When it comes time for the annual talent show at school, kindergarteners can have a range of reactions.
Some kids love the opportunity to show off their skills, while others may worry about being in the spotlight.
Every child’s personality is different, but there’s a perfect act for each and every one of them.
Let’s take a look at some of the best kindergarten talent show ideas for budding superstars and wallflowers alike:
- Singing a favorite song
- Doing a popular dance
- Performing in a ‘band’
- Group acrobatics
- A comedy routine
- Reciting a poem
Whether or not your kindergartener is excited from the start about a talent show, there are plenty of benefits for all kids who participate. Just like when playing team sports, your child will start to feel like a part of something bigger than themselves when they participate in a school or grade-wide talent show.
Performing in a talent show can also give them a boost of self-confidence whether they do something they are naturally good at, or something they had some difficulty accomplishing.
Now let’s take a closer look.
How to prepare for a kindergarten talent show
First, you will have to decide what type of act will work best for your child.
Assess your child’s personality – will they do better with a group act or be fine as a solo artist?
Group acts can help shy kids feel less nervous on stage, but you’ll have to coordinate with other parents. On the other hand, some kids will prefer to keep the spotlight all for themself.
Once you know if you’re going solo or working with a group, it’s time to settle on an act.
I’ve put together a list of ideas for you, but your child might already have something in mind. It’s a good idea to guide them towards something that is manageable and plays on their natural talents.
Of course, practicing the routine is one of the most important steps.
Run through the act with your child several times, then have them rehearse with you at least once before the big day. This could be an opportunity for them to preview their act in front of other friends or family members to build their confidence.
With all of that in mind, let’s take a closer look at some starter ideas you can steal or tweak for your child.
Kindergarten talent show ideas
If you and your child can’t think of something to do for the talent show, maybe these ideas will get your creative juices flowing!
1. Singing a favorite song
If your kid loves to sing along to their favorite songs on the radio or on TV, a musical act might be a good starting place!
Songs are great for solo or group acts.
Since your child probably has some favorite songs already from home or from school, this is an easy act to prepare. If remembering the words is tricky for your little one, adding in some hand movements can help them.
What’s great about a singing act is that no props are required – just your kindergartener, their voice, and maybe their friends on stage!
(Some of my favorite nursery rhyme / easy kids songs are Ram Sam Sam, Every Letter Makes a Sound, ABCD Dinosaur, and Twinkle Twinkle Traffic Light!)
2. Doing a popular dance
All kids have moments where they get ‘the wiggles’.
A group or solo dance is another great choice for this reason, especially if your child is musically and rhythmically inclined.
Don’t worry too much about complicated choreography. Depending on your child’s ability, they can stick to hand motions, or move around the stage with their friends in a line or circle.
You can introduce movements like “the wave” where one end of a line lifts one arm up, then the connected arm, on to the next kid and down the line.
Children can stand in a circle, move in to make it smaller, then move out to make it wide.
Another idea is to let each kid have a freestyle moment, where they step forward, improvise a dance, then let the next kid have the spotlight.
You don’t need props for a simple dance, but it could be fun to coordinate outfits with your child’s dance partners. Fun accessories like a hat or ribbon can add a little flair to the routine, too.
3. Performing in a ‘band’
Another music-based talent show idea for kindergarteners is to create a group band with play instruments.
Set the act to a rhythmically simple song and help the bandmates find the right beats to play. Percussion instruments work best, like small drums, a xylophone, a triangle or even a tambourine.
Depending on the size of the band, you could either let each child have a solo moment, or a let them all play together–although this can get a little chaotic.
Getting a bunch of kindergarteners to play anything on beat might prove challenging, so remember to keep it lighthearted and fun.
You will need kid-friendly instruments for this act. Depending on your kid’s school, there may be some available to borrow from the music program.
4. Group acrobatics
Athletic kids might enjoy showing off their skill with an acrobatic performance.
You could put together a simple obstacle course for them where they can roll, jump, and tumble.
Or, play their favorite song and let them show off their moves. This is an easy one to prepare without your child needing to stick to an exact routine.
If you go the obstacle course route, you will need time to set up and access to materials.
Mini hurdles, hula hoops, floor ladders, and floor mats can all be used, and may even be available for use in the school gymnasium.
For some added flair, you can try setting the show to epic music like “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor or “Chariots of Fire” by Vangelis.
5. A comedy routine
Your kindergartener may already be a jokester at home. If they have a good sense of humor, helping them prepare a few jokes to tell to the audience could be fun.
Memorizing a few jokes could be a lot to ask one kindergartener. Instead, you could band together with classmates to have everyone tell one joke, or even partner up for call and response type jokes.
If you’re not a natural comedian, you can easily find a kids joke book at your local library, or check for free kids jokes on the Internet.
No props are necessary for this act, though, it could add laughs by giving the kids funny clothes to wear!
6. Reciting a poem
Reciting a poem may sound intimidating, but do you remember traditional nursery rhymes?
Children beginning to read get a real kick out of rhyming words together.
For this act, stick to rhymes or poems your child already knows well. To take some of the pressure off, taking turns with a group can make everyone’s job a little easier.
If you don’t have a poem in mind already, check the internet or your favorite collection of poems for inspiration.
Wrapping Up
Performing an act in a talent show can be a great experience for your little one.
They’ll get a taste of what it’s like to practice something to achieve a goal, and take part in a fun and confidence-building activity with their classmates.
Finding the perfect act for a kindergarten talent show doesn’t have to be difficult or stressful. Many of these ideas do not require props for the kids, which makes planning a little easier.
While it’s important to listen to your child’s interests, make sure the final act works for you too. For a kindergarten talent show, fun should come first — there’s no need to stress over an overly complicated act.
Check out some more school guides before you go like:
Break a leg!