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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Hidden talents even elementary school kids can do! A collection of performance ideas that will liven up any event (31–40)
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.
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.
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.
Hidden talents even elementary schoolers can do! A collection of act ideas to liven up events (41–50)
Kendama
Because kendama tricks are based on a game everyone knows, they can be all the more surprising.
Start with basic moves like the Big Cup and Small Cup, then gradually challenge yourself with harder tricks such as the Pendulum and the Lighthouse Jump.
With practice, you can master special techniques that will wow your classmates.
It’s also fun to invent your own tricks or try combos.
Since kendamas are easy to find, you can practice during breaks or after school—that’s another advantage.
Keep at it steadily, and aim to showcase a unique skill at the recital or talent show.
geta tap
It feels like dancing while clicking your shoes, like tap dance.
Geta make a clacking sound too, so if you stomp along to the rhythm, it produces a pretty pleasant sound.
Regular dance is exciting, but it could be fun to try clacking along to a Bon Odori or festival-style tune.
It’s quite a creative dance.