Wonderful school festival / cultural festival

A show-stopping party trick that energizes the crowd at a school cultural festival

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
Keyboard playerSAKI
I’ve been playing the Electone since I was six, mainly performing Disney music, anime songs, and music from dramas and films. I post performance videos on YouTube and social media, and I also give concerts. Building on my Electone experience, I took up synthesizer and piano during my student years and performed at school-sponsored events. As a writer, I’ve covered not only music-related topics but a wide range of genres, so I hope to draw on my experience to deliver articles that make readers think, “I want to try that!” or “I want to listen to that!”

What would you do if you were asked to perform a quick party trick at a school festival or cultural festival?

If you’re someone who already excels at a particular skill or has a special talent, you can jump in without hesitation.

But there are probably some people who feel like, “I don’t have anything I can show others… I’d rather not,” and want to turn it down.

In this article, we’ll introduce quick and fun performances recommended for cultural festivals that might come in handy in exactly those situations.

We’ve gathered plenty of ideas, from things you can do right away with no practice to ones that could become a neat specialty once you learn them.

If you’re thinking, “I want to do something, but I don’t know what,” be sure to use this as a reference!

One-shot gags that hype up school culture festival exhibits (31–40)

Acrobatic performance

@parkour.okinawa
I performed an acrobatics act at the high school after-party!Industrial boy #AfterParty Acrobat #tiktokxmas
♬ Original song – M·Riku ༄ƤӓזʞᴑມЯ༇ – Riku 👀

Acrobatic performances, where physical ability really matters, would look so cool if you could showcase them at a school festival.

These performances often combine gymnastics and dance, and when they succeed, the crowd gets really fired up.

Performing with multiple people can refine the act even more, allowing for complex formations and adding depth to the expression.

When deciding the flow of the performance, choosing a story or theme and discussing it together as a group might further improve your performance as a team and strengthen your bond.

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Rap MC Battle

@ss_saraba_aich
Finals Cultural FestivalHigh school student hip hop #hiphop Rap High School Rap Championship Cultural Festival #HikakinVoice
♬ Original Song – SS [Farewell, Aichi] – SS [Farewell, Aichi]

A rap MC battle that’s guaranteed to hype everyone up is perfect for a high school cultural festival.

In a rap MC battle, two high school rappers go head-to-head, crafting lyrics on the spot and competing with sharp wordplay and tight rhymes—it’s a fiery performance.

The biggest thrills come from the live energy: instantly spun words, rhymes delivered in rhythm, and the crowd’s excitement reaching a fever pitch.

Cheers and applause from the audience might even sway the outcome of the battle! Definitely give it a try and make it a highlight of your youth.

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Chibi Maruko-chan

Stage play “Chibi Maruko-chan” opens! The boys of Class 3-4, eight years later, take the stage—does the friendship between Sugiyama-kun and Ōno-kun still hold strong!? A string of classic hits and a song show, too. Chibi Maruko-chan THE STAGE: “High School Days.”

Chibi Maruko-chan

Let individuality shine! Here are some ideas inspired by Chibi Maruko-chan.

When you think of Chibi Maruko-chan, it’s not just the classmates—each family member and local resident has a unique personality, which makes it so entertaining.

In particular, some characters have distinctive catchphrases or sentence endings, which should be easy to incorporate.

The gap of high school students playing elementary school kids could also be a great hook to capture the audience’s interest.

Try acting while weaving everyday, ordinary moments into your script.

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Mysterious Candy Shop Zenitendo

Packed with songs and dance! Stage adaptation “Fushigi Dagashiya Zenitendo” open dress rehearsal | #EnterStage

Mysterious Candy Shop Zenitendo

Create a world and perform it! Here are some ideas inspired by The Mysterious Candy Shop Zenitendō.

Hugely popular from children’s novels to anime and film, The Mysterious Candy Shop Zenitendō is known for its thrilling, heart-pounding stories and distinctive worldbuilding centered on sweets.

The characters are unique, of course, but focusing on the worldbuilding above all might be the key to creating a wonderful play.

Adding clever twists within the story will likely capture the audience’s attention.

Be sure to give it a try!

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Doraemon

Rehearsal and message video for the stage play Doraemon: Nobita and the Animal Planet has arrived!

Doraemon

Let’s put on a performance based on a beloved national anime! Here are some ideas inspired by Doraemon.

When you think of Doraemon, it’s an anime and a set of characters cherished by people of all ages, from children to adults.

Many viewers get excited about the secret gadgets that pop up in its everyday-life stories.

Because it portrays daily life, it’s easy to adapt into original stories, and with its large cast of characters, it seems perfect for creating a play with the entire class.

Be sure to give it a try!

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One-shot gags that hype up the crowd at culture festivals and school festivals (41–50)

Smoke from the mouth

How to blow smoke from your mouth! No tools needed at all!

Smoke from the mouth

It’s a quick party trick where, even though you’re not inhaling anything, you move your mouth as if chewing and then exhale sharply to produce something that looks like smoke.

They say the water vapor that builds up in your mouth while you’re “chewing” turns cloud-like and appears as white smoke.

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Rubber band magic you can do in 5 seconds

Super easy! 3 rubber band magic tricks you can reveal in a quick 5 seconds

Rubber band magic you can do in 5 seconds

Highly recommended when you want something quick to show off! Here are ideas for rubber band magic you can do in 5 seconds.

It introduces three types of tricks using rubber bands that are handy when you want to perform simple magic.

Use them as an opener for your performance or when you want to promote your stage—give them a try.

Each idea is easy and simple, perfect for beginners.

Using colored rubber bands will make it easier for the audience to see what’s happening.

Take this opportunity to give it a try.

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