Funny Jokes for First Graders

The bell rings and the kids file in. You need one quick laugh to warm up the room and get everyone smiling. Short, simple jokes that first graders can understand and repeat are perfect for that moment. Below are easy, school-safe jokes grouped by type so you can pick the vibe you want and deliver a punchline in under 20 seconds.

How to use these jokes

• Read one aloud during morning meeting or before a lesson.
• Invite a student to be “Joke Captain” for the week.
• Use a whiteboard or slide with the joke of the day.
• Pause for one second before the punchline to build giggles.
• Keep it inclusive and gentle. Avoid jokes about grades or anyone in class.

Knock Knock Jokes

• Knock knock. Who’s there? Lettuce. Lettuce who? Lettuce in, it’s cold out here.
• Knock knock. Who’s there? Boo. Boo who? Don’t cry, it’s just a joke.
• Knock knock. Who’s there? Cow. Cow who? Cow says mooo.
• Knock knock. Who’s there? Banana. Banana who? Knock knock. Who’s there? Banana. Banana who? Orange you glad I didn’t say banana?
• Knock knock. Who’s there? Atch. Atch who? Bless you.
• Knock knock. Who’s there? Doughnut. Doughnut who? Doughnut forget to smile.
• Knock knock. Who’s there? Olive. Olive who? Olive you and I miss you.
• Knock knock. Who’s there? Tank. Tank who? You’re welcome.

Animal Jokes

• Why did the cow cross the playground? To get to the other slide.
• What do you call a sleeping bull? A bulldozer.
• Why do fish live in salt water? Because pepper makes them sneeze.
• What do you call a dinosaur that is sleeping? A dino-snore.
• Why did the chicken join the band? Because it had the drumsticks.
• What do you call a bear with no teeth? A gummy bear.
• Why are elephants so wrinkly? Because they take a long time to iron.
• What do you call a very fast vegetable? A runner bean.

Food Jokes

• Why did the cookie go to the doctor? It felt crummy.
• What do you call cheese that is not yours? Nacho cheese.
• Why did the banana go to school? To learn how to split.
• What did one plate say to the other plate? Dinner is on me.
• Why did the tomato turn red? It saw the salad dressing.
• What do you call a sad strawberry? A blueberry.
• Why did the orange stop rolling? It ran out of juice.
• What do you call a snowman for lunch? A puddle sandwich.

School and Classroom Jokes

• Why did the student eat his homework? The teacher said it was a piece of cake.
• Why did the pencil sharpener break up with the pencil? It found someone with a point.
• Why did the computer go to school? To get a byte of knowledge.
• What did the math book say to the pencil? You’ve got my number.
• Why was the broom late for school? It over swept.
• What do you call a sleepy school building? A snooze-room.
• Why did the crayon quit? It felt drawn out.
• What did the paper say to the pencil? Write on.

Short One-Liners Kids Love

• What do you call a fake noodle? An impasta.
• What do you call a dinosaur with an extensive vocabulary? A thesaurus.
• How do you make a tissue dance? Put a little boogie in it.
• Why did the bicycle fall over? It was two tired.
• What do you call a ghost’s true love? His ghoul-friend.
• Why don’t eggs tell jokes? They might crack up.
• What did one wall say to the other wall? I’ll meet you at the corner.
• What has four wheels and flies? A garbage truck.

Simple Riddles and Puzzles

• What has a face and two hands but no arms or legs? A clock.
• What has a neck but no head? A bottle.
• What gets wetter the more it dries? A towel.
• I fly without wings, I cry without eyes. What am I? A cloud.
• What has keys but can’t open locks? A piano.
• The more you take, the more you leave behind. What are they? Footsteps.
• What has to be broken before you can use it? An egg.
• What has one eye but cannot see? A needle.

STEM-Style Kid Jokes

• Why did the balloon go near the needle? It wanted to pop in.
• How do you organize a space party? You planet.
• Why was the equal sign so humble? Because it knew it wasn’t less than or greater than.
• What do you call an insect at school? A spelling bee.
• Why did the star go to school? To get brighter.
• What do you call two birds in love? Tweethearts.
• Why do plants hate math? It gives them square roots.
• What did one volcano say to the other? I lava you.

Quick classroom-ready sets

Short pack you can use for a week, one per day:

• Monday: Knock knock. Who’s there? Lettuce. Lettuce who? Lettuce in, it’s cold out here.
• Tuesday: Why did the cookie go to the doctor? It felt crummy.
• Wednesday: What has a face and two hands but no arms or legs? A clock.
• Thursday: Why did the bicycle fall over? It was two tired.
• Friday: What do you call cheese that is not yours? Nacho cheese.

Teacher tips and small activities

1. Let a student pick the punchline if they want to guess. That adds participation.
2. Use dramatic voices and faces. First graders laugh at silly delivery almost as much as the joke.
3. Turn jokes into a writing prompt. Ask students to write one short joke of their own.
4. Keep a joke jar. Pull one out during transition times for a quick mood lift.
5. Praise brave tellers. Public speaking is a big step for first graders, even with a small joke.

Try one of these tomorrow morning. Short, familiar words and a tiny pause before the punchline will get the biggest giggles and help start the day on the right note.