8 Unusual Show & Tell Ideas For Kids

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You’ve just heard the news: Show and Tell time is coming up soon!

Show and Tell is a great classroom tool to strengthen speaking and confidence skills in your child. 

But as we all know, these kinds of assignments can be a lot of work for parents.

Sure, you can go with an easy Show and Tell idea that takes 5 minutes — but what if your child really wants to present something unique?

Here’s a quick list of unusual Show and Tell ideas to get you started:

  1. Family Member
  2. Unusual Pet
  3. Showcase a Hobby or Talent
  4. Family Heirloom
  5. Unique Souvenir
  6. A Collection
  7. Unique Spin On a Common Item
  8. Invisible Item

Now, let’s go into more detail about each of these ideas and how to get your kiddo ready for the big reveal.

Family Member

If all schedules and school policies allow for it, bringing a family member (and the appropriate guardians, if necessary) in for Show and Tell can be a unique spin on the classic classroom activity.

Maybe your child has a baby brother or sister that they adore, or one of their grandparents can tell stories about when they were younger or some important historical event as they remember it. 

For an older family member, your child and the individual can have a conversation ahead of time about how the Show and Tell time will go.

When it’s time to present, your child can introduce the family member and either interview them or let them have the floor for a period of time.

Unusual Pet

Does your child have a small pet that they could Show and Tell?

Bring it in, the class will love it!

Ideal candidates would be:

  • fish
  • small rodents
  • reptiles
  • captured bugs
  • or even pet rocks! 

Your child can introduce the pet, talk about how they take care of the pet, and possibly some favorite activities they do with the pet with demonstrations.  

Showcase a Hobby or Talent

Whether it’s singing, dancing, playing an instrument, joke-telling, sock puppeteering, or crafting, your child can definitely showcase their talent or hobby for Show and Tell.

It not only will give them practice in their craft, they can also make connections with their classmates and teacher by letting them see a part of themselves that they maybe haven’t shown before.

Whatever the hobby or talent, just be sure your child it will fill the appropriate amount of time (not too long or too short!).

Family Heirloom

Some families have special heirlooms or objects passed down through the generations.

If your family has one that your child could take to class, this could be a great time for your child to get to know more about it and show it to their classmates. 

Examples include (but are not limited to):

  • Metals (from war, sports, or other honors)
  • A beloved object from generations past
  • An object that was a “first” for the family 

Just make sure your child knows to be careful with that item and bring it home in one piece.

Unique Souvenir

Has anyone in the family (or even your child) taken an international trip before?

A souvenir from a trip like this could make an excellent conversation piece for Show and Tell.

Showing an object from a different, more exotic place will give your child a chance to expound on their fun time and give a look into a different culture. 

To prepare, discuss with your child what they remember about the place, or tell them about why you bought the souvenir and how it reflects the life of the place that it came from.

A Collection

One common practice among some children is the tendency to collect things.

For some, it’s marbles.

For others, it’s pressed flowers.

Whatever the objects, they hold some meaning for your child. Why not let them show the class for Show and Tell?

Talk with your child about why they collect the things they collect, then encourage them to remember this information to repeat to their class.

Unique Spin On a Common Item

If you’re running out of ideas, and your child has great creativity, consider letting your child put a new spin on an ordinary object.

They could bring in their favorite food, for example, and share why they like it or different facts about it.

(Or maybe make up some jokes about it!)

A drab item to us could become an intriguing object when described the right way, and may even be funny!

Invisible Item

A super imaginative child could pull off bringing in an “invisible” item; one they have made up in their heads!

He or she could drive in their imaginary car to class and tell them about all the details.

Maybe your child has an imaginary creature that they bring in, or some sort of super power to tell about.

Just be sure to practice with them ahead of time, and ask questions that their classmates might ask in order to prepare them.

Wrapping Up

When your kid insists on bringing in something totally unique for Show and Tell, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.

They’ll probably lean on you for ideas, and you probably won’t have much notice!

Hopefully, the list above will get you started or spark some new ideas.

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Hope this helps!