8 Quick & Easy Show & Tell Ideas for Kids

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Show and Tell time! Do you panic or rejoice?

There’s so many reasons to love Show and Tell. It switches up classroom roles, where one of the students becomes a teacher to their classmates, just for a few minutes.

It builds camaraderie with the students and gives them a chance to practice giving a cohesive presentation or story in front of a group of people.

But if you’re short on ideas and time as parents, you’ll need some quick and easy Show and Tell ideas to keep from pulling your hair out.

Some of the best easy Show and Tell ideas for kids are:

  1. Favorite Book
  2. Favorite Toy
  3. Natural Object
  4. Share a Photo
  5. Invisible Object
  6. Talent Performance
  7. Drawing or Craft
  8. Seasonal Item or Story

Let’s take a closer look at the list and help you get your little one ready for the big day without much prep time.

Favorite Book

Is there a book in your child’s home library (or, at the public library) that cracks them up every time, or they ask you to read over and over again?

Have your child take that book to show and tell.

Your child can choose to read the book to the class themselves, or you may ask the teacher ahead of time if they would be willing to read the book.

If it’s a long chapter book, your child can summarize the story in a minute or so (but be careful of spoilers).

Ask your child why it is that they love the book, and encourage them to jot this information down to share with the class.

They can also describe where they were when they first read it, first reactions of the book, and how the book has made a difference in their lives.

Favorite Toy

Bringing a favorite toy to Show and Tell is one of the simplest things your child can do.

It can be anything, like a stuffed animal, a toy car, or a figurine.

It’s probably a comfort object for them too, which further helps their confidence when presenting to the class.

For Show and Tell time, your child can describe:

  • why they like the toy
  • where they got it
  • who bought it for them
  • and anything cool that the toy does with a demonstration.

Natural Object

The outdoors is a great place to find an item for Show and Tell.

My daughter is constantly bringing inside leafs, rocks, pinecones, and other fun items she finds outside.

Examples of easy natural Show and Tell objects:

  • leaves
  • pinecones
  • sticks
  • flowers
  • rocks
  • and seashells.

Whatever it is, just put it in a bag and take it to school for Show and Tell!

Your child can talk about where the object came from, what they like about that place, and/or fast facts about the object (that you look up together at home).

Share a Photo

Finding an object for Show and Tell day can be as easy as taking a family portrait to school.

When it comes to family members, there’s so much to talk about!

Your child can go through each person and give them a short bio, for example: name, age, occupation, and favorite hobby.

Any other photo could work, too.

Maybe your family went on vacation over the summer. A photo from this time could provide a wealth of things to talk about.

A photo of your child playing his or her favorite sport could work nicely, too. Get creative! 

Invisible Object

For a unique, but very easy Show and Tell idea, your child will take their imaginary object to school with them.

This could be an imaginary pet, creature, person, or transportation vehicle.

Whatever it is, be sure your child can describe it in detail, and maybe give a short demonstration of how it works.

Any miming skills would be great here, too!

Talent Performance

What does your child do best?

It would be easiest for him or her to showcase a talent that they love to do over doing something unfamiliar or difficult. 

Of course, this idea is only easy if the setup is easy!

Examples include:

  • singing a song
  • dancing a routine
  • playing a song on an instrument
  • reciting poetry
  • telling jokes
  • and performing a sporting feat.

Drawing or Craft

If your child is a little artist, encourage them to bring one of their works of art to Show and Tell.

They should pick something that they are most proud of, whether it is a craft they made, or a drawing or painting they did.

Beyond just presenting the art, they can talk about what materials they used, what their inspiration was, and the process of making the thing.

Seasonal Item or Story

The seasons could be a great inspiration for easy Show and Tell ideas.

Not only could your child pick something having to do with Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall, but also think about holiday seasons. 

For example, Christmas season means they could tell about their favorite Christmas memory, ornament, present, song or movie.

A Valentine’s day-themed Show and Tell idea could look like your child talking about their favorite Valentine.

Earth day could mean they explain the process of recycling at home. 

Wrapping Up

Elaborate and unique Show and Tell ideas are great, but sometimes you just need to grab something easy around the house and get the whole presentation ready in 5-10 minutes!

Hopefully, the easy and simple ideas above will help get you started.

Keep in mind that, in this case, practice makes perfect!

Even though the Show and Tell object may be simple, you should still have your child practice how the presentation will go, just in case they get nervous in front of their class.

It’s okay to get a little nervous, though. Above all else, be your child’s cheerleader and they will do the rest!

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Hope this helps!