160+ Knock-Knock Jokes for Kids (Sorted by Age)
A knock-knock joke is a tiny two-person script. You say "knock, knock," your kid says "who's there," and you volley back and forth until the punchline lands. The whole thing is built to be said out loud, so read these off the page and perform them. Your kid is the whole audience here, and usually the one who steals the good ones by Tuesday.
Here is the part most joke lists skip: a joke that kills with an 8-year-old falls flat on a 3-year-old who cannot read yet and has never heard the word you are punning on. So we sorted everything by age, from toddlers up through age 8 and up, then by theme if you want animals or food. Under the list you will find how to teach your kid to tell one, and an honest section on when a knock-knock flops, because it will.
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Cow. / Cow who? / No, silly, a cow says moo!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Doggy. / Doggy who? / Doggy says woof, woof!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Kitty. / Kitty who? / Kitty says meow!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Duck. / Duck who? / Ducks don't say who, they say quack!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Piggy. / Piggy who? / Piggy says oink, oink!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Sheep. / Sheep who? / Sheep says baaaa!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Froggy. / Froggy who? / Froggy says ribbit!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Baby. / Baby who? / Baby says waaaah! (now everybody laughs)
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Beep beep. / Beep beep who? / Beep beep, move over, here comes my car!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Choo choo. / Choo choo who? / Choo choo, all aboard the train!
Toddlers (ages 2-3)
11-22Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Cow. / Cow who? / No, silly, a cow says moo!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Doggy. / Doggy who? / Doggy says woof, woof!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Kitty. / Kitty who? / Kitty says meow!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Duck. / Duck who? / Ducks don't say who, they say quack!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Piggy. / Piggy who? / Piggy says oink, oink!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Sheep. / Sheep who? / Sheep says baaaa!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Froggy. / Froggy who? / Froggy says ribbit!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Baby. / Baby who? / Baby says waaaah! (now everybody laughs)
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Beep beep. / Beep beep who? / Beep beep, move over, here comes my car!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Choo choo. / Choo choo who? / Choo choo, all aboard the train!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Peekaboo. / Peekaboo who? / Peekaboo, I see you!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Teddy. / Teddy who? / Teddy bear needs a hug, open up!
Preschool (ages 4-5)
23-40Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Spell. / Spell who? / Okay: W-H-O.
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Water. / Water who? / Water you doing in there, open up!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Needle. / Needle who? / Needle little help getting inside.
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Wooden shoe. / Wooden shoe who? / Wooden shoe like to hear another joke?
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Iva. / Iva who? / Iva sore hand from all this knocking!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Goat. / Goat who? / You goat to open the door to find out!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Honey bee. / Honey bee who? / Honey, bee a dear and let me in.
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Dozen. / Dozen who? / Dozen this door ever open?
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Noah. / Noah who? / Noah good place to hide?
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Howl. / Howl who? / Howl you let me in if you won't open the door?
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Ice cream. / Ice cream who? / Ice cream if you don't let me in!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Donut. / Donut who? / Donut forget to open the door!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Scold. / Scold who? / It's scold out here, let me in!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Juno. / Juno who? / Juno how long I've been knocking?
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Smell mop. / Smell mop who? / Ew, I am not smelling your anything!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Icy. / Icy who? / Icy you hiding behind the door!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Wanda. / Wanda who? / Wanda come out and play?
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Candice. / Candice who? / Candice door open any faster?
Ages 6-7
41-65Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Harry. / Harry who? / Harry up, it's freezing out here!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Cargo. / Cargo who? / No, a car goes beep beep!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Alpaca. / Alpaca who? / Alpaca the bags, you pack the car.
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Says. / Says who? / Says me, that's who!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Wire. / Wire who? / Wire you asking so many questions?
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Theodore. / Theodore who? / Theodore is stuck, give it a push!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Anita. / Anita who? / Anita borrow a pencil, mine broke.
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Ken. / Ken who? / Ken I come in, please?
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Tennis. / Tennis who? / Tennis five plus five!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Abby. / Abby who? / Abby birthday to you!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Kenya. / Kenya who? / Kenya feel how much I missed you?
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Howard. / Howard who? / Howard you like another joke?
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Luke. / Luke who? / Luke through the window and you'll see!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Wendy. / Wendy who? / Wendy bell works, I'll use it next time.
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Amish. / Amish who? / Amish you when you're at school all day.
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Cereal. / Cereal who? / Cereal pleasure to see you again!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Honeycomb. / Honeycomb who? / Honey, comb your hair, it's a mess!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Dewey. / Dewey who? / Dewey have to keep knocking, or will you open up?
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Police. / Police who? / Police let me in, it's cold!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Howdy. / Howdy who? / Howdy you like my knocking?
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Butter. / Butter who? / You butter let me in, it's getting dark.
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Sadie. / Sadie who? / Sadie magic word and I'll come in.
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Juicy. / Juicy who? / Juicy who's knocking, or should I keep going?
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Weekend. / Weekend who? / Weekend do anything if we work together!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Thermos. / Thermos who? / Thermos be a better way into this house!
Ages 8 and up
66-90Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Nobel. / Nobel who? / Nobel, so I knocked!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Broken pencil. / Broken pencil who? / Never mind, it's pointless.
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Interrupting sloth. / Interrupting sloth who? / ... / ... / ... / Interrupting.
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Deja. / Deja who? / Knock, knock.
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Control freak. / Oh good, now you say "control freak who."
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Atch. / Atch who? / Bless you!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Woo. / Woo who? / Easy there, it's just a knock-knock joke.
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Egg. / Egg who? / Egg-cited to see you!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Watson. / Watson who? / Watson TV tonight?
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Cantaloupe. / Cantaloupe who? / Cantaloupe now, we're too young!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Justin. / Justin who? / Justin time for dinner!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Cash. / Cash who? / No thanks, I'm not a nut.
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Aardvark. / Aardvark who? / Aardvark a hundred miles for you!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Pasture. / Pasture who? / Looks like it's pasture bedtime!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Howell. / Howell who? / Howell I get in if the door is locked?
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Avenue. / Avenue who? / Avenue heard this one already?
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Mikey. / Mikey who? / Mikey doesn't fit in the lock!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Stopwatch. / Stopwatch who? / Stopwatch you're doing and let me in!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Spider. / Spider who? / Spider everything, I still knocked one more time.
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Lionel. / Lionel who? / Lionel roar if you don't feed him!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Butcher. / Butcher who? / Butcher arms around me and give me a hug!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Snow. / Snow who? / Snow use, the door is still locked!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Weirdo. / Weirdo who? / Weirdo you think you're going without me?
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Senor. / Senor who? / Senor face, I knew it was you!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Thistle. / Thistle who? / Thistle be the last joke, I promise.
Animals
91-112Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Owl. / Owl who? / See, you can say it too!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Bee. / Bee who? / Bee my friend and open the door!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Gorilla. / Gorilla who? / Gorilla me a cheese sandwich, I'm starving!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Toucan. / Toucan who? / Toucan play this game!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Llama. / Llama who? / Llama tell you a secret, come closer.
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Kanga. / Kanga who? / No, it's kangaroo!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Hippo. / Hippo who? / Hippo birthday to you!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Giraffe. / Giraffe who? / You're giraffing me crazy with all this knocking!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Chick. / Chick who? / Chick the lock, I think it's open!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Hare. / Hare who? / Hare today, gone tomorrow!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Turtle. / Turtle who? / Turtle-ly awesome if you'd open up!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Otter. / Otter who? / You otter let me in, I brought snacks!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Robin. / Robin who? / Robin the cookie jar again, want some?
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Swan. / Swan who? / Swan more joke before I go!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Panda. / Panda who? / It'll be panda-monium if you don't open up!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Gopher. / Gopher who? / Gopher it, open the door!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Chimp. / Chimp who? / Chimply the best joke you'll hear today!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Camel. / Camel who? / Camel down, I'm only knocking!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Moose. / Moose who? / Moose you let me in before I freeze?
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Fur. / Fur who? / Fur real, open the door!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Newt. / Newt who? / Newt in town, show me around!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Skunk. / Skunk who? / You'll skunk get enough of these jokes!
Food
113-132Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Pizza. / Pizza who? / Pizza cake is my favorite kind of cake!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Berry. / Berry who? / Berry nice to meet you!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Pea. / Pea who? / Pea-nut butter and jelly, please!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Bacon. / Bacon who? / I'm bacon a cake for your birthday!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Lime. / Lime who? / Lime so happy to see you!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Cheese. / Cheese who? / Cheese a cute little kid, isn't she!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Soup. / Soup who? / Soup-er excited to see you!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Ketchup. / Ketchup who? / Ketchup with me and I'll tell you!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Mustard. / Mustard who? / You mustard been waiting a long time!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Pecan. / Pecan who? / Pecan somebody your own size!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Honeydew. / Honeydew who? / Honeydew you know how long I've waited?
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Cannoli. / Cannoli who? / Cannoli stay a minute, then I have to go.
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Waffle. / Waffle who? / This joke is waffle, and I know it!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Juice. / Juice who? / Juice let me in already!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Pear. / Pear who? / What a lovely pear of shoes you have on!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Bean. / Bean who? / Long time no bean!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Chile. / Chile who? / It's a little chile out here, let me in!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Cola. / Cola who? / Cola me when dinner is ready!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Gouda. / Gouda who? / Gouda see you again!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Wok. / Wok who? / Wok this way to the kitchen!
Silly names
133-152Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Norma Lee. / Norma Lee who? / Norma Lee I ring the bell, but it's broken!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Ima. / Ima who? / Ima gonna keep knocking till you open!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Isabel. / Isabel who? / Isabel broken? I had to knock!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Doris. / Doris who? / Doris locked, that's why I'm knocking!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Claire. / Claire who? / Claire the way, I'm coming in!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Phillip. / Phillip who? / Phillip my cup, I'm thirsty!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Barbara. / Barbara who? / Barbara black sheep, have you any wool?
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Carrie. / Carrie who? / Carrie me inside, I'm worn out!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Hanna. / Hanna who? / Hanna me a towel, I'm soaked!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Sarah. / Sarah who? / Sarah doctor in the house?
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Ivan. / Ivan who? / Ivan to come in right now!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Gladys. / Gladys who? / Gladys the weekend, no school tomorrow!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Juana. / Juana who? / Juana hear another joke?
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Stan. / Stan who? / Stan back, I'm opening the door!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Howie. / Howie who? / Howie doing today?
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Mary. / Mary who? / Mary Christmas, a little early!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Abbott. / Abbott who? / Abbott time you opened the door!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Colleen. / Colleen who? / Colleen your room, it's a disaster in there!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Hugh. / Hugh who? / Hugh should see the line of jokes I have left!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Alma. / Alma who? / Alma candy is gone, who took it?
Classic
153-170Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Who. / Who who? / Is there an owl in here?
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Aida. / Aida who? / Aida whole sandwich and now I'm full!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Amos. / Amos who? / A mosquito bit me!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Andy. / Andy who? / And he bit me again!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Ya. / Ya who? / Ya-hoo, I'm glad to see you too!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Alex. / Alex who? / Alex-plain when you open the door!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Annie. / Annie who? / Annie thing you can do, I can do too!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Will. / Will who? / Will you remember me in a minute? Knock, knock. See, you forgot already!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Yukon. / Yukon who? / Yukon count on me to knock again tomorrow!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Ears. / Ears who? / Ears another joke for you!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Noise. / Noise who? / Noise to meet you!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Ben. / Ben who? / Ben there, knocked that!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Omar. / Omar who? / Omar goodness, wrong house!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Dwayne. / Dwayne who? / Dwayne the bathtub, I'm drowning in here!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Max. / Max who? / Max no difference, just let me in!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Sherwood. / Sherwood who? / Sherwood like to come in now!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Cologne. / Cologne who? / Cologne me names won't get you inside!
Knock, knock. / Who's there? / Al. / Al who? / Al give you a big hug if you open the door!
FAQ
A knock-knock joke is a short call-and-response joke for two people. One person starts with "knock, knock," the other asks "who's there," and the back-and-forth ends in a punchline built on a word that sounds like something else. It is made to be said out loud, not read silently.
You say "knock, knock." The other person's only job is to answer "who's there." You give a name or word, they repeat it with "who" on the end, and you hit them with the punchline. If you are teaching a young kid, teach just the "who's there" line first. That one line lets them play along with any knock-knock joke.
Toddlers around 2-3 enjoy the rhythm and the surprise, but not the wordplay yet, so stick to animal sounds and silly repeats. Around 4-5 kids start to catch simple sound-alikes and trick jokes. By 6-7 real wordplay clicks and they want to tell the jokes themselves. At 8 and up they go for the groaners and the ones that twist the format.
Knock-knock jokes took off as a national craze in the United States around 1936. The call-and-response pattern is much older, and the "knock, knock, who's there" exchange is often traced back to the Porter scene in Shakespeare's Macbeth, written around 1606. (Sources: Wikipedia, NPR, and the Library of Congress Folklife blog.)
Yes. Every joke on this page is clean and classroom-safe by design, with no double meanings slipped in. You can read any of them aloud without scanning ahead first, or tuck one into a lunchbox note.
How to tell a knock-knock joke (and teach your kid)
A knock-knock is call-and-response, so it only works if both people play their part. Here is the script, step by step, and how to hand it off to your kid.
When a knock-knock flops
It will flop sometimes, and that is normal. Here is why, so you can switch gears instead of forcing it.
Make your own knock-knock
The whole trick is finding a word or name that sounds like the start of a sentence. Once you hear it, the joke writes itself.
A quick note
Tell them one at a time. A knock-knock is a small thing, and stacking ten in a row flattens all of them. Say one, keep a straight face, and let the groan do the rest.