Stand-Up Comedy for Children (and all others who are curious)

Ready to share your jokes with a live audience? This is how you can begin.

Mastering Your Debut Stand-up Comedy Performance

How to Craft a Joke

People often wonder, “Where do you get your material from?” It’s easier than it seems. Initially, it’s about holding onto the amusing ideas and concepts you naturally think of but often let slip away. Eventually, your mind begins to operate in terms of jokes and premises. Think back to the last time you genuinely made someone laugh—what caused it? Was it a clever remark, a silly gesture, or perhaps a spot-on impersonation? If you enjoy bringing laughter to others, you’re already inherently funny. The key is learning to harness that humor and refine it into something that resonates with a wider audience.

beyond mere words

Keep in mind that natural laughter isn’t usually sparked by words alone. It’s your expressions, gestures, tone, and feelings—everything that transforms witty remarks into a stand-up comedy act. The magic happens when these elements blend seamlessly in the perfect sequence, elevating stand-up into an art form.

Generating fresh content typically happens in two key ways. Occasionally, humor strikes naturally, so it’s essential to record it immediately when it does. Most comedians compile their jokes in a single repository—be it a physical notebook, a phone app, voice recordings, or another method. Having a dedicated space to capture spontaneous ideas ensures you can refine them later. The biggest mistake is assuming, “I’ll recall this later.” You won’t! Document it right away, even if it’s scribbled on your hand. Any time you elicit laughter, note it down. If it worked once, it likely has the potential to amuse a crowd. There will be moments when a hilarious moment that had one person in stitches falls flat with someone else, who might respond, “You had to be there.” Your task then becomes reshaping that spontaneous humor into a relatable story for the stage.

“Spiral notebooks are a great choice for left-handed people such as myself. I often have numerous unused notebooks scattered about, just waiting to become my next collection of jokes.”

Brainstorming

A creative approach to brainstorming involves jotting down ideas on sticky notes and placing them on a wall, allowing you to reorganize your thoughts in various configurations.

Another method to generate material is through brainstorming. Brainstorming involves extracting every idea related to a specific topic from your mind, allowing you to select the most suitable ones for your joke. It’s similar to emptying your entire wardrobe just to locate that one ideal shirt. The temporary chaos is justified by the end result if it achieves the perfect look.

Brainstorming can be done in many ways. You might create lists or try the spiderweb method, which happens to be my preferred approach. This involves writing your topic in the middle of the page, circling it, and then extending lines outward like a spiderweb. On each line, jot down one idea related to the main topic. It’s crucial to capture every thought, whether good or bad—just let them all flow. Once done, pick one or two ideas to develop further by creating additional spiderwebs. Repeat this process until you’ve gathered enough content for a joke. Brainstorming is essential because it allows you to explore every possible angle of your joke, ensuring you approach it from the strongest perspective. Broaden the topic as much as possible, then narrow it down to focus only on the parts that amuse you. Don’t dismiss any idea as too absurd—silliness is exactly what we’re after!

humorous remarks made at one’s own expense

When crafting material, it’s important to include jokes that target ourselves. This is known as self-deprecating humor. While not all comedians focus on poking fun at themselves, it’s an effective method to win over the crowd. By laughing at your own expense, you give the audience implicit approval to laugh at them and other subjects. It levels the dynamic, ensuring you don’t come across as the antagonist, even when teasing those seated in the front row. The crowd senses they’re part of the humor rather than its target.

When I talk about making fun of yourself, I’m not suggesting you put yourself down. The goal isn’t to make the audience pity you—it’s to help them connect with you. Focus on poking fun at the most noticeable traits people observe. Take me, for instance: I’m tall, with fair skin and freckles. These are things anyone can spot, particularly when I’m onstage, so I joke about them. As a kid, those features might have made me self-conscious, but now I find strength in embracing what sets me apart and turning it into humor.

How to Craft a Joke

Take all the concepts and premises from your joke collection and consider how to present them humorously. Every joke is built on two essential components: the setup and the punchline. These elements are as fundamental to a joke as a noun and a verb are to a sentence.

Setup

The configurationestablishesYou’re setting up the premise for your audience—the foundation or storyline of your joke. The premise should feel fresh yet familiar. Often, the most humorous jokes put a clever twist on universal experiences. Keep it straightforward and concise. You probably only need the essential details that build toward the punchline, not every minor point.

punchline

The punchline is the humorous climax, placed at the joke’s conclusion. While this might appear straightforward, performing live in front of an audience can trigger nerves, leading you to accidentally reveal the punchline prematurely. Avoid this mistake. Hold it back until the finale. Ideally, delay it until the absolute last moment. If the punchline hinges on a specific word or phrase, ensure those are the final words you deliver. The nearer the punchline is to the end, the louder the audience’s laughter will be.

If the humor lies in the punch line rather than the setup, it’s logical to prioritize reaching the punch line quickly. This often involves trimming down the setup. In comedy, we employefficient use of languageTo maximize laughter, choose your words carefully and convey the idea concisely. The shorter the joke’s setup, the stronger the punchline must be to land effectively. This principle is known as thepayoffHow much effort was needed to reach the punchline? Were there opportunities for more jokes during the journey?

Tag

The comedians you watch on television typically elicit about eight laughs every minute. Seriously? That means delivering a punchline roughly every eight seconds. How could anyone set up a fresh joke that frequently? It’s nearly impossible—you’d be speaking so quickly, the audience wouldn’t keep up. To increase the number of punchlines without introducing new setups, the trick istagsTags are your ally. They can be as brief as a single word, serving as an extension of your initial joke. Every humorous addition following the punchline counts as a tag. Each tag delivers another moment of laughter. This method allows you to accumulate numerous laughs quickly.

Perfecting a joke to include numerous tags requires patience. While you can generate tags during the writing process, even more will emerge during live performances, so there’s no need to stress about having an abundance of tags initially. Prioritize crafting a strong setup and punchline—the tags will naturally develop. If you’re struggling to come up with tags for a joke, revisit it to brainstorm further or seek input from a fellow comedian.

riffing

Words fill the page just as they fill the stage. While not every comic adopts this approach, particularly early in their career, it serves as an effective method for generating fresh content and building confidence during performances.RiffingRiffing simply means deviating from the script and speaking spontaneously, or improvising. For beginners, it’s best not to open your set with riffing. Instead, wait until you’ve earned a few laughs before attempting it. If the riff lands well, great! You’ve just discovered a fresh tag for your joke or a new premise to explore. If it falls flat, simply continue with your proven material and move on.

The principle of three

The Rule of Three is a common principle found across all forms of art. Why three? Human brains naturally seek patterns in everything, which is why we perceive shapes like faces or animals in clouds. A single piece or even two pieces of information can hint at a pattern but don’t fully establish it. On the other hand, four or more pieces can become cluttered and hard to process, often feeling excessive. Three, however, strikes the perfect balance. This is why jokes often use three examples, with the third typically serving as the punchline.

Complete this joke without overthinking it—just go with your initial reaction. “I can’t survive quarantine without these three things…” You might have listed items like “my dog, WiFi, video games, my cat, Netflix, my own room, grilled cheese sandwiches.” This time, keep the first two answers ordinary and make the third one unexpectedly humorous.
“I wouldn’t make it through quarantine without my coffee, WiFi, and marathoning RuPaul’s Drag Race.”

Amusing terms

Regardless of how witty or amusing you might be, some words and sounds naturally resonate more with our hearing, making them inherently more humorous. Whenever possible, replacing terms to enhance humor or improve auditory appeal is a strategy worth adopting.

Here’s a humorous comparison: “Cleaning the house while your kids are around is like shoveling snow during a blizzard.” I find that amusing. It’s straightforward and vivid, making it easy to imagine and laugh at.

Now read it with only the ending adjusted: “trying to clean the house when your kids are home is like shoveling snow in a blizzard.” It’s a minor tweak. A blizzard is more intense than regular snowfall, which heightens the humor slightly. To me, “blizzard” is simply a funnier term. It’s enjoyable to say and features bold consonant sounds like B, Z, and D. These letters carry more punch than the phrase “while it’s snowing.”

Since our minds instinctively respond more to sharp consonant sounds than gentle ones, alliteration effectively intensifies certain lines in your performance. Alliteration involves repeating consonant sounds within words or phrases, such as the repeated B in “big bouncy baby boy.”

The Art of Delivering a Joke

Once you’ve written some jokes, the next step is testing them with an audience. Stand-up Comedy is essentially public speaking, which ranks among the most widespread fears. Many admit they’d prefer death over addressing a crowd, so simply having the courage to step onstage and engage with them is already an achievement. Now comes the real challenge—getting them to laugh!

Understand who you are addressing

Understanding your audience is the most important rule of public speaking. Does this require personally introducing yourself to each person in the crowd? Not at all! It simply means grasping the general characteristics of the group. For instance, if you’re participating in your school’s talent show, you can assume the viewers are primarily fellow students and teachers. In this setting, it’s appropriate to use references familiar to your peers. However, since it’s a school event, maintaining appropriate content and language is essential. On the other hand, performing at your grandparent’s nursing home presents a completely different audience. Most attendees will be older adults, so jokes or references aimed at younger generations may not resonate. They might also have difficulty hearing, so speaking louder and slower than at the talent show is necessary. As before, keeping the material clean is likely a must. Now, picture yourself performing at a comedy club on a Saturday night. The crowd consists of adults who paid to be there, enjoying drinks and dinner while expecting to laugh. For a comedian, this is the ideal situation—almost anything is fair game!

TRACK LIST

Organize your material in advance. Outline your jokes and their sequence before stepping onstage—this is your set list. Similar to how a musician or band prepares a set list, listing song titles in the intended performance order, you should note the titles of your jokes in the desired sequence. Just as musicians don’t include lyrics on their set lists, you should already know your jokes thoroughly before delivering them to an audience. If you lose your place during the performance, the set list can guide you, but it’s best to avoid relying on it unless necessary.

Where should I direct my attention?

Why does this feel so difficult? The ideal approach is to glance at different people in the crowd rather than fixating on a single individual—that can come off as unsettling. If you need a focal point, aim for the horizon line slightly above the tallest person’s head. Position yourself so you’re facing the group as a whole. Connecting with the audience is essential for a standout performance, and maintaining eye contact plays a major role in building that bond. That’s why you should avoid staring down at your material or the floor. I struggled with this myself—I’d wander across the stage, constantly dropping my gaze to my feet and losing connection with the crowd. If the stage lights are too bright, you might not see the audience clearly, only hear them. In that case, just direct your attention toward them naturally and do your best to engage.

Engage your entire body in the movement.

Use your entire body to convey meaning. While written words rely on the reader’s imagination, in-person interactions allow you to express yourself physically.act-outs or charactersAn act-out involves performing the actions described in a joke. Creating a character means developing a full persona for someone in your bit. Rather than simply stating, “My mom said this…” you’d mimic her voice and mannerisms. Since characters can be based on real or imagined individuals, you have the freedom to portray them in exaggerated or absurd ways. Beginners in stand-up often feel anxious, leading them to cling to the mic stand or stay rooted in one spot with crossed arms. While not all comedians rely heavily on physical comedy, you can test different approaches each time you perform to discover what suits your style.

Make the most of your surroundings

The stage typically provides a few simple props you can work with, requiring you to bring nothing extra. Most often, you’ll find a microphone, a mic stand, and a stool. Some venues might offer more, depending on their layout or décor—I’ve even seen one cluttered with so many items it resembled an escape room. Comics have pulled off hilarious and inventive bits using only the basics. One turned the stool into a walker, shuffling around like an old-timer, while another pretended the mic stand was a fishing rod, reeling in an imaginary catch. Push yourself to think outside the box and repurpose whatever’s onstage.

These Pretzels are Making me Thirsty

How does your voice shift for the joke? Where do you take a pause? What expression appears on your face, and what movements does your body make? Bring all these elements together. Experiment with your jokes by altering the emotions, vocal tone, gestures—whatever you find amusing. Comedy relies heavily not just on the words you use, but on the delivery itself. Check out the following clip fromSeinfeldA 90s sitcom centered around NYC comedian Jerry Seinfeld and his trio of pals. Among them, Kramer lands a single line in a film and is desperate to impress the director, hoping it will launch him to stardom. But what’s the ideal way to deliver that iconic phrase: “These Pretzels are Making me Thirsty”?

Kramer delivers a famous line from a Woody Allen film: “These pretzels are making me thirsty.” Kramer, Elaine, Jerry, and George each take turns attempting to recite the line.

Say it aloud. How would you deliver that line? Did it sound very different from your usual speech? Next, consider your initial approach and attempt the opposite—whatever that implies for you. Did this version land better? Use the same method for your jokes. How can you transform written words into vibrant performances? Were you aware of how much performance skill is required in stand-up comedy?

Timing

You’ve likely been told that “comedy hinges on timing.” But what does that really imply? When you’re performing smoothly onstage, it often feels like you’ve locked into a natural flow. Jokes are built with beats—specific words where you pause to let the audience react and laugh. Consider the classic joke: “Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side.” Notice the pause between “Road?” and “To?” Now imagine delivering it without that break. It becomes jarring and loses its meaning. Always remember to pause, breathe, and let the joke’s rhythm shine. Establishing a steady cadence in your jokes can also prevent you from rushing, a frequent issue in public speaking, especially when nerves take over.

This brings us to pacing—the rhythm or tempo of your jokes. Are you high-energy and quick, or more relaxed and deliberate? Neither approach is inherently superior. Speaking too rapidly might make it difficult for the audience to follow, causing them to miss punchlines. Rushing without pauses can also “step on” your jokes, leaving no space for laughter, as the audience may fear missing the next line. On the other hand, a slower pace allows ample time for reactions, but dragging it out too much risks losing their interest or creating awkwardness.

Digital Stand-Up Entertainment

In the near term, live events such as stand-up comedy will remain limited, meaning your debut open mic or performance will likely happen online. You can optimize your video setup to enhance the quality of your set.

Stand-UP Comedy gets its name for a purpose. Utilize your entire body to move and the space available—why stay seated at your desk? Position your laptop or webcam to allow yourself to stand. Avoid standing too far from the microphone, or your voice won’t be audible. Keep the frame focused on the upper half of your body, but your energy and movement will make it obvious you’re standing. Ensure the audience has a clear view and can hear you well. If your filming area lacks a tidy backdrop, opt for a virtual background. A brick wall is the most typical stand-up setting, making it a simple choice to begin with.

If you don’t own a microphone, try using whatever is available, such as a hairbrush. If that feels awkward, just move on without it.

Practice

I understand this might feel incredibly uncomfortable, but you have to rehearse your set aloud. It’s the best way to listen to your delivery and gauge the timing of your performance. If you prefer not to record video, try using an audio app instead. Many people cringe at the sound of their own voice, but over time, it becomes less strange. Personally, I practice my material out loud while driving. Playing back a recording is also helpful for memorizing your jokes.

showtime

Now’s the moment to test those jokes with a live audience! Every stand-up comic you admire began at an open mic. While finding one in person might be tougher these days, they’re still happening. Try searching Google or Facebook for local stand-up comedy events. Before heading to an open mic, contact the venue or reach out to the host to confirm it’s still scheduled. If you’re under 18, it’s crucial to inform the host ahead of time. They can clarify whether you’re permitted at the location (like a bar) and might even slot you earlier if it’s a late-night show. Also, look into nearby comedy clubs—they might host teen nights or comedy camps for extra practice. Securing stage time as a minor can be challenging, but it’s definitely achievable.

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