Write a funny caption for a cartoon! In this activity, children stretch their imagination to invent a silly description for a cartoon.
Materials Required
- Paper
- Pen or pencil (something to write with)
- Illustrations (provided below)
Instructions
1. Choose one of the illustrations below.
2. Write as many captions as you can for the picture. The more captions, the better.
3. Review the list of captions. Select a favorite and share with others.
Additional Tips
Try these add-on activities:
- Draw an original cartoon. Have a friend create a caption.
- Turn the activity into a group contest. Have multiple children do the activity and then pick the caption that is most creative or most uncommon as a winner.
Links to Research
Sometimes what makes something funny is how it surprises you. In fact, a quality of funny is when a common association is turned on its head, or what is called a resolution of incongruity (i.e., making sense of the silly). Typically, a good joke tricks you into thinking the ending is obvious and then it provides a surprise at the end.
Supporting research includes:
Filipowicz, A. (2006). From positive affect to creativity: The surprising role of surprise. Creativity Research Journal, 18(2), 141-152.
O’Quin, K., & Derks, P. (1997). Humor and creativity: A review of the empirical literature. In M. A. Runco (Ed.), The Creativity Research Handbook (Vol. 1) (pp. 223-252). Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
