A pun is a joke that makes a play on words, typically by using words that sound similar but have different meanings. It can also use different meanings of the same word to make the saying funny. While some puns will likely only be understood by adults, age-appropriate puns for kids can be a great way for young ones to learn how to play with language too.
Puns That Start With a Question
Perhaps the oldest joke formula of all time is where you pose a rhetorical question and the answer is a clever pun. Here are some great pun examples for kids.
- How do turtles talk to each other? By using shell phones!
- Why are teddy bears never hungry? They are always stuffed!
- What was the reporter doing at the ice cream shop? Getting the scoop!
- What do baseball players eat on? Home plates!
- What did the judge say when the skunk walked into the courtroom? Odor in the court!
- Why did the lion spit out the clown? Because he tasted funny!
- What's purple and 5,000 miles long? The Grape Wall of China!
- What do you call a knight who is afraid to fight? Sir Render.
- Where does a boat go when it's not feeling well? To the dock.
- What did the rocket say to the astronaut? Have a blast!
- What kind of cake do ghosts like? Eye-scream cake!
- How do you compliment a gardener? Your veggies are a-maize-ing!
Puns About Animals
Funny animal puns always go over well with children. Short puns like these are particularly great for kiddos.
- A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.
- A skunk fell in the river and stank to the bottom.
- The Energizer Bunny was arrested and charged with battery.
- Why did the chicken cross the playground? To get to the other slide.
- Why did the spider go to the computer? To check his web-site.
- What do you get from a pampered cow? Spoiled milk.
- Where does a rat go with a toothache? A rodent-ist.
- What do you call a hard-working ant? A vigil-ant student.
- Why can't dogs get a driver's license? They can't parallel bark.
- Why did the turkey cross the road? To prove he wasn't chicken!
- Where do polar bears vote? The North Poll.
- What do you get when you cross a snake and a pie? A pie-thon!
- What do you call a sleeping bull? A bull-dozer.
- What do you call a bear without any teeth? A gummy bear.
- What's a cow's favorite hymn? A-maize-ing Grace.
- What do butterflies sleep on? Cater-pillows.
Puns About Aquatic Critters
Fish, shellfish and other creatures that live in the sea area also great fodder for kid-friendly puns.
- Why are fish so smart? Because they live in schools.
- What would you call a crocodile who steals? A crook-odile.
- Where would a shrimp go to get a loan? The prawn shop.
- Who would loan money to a fish? A loan shark!
- Where does a whale go to get its teeth straightened? An orca-dontist.
- Where does a fish keep its money? The river bank.
- Why is it so hard to find a pearl in an oyster? Because oysters are shellfish.
- Why do shrimp make good secret agents? If I told you, I'd have to krill you.
- Where'd you get those shells? I squid-napped them from the beach.
- Why did the kids go fishing with their friends? Pier pressure.
- Which fish is the biggest influencer? The star fish, of course.
- What kind of whale is the saddest? A blue whale.
Nature Puns
Puns about the joys of nature can be easy for kids to understand. Not only are these puns entertaining, but they can also help get kids interested in learning about nature.
- What did one wetland say to the other? Show me your mussels!
- We're going to the beach for the holidays. It'll be a family shell-ebration.
- Don't take hiking for granite.
- Do you like backpacking? Yes, it's in-tents!
- Is the forest beautiful? It's unbe-leaf-able.
- How would you describe rock climbing? Climb and punishment.
- What did the tree wear to the pool? Swimming trunks.
- How do you know the sun will be back tomorrow? It'll dawn on you.
- Why is the beach wet? Because the sea weed.
- What kind of waves will you see on a tiny beach? Micro-waves.
- How does the ocean say farewell? It waves.
Kid-Friendly Food Puns
Some of the funniest puns out there are about things to eat. Kids are sure to find these funny food puns hilarious.
- What's grandma's favorite fruit? Elder-berry.
- How do you fix a broken tomato? With tomato paste.
- When does a banana need to see a doctor? When it is peeling poorly.
- What should you say at a salad bar restaurant? Lettuce eat!
- What would a cat order in a Mexican restaurant? A purr-rito.
- Can I have some of that cheese? No, that is nacho cheese.
- Where does ground beef go to party? A meat-ball.
- What soup do Santa's helpers love the most? Elf-abet soup!
- What did baby corn ask mommy corn? Where's my pop corn?
- What fruit do twins like best? Pears!
- What does bread say when it gets too warm? It sure is toast-y in here!
- This spaghetti squash is an impasta!
Good Puns for School
Kids are familiar with all things school-related. They're likely to find puns about what they're familiar with to be hilarious punny jokes.
- Of course I ate my homework! The teacher said it's a piece of cake.
- The Easter play is a great eggs-tra curricular activity.
- The school festival is canceled? That's no fair!
- Ready for back to school? It's fall in a day's work.
- What's wrong with your math book? It has too many problems.
- Who is the boss of the classroom? The ruler.
- Why did the kid climb the tree to study? To get a higher education.
- The marine biology seminar is for educational porpoises.
- Don't be afraid of using a computer. It won't byte!
- What are you studying in math? Everything under the sum.
- Where did the ice cream man go to school? Sundae school.
Keep the Laughs Going
When you're ready to dig into more jokes that lean on clever wordplay, there are still plenty of laughs to be enjoyed. Take a look at these examples of puns for inspiration. Then, check out puns in literature to see more from some of the greats.