Can You Make a Balloon Funny?

If you are a family entertainer, you can get so many laughs with repetition.  

For me, I juggle then hit myself in the head with a juggling club.   I can't believe that just happened, I'll do it again.  I'll look at the juggling club and to my disbelief it happens again.  

This is fundamental to the clown.  Emmett Kelly sweeping the light.  It's repetition.  He fights the light, it doesn't do what he wants it to do.  Over and over. 

On Captain Kangaroo Mr Moose would tell a joke and ping pong balls fell from the ceiling.  I loved that when I was 5. 

On Pee Wee Herman.  The secret word.  Everyone screams.  This happens over and over. 

Here's the subtlety and the hardest part.  You have to do it slightly different each time or it's frustrating to the audience.  "just blow up the balloon"  or "just sit down"  That happens because it's the exact same mistake over and over, it's frustrating to watch.  

You take a balloon, try and blow it up it snaps and hits you in the eye.  You get mad at the balloon.  Next time, snap yourself in the other eye, in the nose, in the chest, in the underarm, in the backside, in the knee, in the forehead then hold the back of your head...

How many ways can you think of not (knot!) trying a balloon.  You blow up a balloon, then let it go.  Do that again and watch it go around the room.  Do it and hand it to someone it flies around the room, you tie the wrong end, it deflates in your hand.  You tie it but not for real and watch it fly around the room.  You tie the wrong end and watch the balloon fly all over the place.  You tie it and your finger is caught in the knot and when you let go it flies around the room.  You tie the balloon before blowing up the balloon, then you can't blow up the balloon.  

Have some old gross balloons and spill them, have the children help you pick them up.  They hand you one, you drop another.  Put one under your chin when they hand you another that one falls out.  Put the one they gave you in your pocket but you miss your pocket.  When you're handed a balloon, put it under your arm, it will fall when you lift your arm.  Put a balloon on the side of your table so it falls off when you place it there.  

It you look at it.  These are all the exact same joke.  The repetition is what makes it funny.