Sunday, July 21, 2013

How to Make Babies Laugh

Who doesn't love a happy baby? There's nothing quite like seeing your little one dissolve into riotous laughter. Wondering how to elicit those precious baby belly laughs? Give these 10 common laugh inducers a whirl and let the giggle fits begin!

1. Strange Sounds

Unusual noises are one of the most common ways moms inspire baby giggles. "Try changing your voice," suggests Tasha H., or else a slurp like Nancy S.: "My lil' girl laughs really loud at slurping noises."

2. Animals

With their abrupt movements, furry coats and strange noises, live animals are extremely amusing for babies. As Amanda C. shared of her daughter: "She thinks it is hilarious when the dog yawns."  And Jennifer S. shares:  "Our cats make her laugh like crazy. She loves touching their fur and pulling their tails." Don't have a pet? Take a trip to the zoo or aquarium!

3. Older Children

"He thinks it's hilarious when his big brother jumps around or throws things or drops things," shares Becky F., one of several Circle of Moms members who have noticed that their babies often laugh at their siblings. Jessica H. concurs: "My son thinks his big brother is so funny. All he has to is sing or dance and the baby starts laughing hysterically."

4. Tickling

Gently tickle your baby's feet, chin, armpits or inner thighs and you may be rewarded with uncontrollable giggles! As Amber C. found: "I found she is extremely ticklish, especially when I change her clothes...if I get her under her arms she laughs uncontrollably." Other babies, including Caroline D.'s 4.5 month old son, are especially sensitive to tickles during bath time: "He chuckles himself PINK when I wash him."

5. Peekaboo

"My son loves peek-a-boo," Crystal H. revealed. She's hardly alone — peekaboo is one of the most popular games moms play with their babies to evoke laughs. As Amanda D. suggests: "Try peekaboo with a brightly colored blanket, something with reds and yellows, like small two inch square quilt patches."

6. Funny Faces

All kinds of funny faces can inspire baby chuckles. For example, Teagan C.'s son laughs when she sticks her tongue out at him, and Erin S.'s daughter laughs when people pretend to sneeze: "When she sneezed, my friend copied her and she laughed so hard."

7. Blowing Raspberries

Whether you call it blowing raspberries or a Zrbtt, blowing against babies' skin is often utterly hilarious to them. As Kara O. shares: "I tend to blow raspberries on her tummy and the soles of her feet and that makes her laugh."

8. Chasing Games

If you're little one is crawling already, chasing him around on the floor may also inspire laughter. Amanda F. shares of her son: "I heard him laugh the HARDEST I've ever heard him before........but it was me pretending to "catch" him and making a total fool out of myself :)"

9. Pretend Biting

Pretending to gnaw on your bub's body parts is extremely silly to many babies. "His auntie will 'eat' his toes and he squeals and laughs and just loves it." And Sarah C. shares: "He seems to laugh the most for me when I'm 'biting' him on his chest, almost his side. He'll laugh so hard he nearly chokes himself."

10. You Laughing

Laughter is contagious! Many Circle of Moms members, including Erin M., share that their babies like to join in whenever there's mirth in the room: "She also laughs whenever anyone else is laughing."

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