150 Clever Knock Knock Jokes For Kids And Adults

Share icon Whether you’re sharing a few knocks with friends, family, or a room full of strangers, a well-placed knock-knock joke can break the ice and win over a crowd at any party. It’s a style of joke that never gets old, no matter how silly, corny, or predictable the punchline might be. If you’re ready for some giggles, our list of 150 knock-knock jokes will cover all your bases, including jokes for kids and animals and more sophisticated adult-themed jokes. Scroll through the list to find old classics and plenty of new favorites that you can use to color your conversations. “Knock, knock! Who’s there? A hundred and fifty jokes worth of a giggle!”

Best Knock-Knock Jokes

Share icon Next time you want to get someone’s attention or liven up a fabulous party, start with any of these charmingly witty knock-knock jokes.

Knock-Knock Jokes for Kids

Share icon Children’s giggles are contagious. These funny knock-knock jokes will give the little tots a fun, fab time. Better yet, let the kids tell these jokes.

Knock-Knock Jokes for Adults

Share icon Who said adulting can’t be fun? These adult-themed knock-knock jokes will lend some necessary comic relief to otherwise serious topics.

Knock-Knock Jokes About Animals

Share icon Go wild with this round of knock-knock jokes that bring the entire zoo.

Knock-Knock Jokes With Names

Share icon This roll call of knock-knock jokes plays with names for puns and fun. Find out who can be called the funniest of the lot.

Knock-Knock Jokes About Food

Share icon Food knock-knock jokes are easy picks for those with good taste. Serve up an appetite for simmering laughter, cheesy chuckles, and gourmet laughs.

Knock-Knock Jokes About Sports

Share icon These top knock-knocks about sports will get the whole team laughing from gun start to finish.

Knock-Knock Jokes for Science Lovers

Share icon Transform scientific information into funny equations. The geek squad will love these formulaic jokes.

Knock-Knock Jokes About School

Share icon We’ve compiled 15 knock-knock jokes with a scholarly twist that are in a league of their own.

Knock-Knock Jokes That Play with Words

Share icon Language can be a great source of laughs. Inject these smart knock-knock retorts to make you a worthy wordsmith.

The Power of Humor in Parenting

In an interview with Medline Combe (CNN, 2024), Dr. Katie Hurley, a child and adolescent psychotherapist, said that aside from stress relief and easing social interactions, humor promotes language and literacy skills, creative problem-solving, and resilience (1). It also helps kids cope with disappointment. Humor also aids child-parent relationships, according to a 2024 study published in the PLOS One Journal (2). People raised by adults who used humor were found to have a better view of their parents or caregivers. They were more likely to say they had a good relationship with them, more likely to tell their parents did a good job, and more likely to say they would use the same parenting techniques. The study also revealed that individuals aged 18 to 45 utilized humor in parenting (55.2%) as they perceived it as an effective tool (71.8%) with more benefits than harm (63.3%). As such, they either use (or plan to use) humor in parenting their children (61.8%) and would want to learn how to utilize humor in parenting (69.7%). Significant correlations were also found between the use of humor, the quality of respondents’ relationships with their parents, and their assessments of their parents’ parenting skills.

How Engaging With Your Child Builds Stronger Bonds

If your children are the funny type who like cracking jokes and love to laugh, you should give in, laugh along, and bring on your playful side. Here’s why. A 2000 study published in the ProQuest Psychology Journal shows that children whose parents often engage in physical and pretend play have strong bonds with their parents and are more socially competent with their peers (3). Parents should always make time for play and engage in fun and lighthearted activities, which are typically considered too silly for adults. Establishing a clear boundary, such as allowing potty humor only at home and not at preschool, can help maintain a healthy balance.

The Intellectual Craft Behind a Good Joke

According to Prof. Steve Gimbel, who studies the philosophy of science, humor, and ethics at Gettysburg College (Gettysburg Edu, 2017) (5), a truly good joke can stir the imagination and present concepts in an engaging way. In other words, it takes remarkable intellectual ability and playful use of artistic delivery to make something legitimately clever or to be an influential comedian. In addition, Gimbel says that the funniest jokes are those that make the most impact with premises that ring true. While some may be a play of words, the phrasing and wording must contain a rhythm and an ounce of truth that allows for the proper timing to trigger the cognitive switch that generates laughter.