I’ve seen again and again that when kids laugh, they learn. It’s not just a hunch—science backs it up. Studies on imaginative play show it strengthens executive functions like self-control and flexible thinking (PubMed). In other words: when children are joking, pretending, and playing, their brains are quietly building the exact skills they’ll need for resilience and focus later on.

Research on guided play—structured, playful learning led by teachers—shows it teaches literacy, math, and social-emotional skills while boosting memory and engagement (PMC). Put simply: play isn’t a distraction from “real learning.” It is real learning.

Humor is just as powerful. When a lesson includes well-placed, content-related jokes, students remember more. One longitudinal study found that humor tied directly to concepts improved long-term retention compared to lessons without humor (SAGE Journals). The takeaway? A pun about fractions or a goofy voice during read-aloud isn’t just for giggles—humor deepens cognitive connections.

But maybe the most important thing humor does is lower the stakes. Neuroscience tells us that laughter reduces stress, which otherwise clogs up working memory and makes learning harder. In a classroom where mistakes are funny, not fatal, students are freer to take risks, ask questions, and stretch themselves. Research even shows that peer-to-peer joking builds empathy and theory-of-mind skills—essential ingredients for creative problem-solving and collaboration (PubMed).

That’s why in my classroom, a lesson plan isn’t complete without space for play, improvisation, and humor. These moments are not “extras”—they’re the spark that makes learning stick, builds resilience, and turns a group of students into a real community.

What does that look like in the classroom? Read a few project case studies here.