These funny jokes will have them belly-laughing for days
Need a good joke when you’re in a pinch? We’ve got you covered with a joke of the day for almost a whole year, and most of them are original! These hilarious jokes for kids require little to no explanation from parents, but you’ll want to get in on the fun, anyway. From cheesy jokes to knock-knock jokes and beyond, many of these have been sent to us by kids themselves. We’ve also got squeaky-clean jokes, spring jokes, and printable lunchbox jokes. And for those looking to take the fun to the next level, we’ve got the best minute to win it games, too.
Why should you share jokes with your kids?
Because it allows kids to learn to laugh at themselves and not take themselves too seriously. It’s an easy way to have quality time that doesn’t include a screen. So go ahead, scroll through our favorite jokes for kids, and spend 15 minutes having a good chuckle with your kiddos.
1. What do you call an ant who fights crime? A vigilante!
80. What did the big flower say to the little flower? Hi, bud!
81. There are two robots sitting on a wall. They are named Pete and Re-Pete. Pete falls off. Who is left? (Re-Pete...so you repeat the whole thing again and again and again.)
—Henrik P., 10
82. What is a pony’s favorite juice? She really likes lemon-neigh’d.
—5-year-old Kerrigan
83. Where do fish keep their money? In the River-Bank!
—Jaxon G., 7 y.o.
84. What do you call an alligator with a vest? An investigator!
—Milo H-R, age 8
85. Why was the computer cold? It left its window open!
312. What do you call a Buffalo that likes beef?
A Beef-alo
313. What does a camel say to a hunter?
Do you need some camel-flage
314. Why does the dinosaur like the bathroom?
Because it’s ex-stink-t
315. Why does the dentist use a computer?
Because it has Bluetooth.
—Jokes 312-315 by Gunner, age 8
316. What’s grey?
A melted penguin.
317. What goes black, white, black, white, black white?
A penguin rolling down a hill.
318. Can a match box?
No, but a tin can!
319. Why was the baby in Egypt?
It was looking for its mummy.
320. Why did the chewing gum cross the road?
It was stuck on the chicken’s foot.
321. What does a cow eat for breakfast?
Mooo-esli.
322. Doctor, doctor, I feel like a dog.
Then go and see a vet!
323. What do girl snakes write at the bottom of their letters?
With love and hisses.
324. Why did the bacteria cross the microscope?
To get to the other slide.
—Jokes 316-324 by Elijah, age 11
325. Knock, knock Who’s there? Lettuce. Lettuce who? Let us in, it’s cold out here!
326. What do you get when you cross a bridge with a car?
To the other side of the river.
327. What do you get when you cross an elephant with a cake?
Crumbs.
328. Doctor, doctor, I keep thinking I’m a dog.
Then sit on the couch and we’ll talk about it, But I’m not allowed on the furniture!
329. Doctor, doctor I feel like a sheep.
That’s baa-aaa-aad.
330. What do you call a bee that buzzes quietly?
A mumble bee.
—Jokes 325-330 by Malachi, age 7 and a half
331. Where do you find a polar bear?
The same place you left her.
—Thomas, age 7
332. What is fast, loud, and crunchy? A rocket chip!
333. How does a vampire start a letter? Tomb it may concern…
334. What has ears but cannot hear? A field of corn…
335. Did you hear the one about the claustrophobic astronaut?
He just needed a little space.
Make sure to capture all the giggles—and share them with your family and friends near and far—with the Tinybeans app. The secure platform puts parents in total control of who sees and interacts with photos and videos of their kids.
Looking for some fun riddles for kids to keep those little minds sharp? Or maybe even a few hard riddles for kids? We’ve found kid-friendly puzzlers just right for your family. Share these riddles for kids with answers on the way to school or over dinner. And for even more, check out this adorable kid’s book.
A riddle is a brain-teasing question with a hidden meaning or answer requiring creative, out-of-the-box thinking. The answers are often things you wouldn’t think about, so be sure to take your time solving these easy riddles for kids!
Why should you share riddles with kids?
Riddles, and other brain teasers like hidden word puzzles, sudoku, and crossword puzzles help keep the brain sharp and help to develop problem-solving skills and creativity. Plus, it’s just fun to ask kids funny riddles and see their reactions!
One-Word Answers for Easy Riddles
1. What has hands but cannot write or clap?
A clock.
2. What has stripes and goes through the air?
Hint: It sometimes goes on the ground, too!
A basketball.
3. I am yellow, and I write, and my mate is white. What am I?
A pencil.
4. What gets wetter the more it dries?
A towel.
5. What has a neck but no head and arms but no hands?
A shirt.
6. Remove my skin and I won't cry, but you might! What am I?
An onion.
7. What kind of ship has two mates but no captain?
A relationship.
8. I'm taller when I'm young and shorter when I'm old. What am I?
A candle.
9. What is always right in front of you, yet you cannot see it?
The future.
10. What has a tongue but cannot talk?
A shoe.
11. What is easier to get into than out of?
Trouble.
12. What always ends up broken before you use it?
An egg.
13. What begins with T ends with T and has a T in it?
A teapot.
14. What breaks as soon as you say its name?
Silence.
15. If you threw a yellow stone into a blue sea, what would it become?
Wet.
16. What number is odd until you take away one letter; then it becomes even?
Seven.
17. What runs but cannot walk, has a mouth but no teeth, and has a bed but cannot sleep?
A river.
18. There is one word spelled wrong in every English dictionary. What is it?
Wrong.
19. What goes in your pocket but keeps it empty?
A hole.
20. What has legs but cannot walk?
A chair.
21. I sometimes run but cannot walk. You follow me around. What am I?
Your nose.
22. What word begins and ends with the E but only has one letter?
32. A man holds $5.50 in his hand but only has one coin. How is this possible?
He has a $5 bill and one 50-cent piece.
33. How many months of the year have 28 days?
All of them (they all have at least 28 days).
34. When is "L" greater than "XL"?
When you use Roman numerals.
35. What is always on the dinner table but you cannot eat it?
A plate. (Or a fork, etc.)
36. What can you hold in your right hand but never your left hand?
Your left hand.
37. A cowboy comes into town on Friday. He stays two nights at a local hotel. He leaves on Friday. How is this possible?
His horse's name is Friday.
38. A woman is sitting in his cabin in Minnesota. In less than three hours, she's in her cabin in Texas. How can this be?
The woman is a pilot and she's sitting in the cabin of her airplane.
39. What is as big as a hippo but weighs nothing at all?
A hippo's shadow.
40. What bank never has any money?
A river bank.
41. How do you make the number “one” disappear?
Add a “g” and it is “gone.”
42. If an electric train is traveling 60 MPH and going against the wind, which way will the train's smoke drift?
There is no smoke from an electric train.
43. Why did the kid bury his walkie-talkie?
Because the batteries died.
44. Two fathers and two sons went fishing. They only caught 3 fish, but they caught one fish each. How is this possible?
It was a grandfather, a father, and a grandson/son. (Both the grandfather and father are fathers and both the father and grandson are sons).
Easy Riddles Submitted by Readers
45. I am loved, for I am sweet
I come in many forms
but I’m always a treat
before apple and after cotton
dentists contend that I’ll
make your teeth rotten
What am I?
Candy
—from young reader Gloria, age 8
46. There was a circle house. There was a chef, a nanny, a butler, two children, and a maid. The boy child was found dead. The nanny said she was playing with the girl, the chef said he was cooking dinner and the maid said she was dusting the corners. So who killed the boy?
The maid because she was lying about dusting corners. A circle house has no corners.
—submitted by Joshua Y., age 9
47. What has a head and a tail but no body?
A coin.
—Young reader Katelyn
48. Mr. Red and Ms. Red live in the red house, Mr. Purple and Ms. Purple live in the purple house. Who lives in the white house?
The President!
—from young reader Gwen I
49. If you feed me, I grow, but if you give me water, I die.
Fire
—Young reader Sai Sri Vallabh
50. What has a mouth, a bed, and always runs?
A river.
—Chase, age 9
Riddles for Brain-Teasing Fun
51. What five-letter word gets short when you add two letters to the end?
Short.
52. What type of cheese is made backward?
Edam
53. A cat wants to get in better shape. She’s going to start by climbing the stairs. Starting on the fourth floor, she climbs up five stories, down seven stories, up six stories, down three stories, and up four stories again. What floor is she on?
The ninth floor.
54. There was a blue one-story house in a nice neighborhood. Everything in it was blue—the walls, the carpets, the furniture, and even the dog! What color were the stairs?
There are no stairs because it's a one-story house.
Need a good laugh? These Thanksgiving jokes will keep the whole family entertained for hours on turkey day
Add a little levity to the Thanksgiving table this year with some kid-approved Thanksgiving jokes. We gathered our favorite jokes about pie and funny jokes about turkeys for this list that will have your whole family laughing before dessert is even served! If you’re looking for more ways to keep the kids entertained during the holiday, check out our fun free Thanksgiving printables and Thanksgiving games for kids.
Turkey Thanksgiving Jokes
1. Why was the turkey late for Thanksgiving?
He ran out of thyme.
2. What are turkeys most thankful for on Thanksgiving?
Vegetarians
3. What instrument does the turkey play in the band?
The drums because he already has the drumsticks.
4. Who comes to Thanksgiving dinner but is not hungry?
The turkey because he’s already stuffed!
5. What side of the turkey has the most feathers?
The outside.
6. Why did the turkey cross the road?
The chicken was on vacation.
7. What kind of weather does a turkey like?
Fowl weather!
8. What kind of key can’t open doors?
A tur-key!
9. Why did the turkey get arrested?
He was suspected of fowl play.
10. What do you call a turkey running in a sprint?
Fast food.
Jokes about Dessert
11. How do you fix a cracked pumpkin pie?
With a pumpkin patch.
12. What do you get if you cross a pie and a snake? A pie-thon.
13. What’s the best thing to put in pumpkin pie?
Your teeth.
14. What’s a pumpkin’s favorite game?
Squash
15. Why did the pumpkin pie cross the road?
It saw a fork up ahead.
16. Why did the pie go to the dentist?
It needed a filling.
17. Why did the apple pie cry?
Its peelings were hurt.
18. What did the pie say to the fork?
You want a piece of me?
Thanksgiving Dinner Jokes
19. What did one plate say to the other plate? Dinner is on me!
20. How many cranberries grow on a bush?
All of them.
21. What smells the best at Thanksgiving dinner?
Your nose.
22. Knock, Knock
Who’s there? Harry!
Harry who? Harry up, I’m hungry!
23. What is the role of green beans at Thanksgiving dinner?
The casserole
24. What’s a potato’s favorite game to play during Thanksgiving dinner?
MASH
25. What kind of music do pilgrims listen to?
Plymouth Rock
Why was Chicago blushing at the party? Find out by reading this hilarious list of laugh-out-loud funny jokes that Chicago kids will adore.
If you find yourself on chaperone duty for a school field trip or want to pep up mealtime with your kids, the best way to keep them entertained is to have silly jokes on the ready. Even if they’re not SNL-quality, the kids will love the cheese. They’ll hover on the edge of their seats (figuratively), waiting for you to deliver the wholesome punchlines. For an easy and free way to entertain kids, here are some tried and true Chicago-themed jokes that will make them chuckle.
Need some belly laughs to treat the winter blues? These winter jokes for kids are sure to turn those frowns upside down.
The weather outside might be frightful, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy some laughs. These winter jokes for kids are just the thing you need to pass the time when you’re stuck indoors. When you’ve had your fill, keep the laughs going all the way to spring with even more funny jokes. We’ve got knock-knock jokes, toddler jokes, and even corny dad jokes to keep you entertained.
You and the family will have a blast exploring these creative corn mazes near NYC this fall
One of our favorite things to do in the fall is to tackle a good corn maze—where getting lost is part of the fun! Local farms near NYC break out new designs every year, and fall 2022 does not disappoint! We found the best corn mazes near NYC with cool options like moonlight mazes, corn maze games, and a corn maze train!
A family-owned 600-acre farm, Alstede Farms has not one, not two, but three mazes for fall fun: a corn maze, a sunflower maze and an evergreen maze. The corn maze includes fun facts about the maze's theme (which changes annually), and for thrillseekers, you can tackle it at night by the light of a flashlight with a Harvest Moon Hayride.
Cost: all are included with pick-your-own admission (advance purchase required) 1 Alstede Farms Ln. Chester, NJ Online:alstedefarms.com
Queens County Farm Museum
The Amazing Maize Maze is the only corn maze that you can get to without leaving the city. All maze explorations begin with a "Stalk Talk" so visitors know what to expect. Then, you follow clues and complete puzzles to get through the three-acre maze. At the end of the maze, you'll find yourself at the overlook bridge, where you can see the full design from above.
Cost: $12/adult, $8/child ages 4–11 73-50 Little Neck Pkwy. Floral Park, NY Online:queensfarm.org
Ort Farms
The Ort Farms maze is an impressive six acres and take about half an hour to complete. Visit on weekends for a full farm experience, featuring all sorts of rides: train, pony, hay, and even monster truck rides!
Cost: $9.95 per person 25 Bartley Rd. Long Valley, NJ Online:ortfarms.com
Von Thun Farms' corn maze has a lot going on—in a good way. (Note the farm has two locations.) The maze is split into two sections: one is perfect for kids, while the rest of the maze (the bulk of it) is for all ages. All in all, it takes about 30-45 minutes to complete the maze.
At the South Brunswick location, you can try finding your way around in the dark, in the Moonlight Maze. Besides the maze, you can also enjoy hay rides or make s'mores by the campfire. Prices for the Moonlight Maze start at $10 (for just the maze) and up.
Cost: Starting at $17.99 for general admission. 519 Ridge Road South Brunswick, NJ
Stony Hill Farms' "Maze Quest Corn Maze" is a whopping 10 acres! The maze includes games throughout the maze, some bridges for a birds-eye view of the maze, winding paths and dead ends, as well as a "Maze Master" who'll come to your aid if you're really stumped (just seek them out or call them on the phone and they'll come to you!). The farm also has a miniature, one-acre corn maze for the little ones if 10 acres is a bit too much to handle.
Cost: Starting at $16.99, kids under 2 are free 15 North Rd. Chester, NJ Online:stonyhillfarms.com
Happy Day Farm
This year's 10-acre maze celebrates 10 years of Happiness! You'll find it to be an image of sunflowers, pumpkins, and a tractor to celebrate the season. As you make your way through the maze, you can play a game of Maize-O-Poly by matching squares on your game board to specific spots around the corn maze. Earn as much (play) money as you can to receive the title "Farmer of the Ear." If you get stuck, you can text the "intelligent question master" for a hint—but before he helps you out, you'll need to answer a question correctly!
This farm also features fall festival fun on weekends with tons of activities for kids—pig races, giant slide, hay mountain, pumpkin bowling, U-Pick sunflowers, and much more.
The farm holds a fall fest from September 17 to October 30 this year. For an additional fee, you can access many other attractions, including pony rides and a petting zoo, sunflower, vegetable and pumpkin picking (but no apple picking), as well as a haunted house and haunted corn trail (which you can do during the day with little ones).
Tickets must be bought at the door only, there are no online reservations.
Cost: $10 (separate from admission). 26 Pinelawn Rd. Melville, NY Online:schmittfarms.com
Fairview Farm
If you've had enough of wandering around, take a break at one of the maze's two bridges, which provide views of the surrounding farmland, Mecox Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean. Looking for some fun novelty? Little kids will enjoy making a mess in giant tractor tires filled with corn. You can also test your aim with the "corn cannon."
Of course, traditional fall goodies are also available here, like pumpkin picking, fresh produce for sale and, best of all, 20 different kinds of homemade pies!
Cost: $14/adult, $12/children, free for kids 3 and under. 69 Horsemill Ln. Bridgehampton, NY Online:fairviewfarmatmecox.com
Delaware River Railroad Excursions Corn Maze Train
How's this for blowing your train-crazy kid's mind?: a corn maze you get to via steam train. Yes, it's true. You'll have to drive and hour-and-a-half to get to where you board, but that's small sacrifice for pure joy. While getting there is half the fun, once you arrive you're treated to an experience that's more interactive than the average maze.
There are two main games you can play. In one, you're tasked with finding six podiums within the maze, then making your "corn card" with the distinct hole punch found at each of the podiums. Participants who find all six get a small prize! The other similarly has you finding six hidden locations in the maze and punching a special card, but this time you're looking to uncover which monster has kidnapped Boots, the farm dog!
For an additional fee, in addition to the mazes, you can tour the Ol Susquehanna Gem Stone Mine and learn how to mine for gems, which you can take home.
Cost: $5 add on to any train ticket 99 Elizabeth St. Phillipsburg, NJ Online:nyswths.org
This five-acre corn maze is the perfect length to get lost in—but not too lost. If you really need some help, though, you'll have some "Corny Passports" to consult for a hint. Two bridges provide a step up to see your surroundings, and take a breather.
Beyond the maze, you'll find pumpkin picking, a cow train ride, tube slide, pumpkin bowling and more, along with tons of photo-ops! Plus, get a little destructive with the fun apple cannons or enjoy a pony ride for an additional fee.
The PumpkinTown corn maze theme this year is Stronger Together. There are interactive elements to the maze, to keep things fresh! In one challenge, you'll learn about bees and search for six flowers hidden in the maze, with a fun trivia twist that'll either move you ahead for correct answers, or send you back for wrong ones. In another, you'll learn about Spookley the square pumpkin through a series of story boards. Plus, there are a bunch of spooky characters to find in the maze, so be on the lookout (and have your phone at the ready)!
Once you're done with those, there's an entire maze park to explore, with lots of fun attractions including three interactive corn mazes, unlimited corn train and wagon rides, a combine slide, pedal cart track, mechanical diggers, a tube slide, and much more.
Please note that the corn maze is only available on weekends.
Cost: $20 on weekends and school holidays, $12 on weekdays 240 Montauk Hwy. Water Mill, NY Online:hankspumpkintown.com
Don’t let the back-to-school process overwhelm you! This handy guide includes everything you’ll need in the school supplies department, ideas to combat first-day jitters, funny jokes to get you through and cute clothes that kids will love. Plus, we’ve included some lunch tips and hacks for when you just cannot make another PB&J. Parents, we’ve got you covered!
This list has loads of great backpack options including super stylish backpacks, adaptive backpacks for kids in wheelchairs and wheelie backpacks for those who have to bring every book home every day.
Lunch Boxes & Snack Bags
Start the year off strong with the perfect lunch box. This story has loads of options that will keep your food chilled, in separate compartments or piping hot—just the way your kid likes it.
While you are at it, grab some reusable snack bags so that you can go all green this year.
Bento Boxes
Put a bento box into your kid's lunch and they'll love the little compartments that can fit everything from rolled-up sandwiches to tiny crackers. There are even some that will keep your lunch chilled all day.
Water Bottles
Takeya
Leaky water bottles are the bain of parental existence, right? These are our favorite water bottles for kids from sippy cup versions to insulated stainless steel water bottles. that parents will love too.
Do yourself a favor and get your kids a clothing subscription service this school year. They will get some awesome new styles sent right to them and you don't have to take them shopping with you. Win-win!
Adaptive & Sensory-Friendly Clothes
Kohl's
When it comes to back-to-school clothes shopping, your kid’s all about perfecting “the look.” And with on-trend adaptive clothing lines galore to choose from, even issues like Sensory Processing Disorder or other special needs won’t hold your fashion-forward kiddo back. This BTS season it’s ready, set, shop … for everyone.
Shoes
Native Shoes
Let your little one slip into something easy and stylish this back-to-school season. These lace-free options give even the smallest pre-schooler the independence to get ready on their own. Which means less work for you!
Face Masks
Mightly
If your school is requiring face masks for in-person learners, now is the time to refresh your collection. This massive list has all the character, colorful and black (tweens, right?) face masks for kids that you could want.
Start a school day tradition like listening to a favorite song on the ride to school or having a special thing you say to your kids when you drop them off.
After a big day of big transitions, dinner can be the last night on your mind. Make dinner easy with these meal kit delivery companies.
Save this one for mid-October when all the lunch inspiration is gone. We've got tons of ideas for lunches from corndog muffins to grilled cheese rollups to freezer sandwiches.
Snag a bento box and check out this list of inspirational ideas for bento box lunches. All the friends will be jealous of your little one's spread!
Chalk paint is a type of paint that you can create at home and use on various surfaces. It’s simple to make, easy to work with, and a fun activity for both kids and adults. It’s also inexpensive—in fact, you probably have all the ingredients you need to make it at home. Keep reading to learn how to make your own chalk paint and different ways to use it with the family.
What you’ll need:
Cornstarch
Water
Food coloring
Muffin pans or small bowls
Paintbrushes
Stencils (optional)
Follow these instructions for easy DIY chalk paint
Step 1: Combine cornstarch and water in equal parts.
Step 2: Next, pour the cornstarch mixture into a muffin tin or small bowls.
Step 3: Finally, add food coloring of your choice until it gets to your desired color. Now you’re ready to paint!
How to Use DIY Chalk Paint
One of the best aspects of chalk paint is that it’s a great way to get creative. Even better, it easily washes away, making cleanup a breeze. Chalk paint is similar to chalk, but you use paintbrushes instead of chalk pieces to create your artwork. DIY chalk paint is a great activity for people of all ages and you can do it both indoors or outdoors! Chalk paint, like traditional chalk, works great on the sidewalk or driveway. It can also be used to decorate chalkboards to display in your home.
Ways Kids Can Use Chalk Paint
Chalk paint is a great way to keep the kids busy for hours. With many extracurricular activities being canceled this year, it’s been more important than ever to find some at-home crafts for the kids.
Practice letters and numbers: For the younger kids, you can use chalk paint as a way to help teach them their letters and numbers when they are out of school. It makes learning fun!
Practice spelling and math: For the slightly older kids, you can also use chalk paint in the summer months, but up the difficulty level with spelling tests and multiplication tables. It makes practicing their schoolwork more fun when they can do it outside!
Paint their pets: Challenge your kids to paint their dog or cat. Mix a bunch of colors and go crazy.
Create games: Classic games that you would use with chalk are perfect for chalk paint! Hopscotch and foursquare are the most popular chalk games.
Make fun stencils: There are many places that you can find printable stencils online, or you can create your own! Kids will love making different stenciled designs and painting them with the chalk paint they helped create.
Ways Adults Can Use Chalk Paint
No, chalk paint isn’t just for kids. There are many ways that adults can use it too. Here are some ideas for chalkboards.
Create a weekly dinner menu: For those who are always dealing with the “what’s for dinner?” question, use your chalk paint to make a pretty menu so that your kids or spouse can check throughout the week.
Use it for a daily quote, joke, affirmation: Using chalk paint as a way to display inspirational quotes, funny jokes, or daily affirmations can help start your day right.
Paint your favorite bible verse: Painting the bible verse that means the most to you will be a comforting display to look at throughout the day.
Christmas countdown: Make a Christmas, birthday, or special event countdown. We all need a little extra cheer this holiday season, so counting down to Christmas can help keep up the excitement this time of year brings.
Tips for Your DIY Chalk Paint
Chalk paint doesn’t dry instantly—Unlike regular chalk, the paint takes some time to dry. Be careful not to touch your art for a few hours—otherwise, you may smudge it.
Add more water or cornstarch depending on thickness—It’s hard to mess up chalk paint, so if you think it’s a little runny or too stiff, just add a little more cornstarch or water and you’ll be good to go.
Chalk paint color will dry darker—As your painting, you may be tempted to go darker or paint more layers. Remember, the paint will dry darker than when you first paint, so you’ll get a good idea of what it looks like after it dries.
DIY chalk paint is a fun activity for kids and adults. It’s easy to make and you probably have most of the ingredients you need already in your pantry! Make some fun games for the kids and they’ll stay busy for hours.
Julia is a dog mom and content creator. When she's not writing or playing with her pup, you can find her playing tennis or chowing down on a vegan burger.
Laughter is the best medicine––and with that in mind we’ve put together a list of San Diego jokes for kids that will have everyone slapping their knee. Scroll down for silly jokes, funny jokes, and jokes kids are sure to LOL hearing, telling and re-telling!
1. What did the Pacific Ocean say to the sand?
Nothing, it just waved.
2. What did the seashell at Del Mar Beach say to the fish?
Call me on my shell phone.
3. What is the best day to go to Coronado Beach?
Sun-day.
4. What do you call a witch who lives at Mission Beach?
A sand-wich.
5. What do you call a dog running at Dog Beach in summer?
A hot dog.
6. Where do San Diego sharks go on summer vacation?
To Finland.
7. What did La Jolla Beach say when the tide came in?
“Are there any new presents under the tree?” chirped my daughter the moment she bounded through the door after school. “Are these all the presents we’re going to get?” she asked, re-inspecting the loot and grumbling, “Why does Zachary get the biggest gifts?”
Fifteen minutes after school pickup—and I already needed a mommy timeout. I can’t stand seeing materialism brainwash my daughter, leaving an ungrateful heart in its wake.
During gifting seasons, my daughter shows an utter lack of gratitude for the bounty before her. Even when she unwraps something on her wish list, she blurts out, “I don’t like Legos…I wish I had the purple one…Did I get any money? Can I pick out anything on the computer?”
Thankfully, my daughter’s fascination with gifts isn’t limited to receiving them. Her favorite activity is wrapping up toys and odds and ends from around the apartment and presenting them to friends and siblings. Last week, my daughter gave one such gift to her classmate and then saw how sad that friend’s little sister was upon not receiving a gift of her own. My daughter was so distraught with the situation she spent several hours that weekend wrapping up trinkets in various boxes and taping them together into the shape of a bird to present it to the little sister.
You can imagine the delight shared by both parties when Monday’s playdate rolled around. These sweet gifting rituals amongst playmates have nothing to do with monetary value. It’s about the surprise, thought, anticipation, unwrapping, and reciprocation.
After witnessing this joyful exchange, I reassessed my resentful perspective on the central role of gifting during a season that’s about so much more. I threw out my previous assumption that my daughter was a victim to materialism and considered the possibility that gifting was simply her way of feeling emotionally connected to others. In other words, gifts are her love language.
Gary Chapman, author of The 5 Love Languages of Children: The Secret to Loving Children Effectively, explains that people feel loved in five primary ways, called love languages:
Acts of Service
Quality Time
Physical Touch
Words of Affirmation
Gifts
While all kids love gifts, some enjoy snuggles or a special family outing just as much as physical presents. That’s the case for three of my four kids. But for my 7-year-old daughter, gifts are her primary love language.
Because receiving gifts ranks lowest on my list of how I feel loved, I’ve traditionally struggled to understand my daughter’s fascination with presents.
I feel loved through acts of service and physical touch. As a result, in my attempt to show motherly love, I default to taking care of my kids’ physical needs and showering them with hugs and kisses. But to a daughter who never snuggles deeper into a hug (if I tried to cuddle her as a baby, she would stretch out her legs to try to stand up), my actions are undoubtedly lost in translation.
“Notice how your child relates to you,” Chapman suggests. “Typically, kids show love in the way they’d like to receive it.”
My daughter is a prolific writer and crafter, creating books, cards, pictures, songs and paper treasures to gift to family and friends. She wrote two stories this afternoon and “published” them just in time to read aloud as bedtime stories—giggling all the way at her own jokes!
What joy! What a gift! It amazes me that I’m only now realizing that I should reciprocate. So, I brainstormed ideas on how to gift my daughter words of affirmation.
Set up toys into a playful scene, labeled, “Good morning! We can’t wait to play with you!” so she sees it when she wakes up.
Say, “I love the way you draw! Could you teach me to draw a cute puppy?”
Stick a post-it on one of her in-progress stories. “I’m your biggest fan! Your stories are creative and fun to read.”
Write a thank-you note. “Thank you for breaking up your little sister’s tantrum with tickles and a story. You’re a great big sister!”
As fun as these ideas sound, this is another tricky area for me because words of affirmation rank second-lowest on my love language list. At first, I assumed that compliments would unhealthily puff up my daughter’s ego rather than teaching humility. I don’t want her to grow up feeling entitled or grow numb to praise. I also don’t want her to base her value on another’s verbal approval.
But then I looked at it through the lens of my own love language: acts of service. Just because I feel emotionally connected to my husband when I wake up to a basket of clean laundry doesn’t mean I’m overly dependent on others taking care of me.
Therefore, I shouldn’t lament my daughter’s fascination with gifts as a problem or dependency to be fixed, but rather as one unique facet of her personality.
Luckily for me, this means the joy of Christmastime giving doesn’t have to stop come January. I have a daughter who delights in thoughtful surprises throughout the year. I cherish those sweet good-morning notes slid under my door and look forward to loving her in ways that speak into her heart.
This doesn’t mean hugs and dinner prep should come to a full stop just because they are my love language, not hers. According to Chapman, “The goal is to give your child heavy doses of his or her primary love language while continuing to include the other four. This teaches the child how to receive and give love in all five languages.”
When my kids grow into adults who love on spouses and children of their own, I pray that they both know and show genuine, self-giving love—even if it sometimes feels like they must speak in a foreign language to make that happen.
Kristin Van de Water is a former journalist and teacher who relies on humor, faith, and her mom crew to get her through the day. Raising four kids in a two-bedroom NYC apartment, Kristin is always on the lookout for life hacks to save time, space, money, and her sanity.