Week eight: Host an end-of-summer talent show
The end-of-camp talent show lets children cheer on their friends. Inspire that same kind of camaraderie at home by having kids organize and host a friends-and-family talent show.
LIFE SKILL: Sportsmanship
Step 1: Figure out talents.
—Invite friends and family to participate in the talent show. (Make sure to have a plan for safe social distancing or a virtual event.) Aim for seven or eight performers.
—Ask everyone to send in their individual talent, with a title and short description of their act.
—Set a time limit for each act. (Three minutes is a good start.)
Step 2: Organize the show and write the script.
—Have kids decide the lineup for the show. Think about:
• Who will be a good starting act. That could be a brave, extroverted performer or something super-silly to get everyone in the mood.
• Whose talent will create a big finish
• What setup is needed in between each act that might affect the order
• The ages of the performers: Younger kids with shorter attention spans should perform earlier in the lineup.
• Variety. Alternate serious and funny acts, kids and adults, louder and quieter performances, etc.
—Help kids write the introduction. It should include:
• A welcome to the audience
• A “thank you for coming”
• An introduction to the host
• Perhaps a joke or two to set the tone, like that the stage looks just like school and mom’s office, or (if virtual) thanking the audience for not wearing their PJs.
• If the talent show is virtual, give a quick description of how the host will switch to each location for the performances.
—Next, have kids come up with a two- to three-sentence introduction for each act. Include:
• The name or names of the performers
• The title of the act
• A short description of the act. Bring out the entertainer in your child by helping them get creative. For instance, if they’re introducing a magic act, perhaps that can play off “a magical moment with …” If they’re introducing a music act, maybe it’s something like, “This’ll be music to everyone’s ears.”
• Perhaps some silly, good-natured jokes (Here are a few to inspire your kids.)
• A tagline to let the performer know they’re on, such as “Take it away, Uncle Bob!”
—Write reminders to thank the performer after the act and encourage the audience to applaud and cheer.
—Write the conclusion, including a thank-you to all the performers as well as the audience for attending.
—Encourage the host to practice before the show. You can even make cue cards to help.
Ready for the spotlight? Try these show-stopping ideas.
—Create invitations to email to friends and family of the performers.
—Design a program for the show so audience members know the order of performers and have a keepsake of the event. Share it as a PDF for virtual and socially distanced talent shows.
—If your talent show is virtual, consider doing a practice run with the performers but without the acts to make sure all the technology is working how you thought it would.
—Ask a couple audience members to judge the show and give out silly awards to each performer: weirdest, loudest, bravest, etc.
