Silliness facts for kids
Silliness is when a person acts like a fool, or shows a lack of good sense or judgment. In television, movies, and the circus, silliness such as exaggerated, funny behavior is used to make audiences laugh. Clowns and jesters act in a silly way to make people feel better.
Psychology
In The Art of Roughhousing, Anthony DeBenedet and Larry Cohen say that "wild play" between a child and a parent can cause "joy, love and a deeper connection". They say parents should be silly and pretend, for example, to fall over.
Michael Christianson from New York's Big Apple Circus teaches jesters, clowns and comedians how to help hospital patients feel better. A doctor named Patch Adams travels to places where there is crisis or suffering to help people feel better.
In the U.S. and Mexico, the practical joke group Improv Everywhere has created an "international celebration of silliness" by asking people to get on the New York and Mexico City subways without trousers on a specific day.
Images for kids
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Seemingly silly behavior: man putting 21 black hats on a fire hydrant.
