Laughing starts at 3 to 4 months of age. This is a fun and exciting time! Your baby is developing a sense of humour!  You can use laughter to play with your child and to respond to your baby’s requests for “more”. This is a type of “conversation” and is supporting turn-taking, which is an important pre-verbal skill.

You already know some things that make your baby laugh. Here are some more ideas to try:

• Live Jack-in-the-Box: Dad gets in a large cardboard box. Mom sings, “Pop Goes the Weasel”. When you get to the last line, Dad jumps out of the box.
• This Little Piggy: This rhyme is probably something you already do.  The line “Wee wee wee all the way home” usually brings on a giggle.
• Baby’s Stinky Feet: Put your nose close to baby’s feet and make a face while saying “pee-you, stinky”.
• Blowing Raspberries: Press your lips lightly against baby’s arm or belly and blow air out slowly.
• The Exaggerated Sneeze: Fake a sneeze that takes a long time to arrive. “Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-Choo!”
• Peek-A-Boo: Place your hands over your eyes or over baby’s eyes.  Remove hands and say “Peek-a-boo”. Use a blanket also, to hide your face or to hide baby’s face. Show baby how to pull the blanket off.  
• Daddy’s Snoring: Lay on the floor, pretending to sleep, making exaggerated snores. Each time baby touches dad, he sits up, pretending to wake up in surprise.
• I’m Gonna Get You: From about 10 feet away, move slowly toward baby, wiggling your fingers and saying, “I’m gonna get you”. Hug or kiss baby once he/she is “caught”. 

Whenever you are playing with your baby, be sure to pay very close attention to how he is responding to what you are doing.  If your baby is laughing and/or wiggling his arms and legs, he is telling you to do it again.  If your baby is not responding or is fussing, crying, or looking away, he is telling you that you need to change what you are doing.