Ideas for Performances That Inspire Laughter and Tears: Perfect for Upper Grades at School Arts and Learning Showcases
Upper elementary school students are at an age where they can independently showcase the results of their daily learning at school arts festivals and presentations.
Not only music and choir, but also new performances that highlight each class’s unique character are gaining attention.
Here, we introduce ideas that upper graders can enjoy working on together.
There are plenty of options that make use of expressive skills, such as dance, acrobatics, and acting.
Value the ideas discussed in your class and come up with a unique performance.
Work together creatively and make wonderful, unforgettable memories!
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Ideas for Upper Grades: Performances for School Arts and Learning Presentations That Inspire Emotion and Laughter (21–30)
beatbox
For fifth- and sixth-graders who’ve learned many instruments and songs, let’s change things up and try beatboxing, where you turn yourself into the instrument! Beatboxing, which makes sounds using only your mouth and throat without any instruments, is a type of music many people know thanks to YouTubers like Hikakin.
It might look difficult at first, but with solid practice in how to produce sounds, control your breath, and articulate, you can do it! When doing it as a class or in groups, it’s recommended to divide the rhythm parts into smaller roles.
It would also be fun to include singers and turn it into a full-fledged musical performance!
wotagei
As otaku culture has spread, “wotagei”—fans cheering through choreographed dance moves in sync with idols and other performers—has become popular too! It’s a different style from the dances you’ve done at school sports days, so for fifth- and sixth-graders who’ve learned various things already, it’s a great “advanced” option to perform at events like school arts festivals.
Penlights and glow sticks are inexpensive, so be sure to get some.
Try dancing to songs that actually feature wotagei or to trending tracks, combining choreography unique to wotagei!
Kendama performance
A kendama performance that unleashes a variety of tricks in sync with music.
It’s more challenging than simply performing kendama tricks, making it perfect for upper-grade elementary students who, over their long years in school, have learned to do many things.
Of course, kendama skills are essential, but it’s also important to decide which parts of the music each trick will match.
If there are formation changes, you also need to plan where to move and what to do with the kendama at that moment.
Kids who are good at kendama, kids who excel with music and dance—work together to create a single stage performance.
musical
When it comes to school performances, plays are the standard choice, but how about trying something a bit different and putting on a musical? The big difference from a play is that, instead of delivering lines, you express yourself by singing.
It might feel a little embarrassing, but it’s more impactful than a play, and choosing the songs is fun too.
For kids who are good at singing, it’s a great chance to shine—and maybe even land the lead role!
Calligraphy performance
How about doing a calligraphy performance on a large sheet of poster paper, along with words of gratitude to your parents, teachers, and friends? You can use a regular brush, but using a large performance brush lets you write bold, oversized characters that make a strong impact and are easy for a big audience to see.
You can write anything you like on the paper, but consider writing your class or grade’s goals, or a message you want to convey to the audience.
Performing with music playing is also recommended!
Rhythm Dance
The music we hear in everyday life each has its own rhythm, which makes the joy of sound stand out even more.
This activity focuses on those rhythms and encourages expressing them through free movement.
Even if everyone’s movements are different, you can see individual personalities and build excitement; it’s also recommended to try giving the movements a sense of direction to create unity.
A clear approach might be to first choose a theme song and let everyone move their bodies freely, then have everyone try out the movements that were especially good or most common.
imitation
There’s always at least one person at school who’s good at doing impressions, right? Even if you’re not, the nice thing about impressions is that anyone can learn them with practice.
Not just celebrities or anime characters—impressions of teachers can really liven things up for school performances or entertainment, too.
