Being Silly: How Playfulness Promotes Pragmatic and Language Development

While routine and structured learning are greatly beneficial for a child’s development, spontaneous, unexpected, and goofy interactions are also important to incorporate into your child’s day as they foster both social and language development in little learners.

The Science Behind Silliness

Play is the foundation of language development. Through play, children learn to take turns, engage in conversation, problem solve, and understand social cues. When we add silliness to the mix—funny voices, exaggerated movements/facial expressions, or unexpected surprises—we capture a child’s attention and encourage deeper engagement. Humor and playful interactions help make learning memorable, so your child can build stronger language skills.

How Silliness Enhances Language Skills

1. Encouraging Joint Engagement: Unexpected interactions draw your child’s attention to you or the toy you are interacting with. When a child is engaged in the same toy/situation as you, they increase their readiness to learn. It is in these moments that children have the foundation to imitate or respond to your language.

2. Expanding Vocabulary and Play Skills: Unexpected and silly scenarios introduce new words in a fun, memorable way. Pretending a banana is a phone or using a sock as a puppet sparks creativity in play and language growth.

3. Supporting Turn-Taking: Engaging in playful back-and-forth interactions teaches children the rhythm of conversation, a critical social skill. A break in this routine also gives your child the opportunity to problem-solve how to initiate and maintain the interaction again.

Tips for Incorporating Silliness into Your Play

• Use exaggerated expressions and voices to make interactions more engaging.

• Pretend to “misunderstand” things in a humorous way, prompting children to correct you and use their language skills.

• Engage in physical play like making goofy faces in the mirror or dancing to silly songs, encouraging them to imitate your gestures/movements, especially before they’ve acquired verbal language skills.

• Break routine to create anticipation and joint engagement in play, which are foundations of pragmatic, receptive, and expressive language skills.

Embrace the Playfulness

Being silly with children doesn’t mean abandoning structure; rather, it means embracing an approach that makes learning irresistible. When we let go of our adult inhibitions and dive into the world of imaginative play, we create an environment where social and language development can thrive.

So the next time you’re playing with a child, don’t be afraid to make a funny noise, wear a sock on your hand, or pretend to be a clumsy monster. The giggles and joy that follow are not just entertainment—they’re the sounds of growing brains, expanding vocabularies, and blossoming confidence.

Let’s make learning fun, one silly moment at a time!

Written by: Kayla O'Connor, M.S., CCC-SLP