relationships with others

That’s right! When we laugh with friends, families, coworkers, and even strangers, we feel more connected to them. In turn, laughter enables us to form closer relationships with those we laugh with. And this is really what National Let’s Laugh Day is all about; laughing together and creating lasting bonds with those we love. 

Photo credit: Carolyn @the.barefoot.babies

10 outdoor activities to bring out the laughter

One of the best ways to induce fits of laughter is through play and spending time together as a family. Here are ten simple ways to get your whole family holding their stomachs and laughing until it hurts while celebrating Let’s Laugh Day the nature way. 

1. Random acts of silliness

While outside or while doing routine activities, randomly begin to act silly! Skip, speak in a goofy voice, play tickle chase, jump around like a frog, roar like a lion, pretend to be a robot, or follow your child’s lead and join in on their imaginative play. Your kids will be surprised and burst out laughing! And they’ll surely follow suit, followed by even more laughter from all.

2. Outdoor dance party

Turn on a family favorite, a classic dance song, or something totally obscure and then bust out your best and silliest dance moves. Even if goofy dancing, isn’t your thing try branching out (see what I did there?) of your comfort zone and dance like no one is watching!

3. Play “make a story” while passing a ball

This game is better for older kids, but with help, younger ones can absolutely play along too. The goal is to create a silly story together as a family! The person beginning the game (or whoever is holding the ball first) creates a really silly title, then passes the ball to someone else, who then begins the story. The game continues in this fashion; whoever is holding the ball adds to the story. You can add one word, or several sentences.

Pro Tip: when the ball is passed to you, make sure to throw in something your family finds hilarious into the story.

4. Read silly books together outside

Grab a blanket, cuddle up somewhere outside, and read a hillarious book together. Books have a magical way of tapping into our emotions and make for great bonding moments! Below is a list of 12 funny nature-focused children’s books to get you started.

5. Play “the floor is lava”

Create a fun obstacle course in your yard or local park. Use what you have on hand (large pieces of cardboard, chairs, playground equipment, park benches, logs, etc.) and make sure to play along with your children! Don’t forget, you can also just randomly yell “the floor is lava” to begin the game and watch as every scrambles for something to stand on. Laugh together as you all figure out how to survive, epically fall into the lava, or find hilarious new ways to use, balance, and be outside without touching the ground.

Photo credit: Kyana Miner @blackadventuremom

6. Harness your inner child

Remember elementary school? What were your favorite games? Two easy and fun games to play with your kids are Simon Says and Red Light, Green Light. Make them silly on purpose! For instance, you can say Simon Says put your finger in your nose or make fart noises (I give you permission to use this. I know my kids would be giggling.) Or in Red Light, Green Light, pretend you can’t remember the color green and keep saying words that sound like green. The sillier you are, the more laugh-out-loud fun you’ll have together.

7. Learn a new skill together

Maybe learn to juggle together or try your hand (I mean waist) at hula hooping. Be silly. Keep trying – cactus makes perfect, right? Fail epically and laugh at yourself. Show your children that laughter is the best medicine. 

8. Watch the clouds

Find images in the clouds and make up silly stories to go along with them. Maybe you will also get lucky and see silly images too. No clouds? Don’t worry, this same activity can be done with all sorts of nature items. Go on a walk through your neighborhood or your favorite hiking trail. Find images in tree bark, tree trunk knots, boulders, tree branches, cracks in the mud, patches of grass, and more. Don’t forget to get everyone laughing will a ridiculous story about how that cloud turtle lost it’s shell and thought it was a hermit crab.

9. Roll down a hill

If you haven’t rolled down a hill as an adult, you are seriously missing out. Your body may ache more than it did when you embarked on this adventure as a child, but the aches and pains are totally worth the laughs and memories you will share with your children.

10. Outdoor charades

This is the same game as the indoor version, only done outside. Be over the top as you act out your word and don’t forget to laugh at yourself when you are struggling. Show your kids that it is okay to be awful at something and still have fun!

Photo credit: Nichole Holze @coleyraeh

25+ nature jokes and puns to share with your kids

Jokes are a sure-fire way to get people chuckling. Sometimes the laughter is because a joke was truly funny, and other times the laughter resembles a groan. This type of groan-laughter is perfect! It means the jokes you are sharing are so funny, laughter isn’t even possible. Don’t worry though, the jokes and puns below were specially curated for celebrating National Let’s Laugh Day the nature way. They are guaranteed to induce the true form of laughter and help form lasting memories and bonds between your family members.

Photo credit: @sara_mccarty

Hilarious nature jokes for kids

How do you cut a wave in half?
Use a sea saw

Why is the mushroom always invited to parties?
Because he’s a fungi

Why did the worm cross the ruler?
To become an inchworm

Why is grass so dangerous?
Because it’s full of blades

What kind of shorts do clouds wear?
Thunderwear

What is a tree’s least favorite month?
Sep-TIMBER

What type of tree fits in your hand?
A palm tree

What did the beaver say to the tree?
It’s been nice gnawing you

What kind of flower grows on your face?
Tulips

What did the limestone say to the geologist?
Don’t take me for granite

What did one volcano say to the other?
I lava you

What do you call a snowman in July?
A puddle

What do you call a bear without any teeth?
A gummy bear

What’s a tornado’s favorite game?
Twister

Why can’t pine trees sew?
They always drop their needles

What type of songs do the planets sing?
Nep-tunes!

What do you call an alligator in a vest?
An investigator!

What’s brown and sticky?
A stick

Photo credit: Chelsea Furlong @dimples.and.the.blonde

Inspirational nature-inspired puns

I lake you a lot!

I lava you!

Beleaf in yourself!

I lichen you very moss!

Lettuce do our best!

You are tree-mendous! 

I fernly beleaf in you!

I love you a lily more each day!

We make a prickly pear!

12 hilarious children’s books that are sure to make your whole family laugh

• Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing by Judi Barrett
• Du Iz Tak? by Carson Ellis
• Giraffe Problems by Jory John
• Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown
• Snail and Worm: Three Stories About Two Friends by Tina Kügler
• “Stand Back,” Said the Elephant, “I’m Going to Sneeze!” by Patricia Thomas
• The Terrible Plop by Ursula Dubosarsky
• The Very Impatient Caterpillar by Ross Burach
• The Wonky Donkey by Craig Smith
• This Is a Taco! by Andrew Cangelose
• Underwear! by Jenn Harney
• Unstoppable by Adam Rex

Photo credit: @umaisreading

Finally (Pine-ally)…

Now you are prepared! You have the knowledge and the skills to embark on these shenanigans with your family. I’ll leaf you with these famous words of punable wisdom…

May the forest be with you!
Leaf long and prosper!

I can’t think of any more nature puns. Canoe?

About the author

Katie lives in a tiny home on wheels and travels full-time with her two mostly wild children, tech-minded partner, two well-traveled pups, and adopted pet snail. As they wander the North American continent, Katie explores as much as possible, with a particular fondness for the adventures her family enjoys in state and national parks. When not trekking through the outdoors, Katie enjoys baking, homeschooling, consuming mochas from local coffee shops across the continent, practicing her photography skills, and soaking up as much knowledge as she can.

As an advocate for families exploring the great outdoors, Katie co-founded a Hike it Baby branch in her hometown in Northern California and tries to encourage families to get outside whenever possible. Katie has a Master’s degree in human development from the University of Missouri, Columbia, but her passion is really history and humanities (which is coincidentally what her Bachelor’s degrees are in). She currently volunteers on the Hike it Baby National team as a contributing blogger.

You can find more from Katie online in the following locations:
Instagram: @familyinwanderland
Website: www.familyinwanderland.com
Facebook: @familyinwanderland
RWMC posts: Katie Fox