Wonderful school festival / cultural festival

Classic plays performed by elementary school students: recommended works roundup

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 as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is 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!

Plays performed at elementary school arts festivals and graduation ceremonies are important events that leave lasting memories for children.

For a truly memorable stage, you’ll want to choose pieces that let each child’s individuality and growth shine.

Still, many teachers and parents may be worried that “the classics are too boring” or that “the scripts are too difficult.” In this article, we introduce enjoyable plays suitable for elementary school students.

By creating a wonderful production together with classmates, it’s sure to become a cherished memory.

Picture books, literary works, and recitation (1–10)

Eleven Cats

Musical “11 Cats” Part I Isumi Junior Chorus

Eleven Cats

It’s a famous picture book series by Noboru Baba, and many of you may already know it.

It’s an exciting story in which eleven cats join forces to defeat a suspicious-looking fish, packed with elements like courage, teamwork, and friendship.

The puppet theater adaptation scripted by Hisashi Inoue was broadcast on NHK.

It has also been adapted for the stage and as an anime, so it might be a good idea to choose one of those, watch it, and then start practicing.

If you’re making it into a musical, you’ll of course need to practice the songs, so plan with a long-term perspective.

It could also be fun to change the “11” to match your class size—like “38 Cats.” It’s perhaps more suitable for slightly older elementary grades.

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Sketch: “School Things Everyone Experiences”

[Relatable #41] School Relatables: School Lunch Edition 🍽️ Hilarious Skits — Real Everyday Life Performed by an Active Elementary School Girl and a Kindergartener, Kanon & Rintan ♥ -Bonitos TV- ♥

Sketch: "School Things Everyone Experiences"

Let’s perform a short skit in front of everyone.

There are many kinds of skits, but how about doing one based on everyday “school life moments”? There seem to be plenty of relatable themes, like school lunch, cleaning time, or teacher quirks.

The audience will surely be nodding along and saying, “So true!” Let’s prepare lots of ideas that everyone can enjoy together!

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samurai period drama

Learning Presentation 9: Mito Komon

samurai period drama

I don’t think many elementary school kids watch period dramas, but a “period drama” production seems like an idea that would go over very well with grandparents’ generation.

In period dramas, good and evil are clearly defined, so the stories are surprisingly easy for children to follow.

It’s also amusing to see kids play the stereotypical crooked magistrate because of the fun contrast, and they’d probably be thrilled to practice the classic sword-fighting scenes.

Period dramas can be a great chance to learn about history and Japanese culture, so if a regular play isn’t generating much excitement, definitely consider making this your project.

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Picture books, literary works, and recitations (11–20)

Jugemu

Jugemu

Jugemu

If you’ve watched NHK’s program Nihongo de Asobo, you might know this one.

It’s one of the rakugo pieces with the punchline that the entire string of words—“jugemu jugemu gokō no surikire …”—which sounds like a spell, is actually a person’s name.

A fun aspect of Jugemu—really of rakugo in general—is that there are modernized versions of these old stories that make them easy for contemporary audiences to understand.

For Jugemu, for example, there’s a version where, by the time the parent finishes calling out the child’s name to send them off to school in the morning, summer vacation has already begun.

Try coming up with a Jugemu that fits your own life for your mornings.

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The Little Prince

Record of the Barrier-Free Theatrical Performance of The Little Prince

The Little Prince

I highly recommend The Little Prince, the novel written by the French author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

It’s a work with a very mysterious atmosphere, depicting the story of “I,” who crash-lands a broken plane in the desert, and the prince he meets there.

With its poetic worldview, it’s perfect for those who want to try a play that’s a bit different from the usual or who prefer something that gently lingers in the heart.

Because the pacing is calm, the key to success may be whether you can deliver your lines clearly without rushing.

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Annie

Annie

Annie

Premiering as a Broadway musical in 1977, it has since been adapted into film three times and was successfully revived on Broadway in 2012—a major hit musical.

Its theme song, “Tomorrow,” is likely one that everyone has heard at least once.

Set in New York during the Great Depression in 1933, the story is somewhat serious, but if performed at a school festival, the rousing chorus of “Tomorrow” at the end is sure to move the audience.

Why not take on the challenge of staging it?

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Gongitsune

School Year Presentation: Gon, the Little Fox

Gongitsune

Gongitsune is a work by Nankichi Niimi and a beloved staple in Japanese language textbooks.

I’m sure you read it in your textbooks, too.

I remember feeling very lonely as a child because the story doesn’t end happily.

It has a strong pull, so I think it would work well as a staged reading.

It also seems like it would make a lovely shadow play if you used the textbook illustrations as a reference.

If we were to create an original play inspired by Gongitsune, I’d love to see a happy-ending version!

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