When it comes to developing a strong bond with the family, being supportive of one another’s talents and passions play a huge role. Not only does this mean being acknowledging of your children’s personal endeavours, but also pushing them on to further grow and develop their skills.
Doing so doesn’t always have to be as straightforward as cheering them on, however. A fun way to encourage your children to further their unique gifts is by creating an open and inviting environment for learning and exploration. It’s about creating a setup that would engage them into trying new and exciting ventures that involve using their creativity and passion.
Whether your kids are brimming with energy, or are always searching for a new interesting fact or story to grasp, we’ve got just the fun activity that can benefit you and your family: a talent show!
A mini contest like this one is a really simple yet effective way to get your kids hooked on an innate ability or talent they have yet to discover. It’s also a sure-fire method to put their minds to work, as they develop their own performances, equipping them with lessons on work ethic and sportsmanship down the road.
If you’re interested in learning how to host your very own family talent show, keep on reading as we have the complete low-down on exactly what you need to get started.
Preparing for the Family Talent Show
Before the big day, it’s important to do some prep work in order to have a successful event. Showing this to your kids would also inspire them to take the event seriously, affirming their need to hone their skills and talents before showing them to a crowd.
Here are some things you might need to prepare before the talent show.
Official Event Program and Schedule
So you can have a smooth and proper flow, creating an official event program and schedule is vital to the process. This gives your kids a fixed deadline for when they need to have their acts ready, aiding them when it comes to skillfully managing their time. At the same time, revealing the line-up for the talent show in advance can get your kids revved up and even more excited for the fun activity.
Judging Metric
Who said homemade competitions didn’t need to meet a criteria? When it comes to being the judge for your own children’s performances, it’s easy to become biased, and select the winner based on overall cuteness. While this may be okay for younger children, it does not help those who have exerted a lot of effort into perfecting their acts.
Instead, using a judging metric helps to ensure fairness throughout the competition while teaching kids exactly what they need to improve on. Winning or losing based on a predetermined metric would help them understand the why’s and the how’s, pushing them to work harder for next time.
Awards and Certificates
Winning isn’t the same without a reward, am I right? This is especially true for your kids. Make sure to prepare some DIY certificates or medals in advance, so they can have a token of the talent show and the hard work that they’ve put in it.
As for the rest of the participants, don’t forget to hand out certificates or small tokens as well. This helps to re-affirm and acknowledge their participation in the contest, encouraging them to become good sports for this excursion, and all the other ones that would come in the future.
Set Up the Stage
So your kids can picture themselves in the moment, setting up a performance area in the living room, backyard, or any other spacious location in your home can help set the tone and the mood for the contest.
You can also opt to put up some decorations, such as posters, balloons, flaglets, colorful buntings, or even the show’s official banner as a backdrop. This helps your kids envision just exactly how they want their acts to appear, so they can work towards making that goal happen.
Tips for Hosting a Family Talent Show
Now that you have some preparations set, here are some additional tips on how to host a successful family talent show at home.
Give Time for Practice
Children will understand the value of working hard towards their goals if they are allowed some time to work on their performance. Even if it’s just a couple of days or a week before the event, doing so can subconsciously encourage them to keep going at their craft until they have deemed it worthy of being displayed in front of an audience.
Moreover, this activity can also serve as a test of your children’s worth ethic and attitude when faced with opportunities like this one.
Have fun!
Lastly, remind your kids that this activity is not about winning, but about the new learnings and skills this experience has opened up to them. It’s about the bond with the family that has been strengthened, and the skills they’ve practiced that were honed.
At the end of the day, everyone would feel like they have won if they made the most of the time to grow in their craft, and took advantage of the opportunity to showcase their true abilities in front of the ones they love the most.
So, remind your kids to relax and enjoy this opportunity. It’s definitely one for the books.
Family Talent Show Ideas
Now for the fun part. If you want to give your kids a few ideas on what they can do for their own acts and performances, refer to this list below and see what they can try out.
Perform a Song
If your child has previously displayed some vocal ability, then perhaps singing a song might be their best option. To add more pizzazz, they can supplement their performance with a background visual or a few dance steps here and there to make it look more dynamic.
If your child is older and has the capability, you can even encourage them to play their song with a musical instrument or write their own composition. Either way, it’s important to stress out how adding in a few creative elements to their piece can help them stand out.
Play a Classical Rendition
Are your kids familiar with a piano or a violin? Remind them that they don’t have to be Beethoven or Paganini to perform a classical rendition. As long as they’re eager to work on their craft, they can play their own instruments to imitate or even renovate an existing classical masterpiece.
If they’re neither pianists nor violinists, there are a ton of other instruments out there that can still do the part. At the end of the day, it’s your kids’ execution that would dictate the winner, and anyone playing a classical rendition on any instrument is definitely a strong contender.
Perform a Magic Show
I don’t know about you, but I’m a firm believer that magic isn’t just for children. It’s simply built in the human DNA to be in awe of something surreal or unnatural. So, if you’ve got an aspiring magician within your home, why not put their skills to the test through this talent show?
Encourage them to come up with new acts that are more special and unique than just the common card trick. Have them explore greater heights, and maybe let them pair up so they can have an assistant for their acts. Whichever route they go for, magic isn’t something we can grow too old for. It’s all about making their audience believe.
Do a Live Painting
Are your kids crafty or great at painting? Push them to their limits by giving them an idea for a live painting session. Unlike traditional realistic paintings that take a lot of time to perfect, you can ask your kids to go out of their comfort zone by making one in front of a live audience in the shortest amount of time possible.
It can be as simple as an outline, a few shapes, or whatever image they prefer. It’s about making the painting seem abstract at first, only to connect the points at the end, revealing a hidden image that would put audiences in awe. A true display of technique and skill of the individual when done right.
Perform a Dance Routine
After all the ideas that have been mentioned, are you still wondering what to do with your energetic kid who just won’t stop moving and running around? For this activity, you can encourage your child to perform a well-coordinated dance routine.
Whether dance is something they’ve already explored in the past or a new territory that they have yet to explore, suggesting this idea to your kid, who just can’t seem to settle down, is a great idea that invokes discipline and charisma. Allow them to put all that stowed energy to good use by creating their own choreographed routine that can wow the judges. Talk about a break in character.
Stand-Up Comedy
Got a little kid with a funny bone? Stand-up comedy might just be the right excursion to take their innate talents one step further. Let your child create their own persona, and watch them own the stage with pride and confidence.
While it may seem easy and laidback, writing your own act can be unnerving. What matters is your child’s ability to earn the crowd’s attention, and stand up on that platform with a smile and beaming determination.
A Live Exhibition
Another talent show idea for the kids, who just can’t seem to settle down, is a live exhibition. Maybe they’ve already been practicing a certain skill or a sport that’s worthy of being shown to an audience? If yes, then this idea might be perfect for them.
Some things your child might want to try for a live exhibition would include martial arts, like Karate or Taekwondo, cool and quirky tricks on a yo-yo or a hoola-hoop, as well as any other unique skill or ability your child may have. No matter how crazy or out of this world it would seem, it’s important to embrace children’s gifts for what they are, so they can have the support they need to push forward.
Recite Poetry
Is your child good with written words? Do you think they have a hidden talent in creative writing? A good way to exercise your child’s ability would be to encourage them to try out spoken poetry.
While this kind of showcase would also be reliant on delivery and mastery of the piece, the message they’re trying to send is also just as important. As adults, it’s vital to be open in order to see children’s true potential, regardless of whether or not it still needs to be honed.
Perform a Solo Skit
Perhaps your kid has great story-telling abilities? Remind them that they don’t have to perform a skit with a group. Let their creativity flourish, and have them create a storyline on their own.
Whether they play different characters or perform a one-man show, this kind of showcase can highlight your child’s ability to portray a story, as well as show how well they can execute it.
Become a Ventriloquist
According to science, having a conversation with yourself isn’t done by the entire human population. If you happen to notice your child’s imagination is off the charts, perhaps you can encourage them to perform an act that would make all their teddy bears and stuffed toys seem real.
While it may take a bit of practice, we think this is the perfect idea for your child to showcase the lengths of their imagination. Not only would they be writing a script with a hint of comedy or realism, they would also have to practice talking without using their lips. No matter how successful they are at it, this act is a nice bridge that closes the gap between a child’s imagination and an adult’s practical perspective.
Sit Back & Enjoy Your Family Talent Show
Now that we’ve given you a prep guide, some tips, and ideas on various acts to perform, you can now host your own family talent show in no time. Just remember that this activity should be used as an outlet for your children to explore the extent of their creative capabilities, and not an opportunity for them to solely think about claiming the prize.
At the end of the day, it’s not about who earns the points who truly wins the competition, but about the one who learns from the experience while growing in their craft.
Goodluck, and enjoy the talent show!
