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)
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.
Hidden talents even elementary school kids can do! A collection of performance ideas that will liven up any event (31–40)
I tried becoming a historical figure.
How about performing a quiz themed around famous historical figures as a quick gag? You could crawl around on all fours shouting “Tsuyoshi!” to portray Tsuyoshi Inukai, or clap your hands quietly with a distant look to portray Kim Jong Un.
Picture the person’s name and traits, and use your body and facial expressions to represent them.
The way you act it out will look pretty funny to the audience, so I think it’ll become a one-shot joke that makes people laugh while they enjoy the quiz.
Radio calisthenics turned into otagei!
It’s a performance that will definitely be a hit in elementary school, but be careful—if you do it during a serious class or the morning meeting, you’ll almost certainly get scolded.
I recommend doing it only during recess or in places meant for performances.
Since it uses the well-known Radio Calisthenics as its theme, it’s very easy to understand and really funny.
Dance to the trending song
I think a lot of people take dance lessons.
Some schools even include dance in their PE classes—how about at your school? It’s pretty cool to quickly learn the latest dances or idol choreography and show them off to everyone.
Right now, K-pop dance idols like SEVENTEEN and ENHYPEN might be great picks.
It’d be awesome to do that kind of performance-style dance regardless of gender! And if you want to get everyone hyped, you can’t skip Ado’s “Show.” Let’s rope in friends who can’t dance, too, and make the back of the classroom as lively as USJ!
magic person in charge
A magic person who can make viewers go “Ah!” with surprise.
You’ll shine during break times and school events.
Once you find a trick you want to perform, practice it over and over and memorize the steps so you can present it smoothly.
The way you show it and the way you talk are also key.
It’s important to keep a good rhythm and proceed smoothly so your audience doesn’t get suspicious.
Get your classmates involved—have them help with the tricks and ask what kind of magic they want to see—so you can build the excitement together!
Super New Juku of Stick Figures
This was made by an elementary school student who likes the comedy group Choshinjuku that’s been the talk of the town, using a stick-figure animation.
The way the stick figures are portrayed is spot-on, and the punchlines even appear with big on-screen “boom!” text, making it very easy to understand and a total crowd-pleaser.
It’s so well done that it’s genuinely moving.
If you showed something like this with a projector, even elementary school kids would be overjoyed.