Hidden talents even elementary school kids can do! A collection of performance ideas that will liven up any event
At school events or gatherings with friends, you might feel stuck when someone says, “Show us a party trick!” But don’t worry! There are plenty of simple acts that even elementary schoolers can do, like magic tricks using everyday items, playing the recorder you learned in class, or traditional skills like string figures and spinning tops.
Here, we’ll introduce lots of easy tricks that will wow everyone with just a little practice.
We’ve gathered a wide range—from things you can try with friends to quick solo acts—so find the one that suits you best!
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Party tricks even elementary school kids can do! A collection of performance ideas that liven up events (21–30)
Cups
Cups performed to fun music and a pleasant rhythm is a recommended act that can liven up the entire venue.
In this video, we introduce a cups routine to “Doraemon” sung by Gen Hoshino.
You’ll keep the beat using hand claps and two paper cups.
If you’re doing it with a large group, lining up side by side at long tables makes it easier to stay in sync.
In addition to well-known anime theme songs, you could also use songs that were hits at the sports festival or trending tracks.
Encourage the audience to sing along or clap their hands to get the whole venue excited!
Pantomime show
Here’s an idea for a charming pantomime show! A performance that conveys stories and emotions using only body movements, without words, stimulates imagination and expressive ability.
With comical motions and surprising staging, smiles naturally spread and the audience is effortlessly drawn in.
As you immerse yourself in the world on stage, one of the best parts is the joy of understanding a story through movement and the fun of communicating nonverbally.
For children, too, it becomes a valuable time to experience a world of expression that’s hard to find in everyday life, so be sure to take inspiration from it.
Snacks with a two-person haori (two-person performance)!
The classic party act known as futari-baori is performed in pairs.
Two people wear an oversized haori together, and the person in the back tries to feed the person in front—that’s the usual setup.
It’s simple, but it really gets the crowd going.
Since the person in the back can’t see, they often end up pressing the food against the other’s cheek or nose instead of getting it into their mouth.
A team competition to see who finishes eating first is also a lot of fun, so definitely give it a try with everyone and liven things up.
Sign language dance ‘Racing into the Night’YOASOBI
How about performing a sign language dance to the famous song everyone’s heard at least once, YOASOBI’s “Racing into the Night” (Yoru ni Kakeru)? Adding precise finger movements to the dance raises the difficulty a bit, but that’s exactly why it could capture the audience’s interest.
Plus, this dance might spark curiosity about sign language as a communication tool and open up a new world for you.
Talk together about which signs to incorporate into the choreography, and try creating an original routine.
recorder
How about trying a party trick using the recorder that most people learned in elementary school? In school, you usually play children’s songs, which have fewer notes and seem like anyone could play them with a bit of practice.
So if you pull out a recorder at a party, many people will probably assume you’re going to play that kind of tune.
Why not turn that expectation on its head and perform a popular song that’s rarely played on the recorder? At the party, people will first be puzzled—what song is this?—and the moment they recognize it, the room will erupt with excitement.
Imitating sounds with a recorder
Let’s try performing a one-shot gag using the recorder that we often played in elementary school.
Simply playing a popular tune is more than enough, but if you want to show off something surprising and funny, how about recreating sounds you’d never expect to hear from a recorder? The example here is the sound of an ambulance.
It convincingly captures everything from the approaching wail to the sound as it moves away.
If you didn’t know it was a recorder, you might mistake it for a real ambulance.
Caricature Illustration Challenge
Let’s try a caricature challenge as a quick gag.
Set a time limit and draw a simple portrait of the other person.
You can use paints or crayons—either is fine.
You don’t need to be good at drawing; the goal is to make a picture that gets laughs.
Exaggerate their features or create a hilariously “master artist” style drawing—just let your creativity run wild.
The drawing will stick around after the gag, so it can keep serving as a source of laughs afterward.
flip board comedy
Are you familiar with “flip comedy”? Also known as “mekuri-gei,” it’s a type of performance aimed at getting laughs, where the performer sets out boards or cards with pictures or words and flips through them while doing the act.
Think of it like a picture-story show—kamishibai—and it’s easy to picture! This kind of act can be performed even without a partner, and having the flip cards makes it easier to get the jokes across.
It’s also great for parties with large groups, so if you’re looking to do a comedy bit, feel free to use this as a reference.
Simple material is recommended!
Rubik’s Cube
It’s a very simple 3D puzzle where you match the colors on all six faces, but it’s surprisingly difficult.
Since its release in 1997, it has become popular around the world as a toy enjoyed by both children and adults.
Why not use this 3D puzzle to show off a quick party trick? If you can smoothly solve a puzzle that stumps everyone else in an instant, you’re sure to earn a round of applause! There’s a specific method to solving it, so be sure to learn it and practice.
Parody of a commercial
There are those famous commercials that everyone knows, right? How about doing a bit that uses a memorable line or jingle from one of those ads? The one introduced here is a skit based on CHOYA’s “Sararito Shita Umeshu” commercial.
To the melody used in the ad, they stroke their own arm and say, “smooth arm hair.” I’m sure there are other commercials you can use, so why not look around and come up with your own bit? Your original routine might just steal the laughs!