Presentations at school help children to know themselves better. It allows children to sharpen their public speaking skills, and builds confidence in them.
Presentations and projects are a part of growing up. You can’t do without them, and doing them always seems like a herculean task. Somehow, completing the presentation becomes a last-minute job, adding to the pressure and tension. In the midst of the bunkum, the whole purpose of coming up with ideas gets lost.
Moreover, if you have a great idea, executing it becomes difficult because you are always running against time. The other drawback of lousy presentations is that the audience loses interest. Making it effective is a part of learning public speaking techniques, building self-confidence, and winning a challenge.
Good Presentation Ideas for Children
Storyteller
To implement this one, you need a storybook, a projector, and a costume. It’s difficult for children to remember stories. Having a pictorial presentation alongside the storytelling will act as a prompter. Make the child learn and memorize the story as far as possible. Allow them to dress up for the performance. Once the child is ready, set up a stage with a projector right at the back and a podium at the side. Dim the light to bring in effect to the drama, and listen to a gripping story ever!
Puppet Show
There is no fixed way of doing a show. It can be a solo performance, or you can have more kids as well. Take a story, and bring out the characters as puppets. Puppets can be made out of old gloves and socks or just by painting fingers. Make a puppet theater out of a cardboard box, and let your puppets steal the show!
Self-presentation
It is meant of kids between 4 to 6 years of age. There are two ways in which it can be done. The first way of doing this is where the child is given two minutes to talk about himself/herself. The child can talk about the family members and a few qualities about self. The other way of doing this activity is to ask a child to bring an object from home and talk about it for two minutes. This allows the child to explore hidden qualities about self and those around him/her.
Dramatics
Enacting a play from the school plays, like the quintessential Romeo and Juliet or musicals make memorable presentations. This can be a slightly expensive affair though. To make it successful, you’ll need hours of rehearsal, costumes, lights, and makeup. Get all the material required well before in time, and do at least two dress rehearsals to get a grip of the act.
Few More Presentation Ideas
1. Interview a subject matter expert, and make a small documentary about your topic.
2. Arrange a debate to bring out the pros and cons of the subject.
3. Start a blog for the subject. This will also open a platform for discussion for others.
4. Create a PowerPoint slideshow, and use graphs to present the data you have collected.
5. Have a live broadcast in your classroom about your project. You can use your school’s newsroom for the same.
Presentation Tips for Children
Know Your Topic
To make an effective presentation, it’s important that your child is well-versed with the topic. Stammering on the stage will hamper the performance and lead to stage fright.
Mind Your Language
Your language has to gel with the kind of presentation that you are doing. For instance, if it’s a well-known play, use the exact dialogs, and if it’s a puppet show, then see to it that the vocabulary used is in a comic tone instead of a serious one. The language makes a huge difference in a good presentation.
Be Confident
To make your mark, sport your confidence. Practice your presentation a couple of times, to deal with your fears and inhibitions about the stage and audience. Conducting yourself on the stage with confidence is the key to success.
A presentation gives the child an opportunity to hone latent talents. It permits the child to explore the potential within himself/herself. Presentation skills learned in early childhood are always an asset that kids can bank on anytime in life.