Recommended performance ideas for elementary school (middle grades) cultural festivals and learning presentations
When children reach the middle grades of elementary school, they start looking forward to the performances at school arts festivals and learning presentations! It’s a great chance to create wonderful memories together through activities like chorus, theater, and dance.
Many teachers and students probably wonder, “What kind of performance should we do?” Here, we introduce recommended ideas for school arts festivals and learning presentations.
It’s important to come up with ideas that make the most of your class’s unique character.
Work together through discussion and create a presentation that everyone can enjoy while showcasing your class’s individuality!
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- [Idea] A roundup of recommended performances for lower grades at school arts festivals and learning presentations
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- [One-Shot Gag] A roundup of sure-fire skits that will definitely get elementary school kids excited!
- [Elementary School Rec] Recommended Games and Performances for a Fun Party
- [Middle School] Cultural Festival Attractions: A roundup of popular exhibits, games, and stage performances
- Performances that liven up an elementary school thank-you party! A collection of ideas everyone can enjoy
- [For Elementary Schools] Recommended Exhibits and Recreational Activities for a Cultural Festival
- Recommended performances for elementary school thank-you parties: carefully selected games and skits that will liven things up!
- Classic plays performed by elementary school students: recommended works roundup
- Performances for a farewell party for sixth graders: from funny skits to moving ideas
[Elementary School] Recommended Performance Ideas for Lower-Middle Grades at School Arts and Learning Presentations (1–10)
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.
Kitchen Beat
Kitchen Beat: making music with items like rice paddles and pots from the kitchen.
Normally you might get scolded for playing with those, but this time we’ll use them as instruments and show off a cool performance! The kitchen tools you need can be everyday items you’d find at home or in a school home-economics room—nothing special required.
Build some rhythm patterns and have fun making music as if you were cooking.
Since you’re using non-instruments, it’s sure to grab viewers’ attention! Give it a try!
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!
[Elementary School] Recommended Performance Ideas for Middle Grades at School Arts and Learning Presentations (11–20)
Japanese taiko drum
Taiko drums are perfect for showing off a cool side with powerful sound—proving you’re not the same as you were back in kindergarten or preschool! Through performing, kids build their bodies and develop a sense of rhythm, making it ideal for lower elementary grades who are still growing.
Since it’s an instrument that isn’t often covered in regular music classes, it also helps build cultural knowledge.
It’s a great idea to give students chances to play different kinds of drums—large drums, small drums, and ones carried while performing.
Let’s play energetically with all our might and give Mom and Dad a big surprise!
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!
Illusion Dance
Do you know about something called the “illusion dance”? It’s where you wear a costume that’s sharply divided into two distinct colors—one color on the right and another on the left—and dance.
You might wonder, what’s the illusion? When your right half and the person next to you’s left half match in color, it makes it look like you’re moving in a very strange way.
Another nice point is that even simple choreography looks like an illusion, so it isn’t difficult.
Learning presentation in quiz format
This activity lets you enjoy what you learned at school and in extracurricular lessons in the form of a quiz, making it a very meaningful showcase for reflecting on learning outcomes.
It nurtures thinking skills not only for those answering, but also for those creating the quiz, since they review what they’ve learned so far and consider what kind of questions to make and how to make it fun.
From third grade onward, the number of subjects increases, and there are plenty of elements that lend themselves to quiz questions.
This isn’t just a way for parents and teachers to appreciate the children’s learning achievements; it also gives the students themselves a renewed opportunity to study as a review of the past three or four years.