Show and Tell Day Ideas
What to Take and What to Say When Showing Off Those Prized Objects
It's Back-to-School and time for every child’s favorite school activity—no, not recess—show and tell!
Every fun classroom has them--show and tell days. Students show something they have carried to school and tell all about it. So how do you prepare so your show and tell will be interesting to the other students? How do you know what to take to school and what to say about it?
Here are some ideas for great objects to show and some samples of what to say.
Summer Travel Mementos
Think of your summer just past. Did you go on a trip? Did you bring back any keepsakes or mementos of your trip? A photograph, a postcard, a tourist guide book or magazine, a ball cap, a map, sand or seashells from the beach, swimming goggles, rocks, a souvenir, or anything you collected or found on the trip that will give you a lead to talk about your vacation. Tell where you went. What was the most interesting sight there? What did you experience for the first time ever?
Home Sweet Home
Did you stay home all summer? What did you do?
- Read a good book?
- Take up a new hobby?
- Learn a craft?
- Write a story?
- Learn to swim, or cook, or ride a bike?
Choose an item that will represent your summer’s occupation. For the book take the book cover, the book itself, some object the book tells about. For example, if you read Holes, take a small shovel. If you read Olivia, take some red articles of clothing. If you read Little House on the Prairie take along some pioneer item or an item that replaced a common pioneer household object. Talk about the characters of the story.
If your hobby is photography, take some pictures you have taken. If you took up knitting, or crocheting, needlepoint or sewing, take along a pattern book or paper pattern that shows how the stitches or done, or take a piece you have completed.
Any craft item or tool for the craft, patterns, plans, instruction sheets, pictures of the craft, or craft supplies can be shown and talked about. Maybe you went fishing or camping or traveled in a motor home. What can you show that was a part of that experience?
The Perfect Item to Show
Think of an item that relates, is unbreakable, safe around small children and will draw interest for your speech. The most fun type of object is one that many of your fellow students won’t recognize. For example, if you slept in a tent bring along the air mattress patches, the bag your sleeping bag fits in, or the plastic cover of a string of Chinese lanterns. How about the mini flashlight you took along, some item of camp food you tried, a battery operated hand fan, swim fins, or sunglasses.
Lazy Days
If you lazed around the house or the pool, take a plastic pool cup, an umbrella, a sandal or flip flop, a jar of fireflies, or a sack of Popsicle sticks, a lemon, an empty pop bottle, or an ice tray. Tell about what you did to amuse yourself and pass the time. Who came to visit? What did you eat and drink?
The Garden Path
Did you plant and tend a garden? Take a garden straw hat, a packet of seed, a gathering basket or a hose sprayer nozzle. Tell about what you planted and what grew well. When did it get ripe? What was your favorite crop? Maybe you can bring along a squash or pumpkin or some vegetable that you grew, or if the vegetables from your garden are gone, consider buying one at the grocery store to take for your show and tell.
Pet or Zoo Animals?
Do you have a pet or did you learn about an animal? Did you visit the zoo? Take a picture of your pet or an animal you saw. Show the picture and talk about the animal. What is the pet’s name? Where did he come from? Maybe your pet has a toy or a leash, a garment or special item that can help you catch the attention of your classmates and interest them in your speech.
The key to a good show and tell speech is to choose something unusual that relates somehow to your interests:
- an wooden spoon if you like to cook
- a rubber boot if you like to hike
- a beach towel if you like to swim
- a sky map if you love to look at the stars
- a road map if you travel
- a fishing lure if you fish.
Any object can be used if you have interesting information to present with it. Have a good time showing and telling, and your listeners will enjoy it too!
