Primary pupils encouraged to submit jokes for the 2025 VoiceBox Competition

A national joke telling competition for primary-aged children has opened for entries, offerings schools across Scotland a light-hearted and inclusive way for pupils to develop communication skills, confidence and self-esteem.

Developed by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT), the 2025 VoiceBox Competition has been designed to raise awareness of the importance of communication skills, as telling a joke involves everything from inference and strong receptive and expressive language to good auditory memory.

What’s more, preparing for the competition encourages pupils to consider language, audience suitability and delivery, alongside practicing intonation, conversational style and non-verbal communication, too.

Open for entries until 1 April 2025, all primary schools in Scotland are invited to nominate one joke, which can either come from an individual pupil who wants to take part, or through a joke-telling competition to find their best entry.

Up to 32 jokes will be selected – one finalist from each local authority area – and the shortlisted schools will be invited to the National Final in the Scottish Parliament on 5 June 2025, where they will tell their jokes in front of MSPs and a judging panel.

All finalists attending the National Final will receive £100 worth of HarperCollins books, and the pupils with the three best jokes will receive up to £100 to spend on toys, as well as up to £500 worth of Collins Big Cat books for their school.

To learn more and download the competition online toolkit, visit www.rcslt.org/scotland/voicebox