The Humour Foundation

What We Do

The Humour Foundation is a charity dedicated to promoting the health benefits of humour. International research has found there are physiological and psychological benefits of laughter. Doses of humour help relieve fear and stress and aid recovery. The whole hospital community benefits – patients, families and staff.

Laughter is the prescription to help patients cope with hospital. Clown Doctors parody the hospital routine. They lighten the serious side of the hospital, bringing support, fun and laughter. Clown Doctors can help distract children during treatment or help them forget for a moment that they are ill. There are more than 50 Clown Doctors nationwide who touch the lives of over 100,000 people in 20 hospitals and on outreach visits each year. They are professional performers, trained to work in the sensitive hospital setting. These services are provided to the hospitals at no charge.

Clown Doctors for Kids

Clown Doctors dose sick children with fun and laughter. Imagine being a child in hospital, away from the comfort of your home and all that is familiar, and feeling sad, anxious, frightened, lonely or in pain. This is where Clown Doctors can help. They treat children in hospital with medicine of a different kind…..doses of fun and laughter! 

"The Clown Doctors have become shooting stars in my life. I can count on the Clown doctors to be a pager away when I need some cheering up. Thank you for your smiles, your jokes, your fun. No words could ever describe what you have done for me!"
-Brooke

Many kids in hospital face a hard time. Clown Doctors address the psycho-social needs of the child in hospital in a unique way. By parodying the hospital routine, the Clown Doctors help children feel less traumatised by medical procedures. Oversize medical equipment, “red-nose’ transplants, ‘cat’ scans, humour checks and funny bone examinations are all part of the fun. By exaggerating intimidating jargon and procedures to extremes, fear and anxiety are reduced.

Clown Doctors work in partnership with health professionals. They divert children during painful procedures, help calm distressed children in emergency, and encourage children in physiotherapy, or just brighten their day. 

‘Clown rounds’ are conducted through all wards including intensive care, burns, oncology and emergency.  Children can forget their illness for a moment and return to a world of fantasy and play. It is hard to keep a sad face when the Clown Doctors come in!   It is not only laughter that is important. A smile, or a glimmer in the eye, are also special moments.

“Fun and laughter are important…and contribute to well-being and early recovery”
Prof Robertson, Chief of Paediatrics Woman’s & Children’s Hospital Adelaide

Clown Doctors lighten the serious side of the hospital and the whole hospital community benefits – patients, families and staff. Families have a tough time too. Their lives are disrupted.  Parents need to be strong for their child, they may have to relocate for the duration of their child’s illness, the family might be separated, and siblings can feel neglected. Clown Doctors can help families share fun and laughter.

“How much you all helped me pull through the terrible situation of my daughter’s car accident. She was seriously burnt and at times I was in the depths of despair, until you guys would show up. I just couldn’t help myself, you were so hilarious, your efforts pulled me up from the surface where I could breathe again. The difference you make is indescribable.”
- Margot

The Foundation has 55 professional Clown Doctors working in all the major children’s hospitals around the country. They are highly skilled professional performers trained by the Humour Foundation to work in the sensitive hospital setting. The Foundation provides on-going support and opportunities for professional development. Clown Doctors work in partnership with health professionals.