Wonderful school festival / cultural festival

Recommended performance ideas for elementary school (middle grades) cultural festivals and learning presentations

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 for 10 years as a kindergarten teacher and for 7 years as an after-school childcare instructor, then took a post as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I also engaged in activities that shared Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational play, working with many children. Afterwards, through freelance writing, planning, and editing work at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and conveying ideas. Leveraging the perspective cultivated in educational settings and my experience as an editor, I aim to deliver practical information—focusing on fields related to music and children—that values both input and output. Hobbies include instruments, singing, handcrafts, toys, drawing, traditional play, the outdoors, books, DIY, and crafts. Special skill: spinning-top tricks.
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICsasashina
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. During my student years at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, I studied a wide range of fields including sound, lighting, and video technology, building a foundation in comprehensive stage production and creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, consistently building experience in production and engaging in a variety of music-centered tasks. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting and what I feel and discover through daily interactions with my kids. I hope my work can be of help to you, even in a small way!

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!

[Elementary School] Recommended Performance Ideas for Middle Grades at School Arts and Learning Presentations (21–30)

Clapping Fantasy

Fun March: Clapping Fantasy Music Festival

Clapping Fantasy

Let me introduce a lively performance that uses your own hands: Clapping Fantasy, which is also featured in elementary school music textbooks.

You’ll clap along to the instruments.

Try getting everyone to clap in unison, or split into clapping and non-clapping parts for variety.

The instrument can be a piano, a recorder, or a keyboard harmonica.

You can even swap handclaps for castanets or bells to make it even more fun.

When the clapping and instruments come together, both the audience and the children performing will feel their excitement rise.

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Tambourine Ensemble Piece

[Tambourine Ensemble Piece] “Sparkling Tambourina” for Lower Elementary School Music Recital (Composed by Akiko Yamamoto)

Tambourine Ensemble Piece

In elementary school, kids have lots of chances to try various instruments like the keyboard harmonica and the recorder.

Among them, the tambourine is easier to pick up than instruments that play actual notes like do-re-mi, making it great even for lower grades.

You can create a performance by arranging different drumming patterns, or play along to a song.

Adding choreography to the beats is fun, too! Even children who feel they’re not good at music can enjoy playing the tambourine without overthinking it.

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Minion dance

Minion Dance, a hit at USJ | Despicable Me: Minion Rush | Netflix Japan

Minion dance

If you can gather a decent number of people, the “Minion Dance” is a very comical and fun routine.

Even without making full costumes for everyone, with overalls and a yellow shirt—and a few props—you can really become Minions.

The balance between dancing in sync and the comedic moments is just right.

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scientific experiment

Even University of Tokyo students can’t solve this! Which one won’t crack when heated with fire? Tried the soaked-if-wrong game with Mizutamari Bond! [Experiment] / Denjiro Yonemura [Official]

scientific experiment

While dances and ensemble performances are popular at school festivals, I’m sure some people still find academic presentations hard to give up.

If you want students to enjoy engaging with their studies, how about trying a science experiment? It certainly supports science learning, but more than anything, it lets them experience the fascinating wonders of science that are different from everyday life, and I think it will make their eyes light up.

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Murakami Shinpei

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Science show

Art Appreciation Event for Elementary Schools: 'Exciting and Thrilling Science Show' / Interactive Online Science Show

Science show

Let’s incorporate what we’ve learned in science class to create a science show that presents mysterious phenomena.

We’ll proceed in a way that invites the audience to make predictions about what will happen.

If it’s material they’ve already studied, it serves as a review of science; for those who haven’t learned it yet, it can build anticipation for future lessons.

By cleverly using familiar, everyday items, it can also encourage people to pay attention to various aspects of their daily lives.

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Melodica performance

Second graders ✨ At the school recital 🏫 they performed 'Doraemon: Nobita’s Treasure Island' on the melodica! I was moved by their confident, joyful performance and the children’s adorable singing voices!

Melodica performance

The school performance is an event that really fires everyone up—teachers, students, and of course, parents.

Many ideas get proposed, but as a presentation of the results of their daily efforts, how about a “pianica performance,” something the children are already familiar with? At first, their fingering was probably so uncertain they could barely play do-re-mi.

However, if the goal is to showcase how they’ve grown little by little, it’s perfect! It’s a timeless classic, but precisely because of that, it brings deep emotion and a strong sense of fulfillment.

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Murakami Shinpei

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piano

[Piano] I tried doing a live piano performance at my high school cultural festival! (Including a medley from the movie “Your Name.”)

piano

If you have experience learning piano, performing a piano piece is highly recommended.

Playing popular J-pop songs or tunes that are trending at school is sure to get everyone excited.

Doing a duet with a friend who can play piano would also be unique and a great way to hype things up.

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