Expert Urges More Humour in Early Childhood Education for Better Learning

Dr Jacqueline Harding, a leading child development expert, has called for humour to play a bigger role in early years education. She argues that laughter can improve learning and support children’s overall development. Dr Harding, director of Tomorrow’s Child and an early childhood expert at Middlesex University, challenges current teaching methods. She believes integrating humour could make lessons more effective and enjoyable.

Research shows laughter engages multiple brain areas, including motor regions and the prefrontal cortex. It also reduces stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine while increasing dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins. This chemical shift can strengthen the immune system, improve memory, and even influence heart rate and respiration.

For children, laughter offers wider benefits. It helps develop social skills and emotional intelligence. It also boosts oxytocin levels, a chemical linked to happiness, and enhances neural synchrony during parent-child interactions. Prolonged stress, in contrast, harms both physical and mental growth. Dr Harding’s proposal highlights laughter as a simple yet powerful tool for learning and well-being. By reducing stress and fostering positive brain activity, humour could become a valuable addition to early education. The approach may also support children’s emotional and social development.