The following is the summary of a conversation from the LOU Facebook group on general advice about laughing with kids in an auditorium:

  1. Teachers must be in the room and help with discipline – if not, you’re in for a ride because if they don’t, they leave the beasts loose!
  2. NEVER have the kids come on stage without asking a teacher (who knows them) to select the few who will come IF they come at all.
  3. Prefer seating for stretching and laughter exercises
  4. Have them do the silent laughter (even maybe first!)
  5. Make sure – like 100 % sure – that the microphone you have is loud enough so they hear you well from everywhere in the room – if not, then they will entertain themselves with or without you talking
  6. If it is an option, have the kids divided in smaller groups. 200 kids + auditorium is not a great combination or something you want
  7. Don’t take anything personally (well, that’s a given)
  8. Check the calendar for full moon!!! Friday PLUS full moon = forget it!




What to do when it doesn’t work

  • I taught 60 high-school girls (they were about 15 years old). they stuck with their own friends and refused to mingle. so I stopped the laughter exercises and gave them a yoga nidra relaxation and then they listened to me after that.
  • I have had a few sessions with high-school students aged 16 & 17. The first class was fabulous & really got into it. The next class had a few standing with arms folded and sneers on their faces. Ugh! After a while a few more were intimidated and so about 6 students in all were intimidating the others. Fortunately, the teacher sent them back to their classroom & that left the others free to laugh without being judged.
  • We found that laughing with a year 3 in the naughties school turned out to be better with clowning.
  • In case they won’t stop talking, Laugh now haha Talk later hahaha (nod smile) Laugh now haha Talk later hahaha. Or ask the disruptive ones to be your assistants. They want attention,so they get it, hahaha.Then ask them to stand next to you and do the examples with them.

What is your advice? Please share in the comments below.