Why Are We Ticklish? Why do We Laugh?

We laugh when we're tickled because our brain thinks it's playing a fun game with us.

Tickling feels like someone is poking you in a funny way, maybe on your ribs or feet, and that makes your body want to giggle. It’s almost like when you play tag, and the person who tags you has to run, but instead of running, your brain says “laugh!” because it thinks it's winning.

When someone tickles you, they're sending little messages up your body to your brain. Your brain gets excited because it doesn’t know if the tickling is real or just a trick, kind of like when you're hiding under a blanket and think you heard a monster, but it’s just your brother giggling.

Laughing is your brain saying “I like this game!” It helps you feel happy and makes your body relax. Sometimes, people tickle each other to make each other laugh, and that turns into a big, silly tickling war!

So next time someone tickles you, remember: it’s just your brain playing a fun game with you!