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Speech topics for children
141 best speech topics for kids: middle school and up
By: Susan Dugdale
Providing suitable school speech topics for children is often a real challenge.
(And, yes, I know that's an understatement! I've been there as the parent AND as the teacher. Finding that gem of an idea to light up a child's imagination can be a mutually exhausting exercise. Hopefully this page will provide the speech topic you need very quickly. ☺)
What's on this page
- 8 themed lists of speech topic suggestions
- Community and social issues
- Arts and culture
- Fun and whimsy
- Sports and games
- Food
- Seasons and nature
- Animals, birds, fish
- Hobbies and interests
Finding suitable speech topics for children
As their teachers or parents, we want stimulating, interesting subjects for them to work with. However we also need them to be aligned with their age group.
If we make the topics too adult, we risk pushing them into areas they're too young to cope with. If we make them too simplistic, we run the risk of minimizing or patronizing their growing sense of awareness.
As in everything, we need to find the balance.
These speech ideas have worked well for me with middle-school children, aged between 11 years to approximately 14 years.
You'll find some are more suitable for an imaginative child and others for a practical, factual child. Of course, the topic you select will also depend on the objective or goal for the speech.
And if by small chance you reach the end of the page and no speech idea has leaped out to grab you, there's another 50+ elocution topics for kids waiting here.
School Speech Topics for Children - Community, School & Social Issues
- That more 'green' space (parks) should be set aside for community use
- That recycling should be compulsory
- Everyone should do some sort of regular community service.
- That large non-electric cars should be banned
- What rights should a child have and why?
- Smacking a child should be illegal
- Does watching violent TV programs make a child think violence is acceptable?
- Everybody should have access to healthy affordable housing.
- Does advertising influence our food choices?
- Do certain types of pop music teach the wrong values?
- Should students have the right to choose what school they go to?
- Should students have a greater say in what classes/subjects they study? Class sizes should be limited to 20
- What do you like most about your school?
- The school leaving age should be abolished.
- Parents should not pay (bribe) their children to get good grades.
- Standardized tests are not a reliable a measure of a person's intelligence.
- The words we use and how we say them influences how people behave toward us
- Failing a class can be a positive thing.
- Clothes and being fashionable are way too important.
- Wearing a school uniform lessens the distinctions between those who come from more affluent homes and those who don't.
- Coed schools are better.
- Extra tuition for those who want or need it should be available free of charge.
- Bullying behavior needs to be dealt with promptly and firmly.
- Parents should monitor how we use the internet.
- Chat rooms can be dangerous
- Earbuds are anti-social
- Good manners are important
Speech Topics for Children - Arts & Culture
- Graffiti is art.
- Explain a cultural festival or practice of significance to you that others may not know about or appreciate.
- Why are film stars so popular?
- Who is your favorite screen hero and why?
- What is pop art?
- Who is your favorite book/cartoon character and why?
- What inspires you about dance/art/drama/music or film?
- If you were to write a book for your age group to read what would it be about?
- My favorite festival is...
- I learn the piano, violin, trumpet, drums (insert whatever instrument)...because...
- The type of art I like to look at is...
- Strange facts about artists, dancers, musicians etc.
- If I was a famous screen star I would...
- My favorite story/poem/song as a little child was...
Speech Topics for Children - Fun & Whimsy
- A day in my life as a... table, pencil, car, potato, bicycle, blackboard, window, ball, or anything else!
- If I ruled the world...
- Why I am on the top of Santa's nice/naughty list this year
- If I was a parent, the ground rules I would make are...
- When I'm famous it will be for...
- The silliest practical joke I ever played
- If I had three wishes they would be...
- If I re-wrote the story of 'The Three Little Pigs', 'Cinderella' etc. it would go like this...
- I am a fashion guru and I have decided the new trend will be...
- What I think of people from the viewpoint of a tree in the school grounds.
- My secret life as a hero.
- My greatest and best invention.
- Weird and wonderful words - what do they mean?
- How to write using invisible ink.
- My secret code...How to invent and use a coded language.
School Speech Topics for Children - Sports & Games
- Explain the game of checkers/drafts/chess.
- My favorite sporting hero is...
- The best summer sport is...
- I enjoy learning gymnastics, martial arts...because...
- Extreme sports are dangerously exciting.
- In winter I love to ski, ice skate...
- Everybody should learn to play a team sport.
- Sport should not be compulsory.
- The best indoor games are...
- The best on-line games are...
- In sport, the rules are there to protect the players.
- What I learnt through learning to play...
- Winning is not so important as participating.
- Strange sports or games.
Speech Topics for Children - Food
- The best meal in the world is...
- The foods I do not like are...
- My favorite food to make is...
- What's in my lunch box compared to what's in my friend's.
- How I learnt to cook.
- Healthy food I really like
- The best sandwich fillings in the world
- The best birthday party food
- My favorite Christmas (celebration) food.
- Mealtimes in our house - a description
- Table manners...Are they important?
- When we eat out, my favorite thing to order is...
- Fashions in food. What foods used to be eaten regularly that has now gone out of fashion?
- What food do you eat most of? Potatoes? Bread? Pasta? How many different ways is it served?
Speech Topics for Children - Seasons & Nature
- Why do we have seasons?
- How and why does a tree change the color of its leaves in the fall?
- How does a tree grow?
- What type of wind has the greatest impact where you live? Monsoon? Mistral? The Cape Doctor?
- Why does the sky appear blue?
- Why do we have day and night time?
- How come the earth goes round and round?
- What are stars?
- How does gravity work?
- Why are there tides?
- Explain how snow is formed.
- How is a diamond made?
- What is global warming?
- Show the patterns formed in frost.
- How does a rainbow work?
- Research strange plants - carnivorous etc.
- What and where are the biggest trees in the world?
- How and why should we conserve nature?
Speech Topics for Children - Animals/Birds/Fish
- Why is a dog often called a "man's best friend"?
- Are there bad dogs or bad dog owners?
- What is horse sense?
- Do animals communicate with each other? If so, how?
- What birds or wild animals do you see regularly in your home area?
- How has the horse been used by man throughout history?
- What animal makes a great pet and why?
- How to look after a pet properly
- Do animals really think or do we only think they do?
- Is hunting animals fair?
- Is eating meat fair?
- What rights should animals have?
- Tell an inspiring true story about an animal.
- Are zoos good places and why?
- Find out about conserving animals/birds/fish in your local area.
- Retell a myth or legend about an animal/fish/bird.
- Research strange or rare animals/birds or fish.
- Interview a pet shop owner to find out what are the most popular pets.
- What do you think about restrictions around fishing?
- Should having a pet cat be banned because they catch birds?
- What is the symbolism associated with some animals/birds or fish? For example, a lion stands for courage or strength.
Speech Topics for Children - Hobbies/Interests
- My doll/car/card etc collection
- How to make a model car, truck, plane ...
- How to sew your own clothes
- How to knit
- How to take a good photograph
- The best board games to play with friends
- The best online games for kids
- How to play an instrument - a flute, a violin, guitar, piano...
- How to make a garden
- How to do a magic trick, or two
- How to fold paper (origami)
- How to put on a play or a concert for friends and family
- How to make finger puppets
- How to scrapbook
- How to learn another language
- How to ride a horse, skateboard, etc
- The best rainy-day activities are...
- How to tell a joke
- The best thing I've ever learnt...
Other resources for children's speech topics and speeches
If you've found nothing here to ignite your imagination do try this page of 50+ elocution topics for kids.
If you're here looking for a topic for your own child, go through both pages with them: this one and the other. Suggest other possibilities and adaptions of the topics as you go. You'll need to find a subject they genuinely care about and it's best if the final decision is made by them!
Writing a speech for children
Were you looking for information to help you write a speech for children rather than speech topics for them to use?
If so, you'll find this page How to write a speech for kids useful.
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