Are you one of the 75% of people who are afraid of public speaking? Let’s change that by raising up kids who have been practicing speaking in front of classmates since they were four years old. Training up confident speakers is one of the top reasons my family loves Classical Conversations, and the yearly family CC presentation is just one of the ways this is done.
To my homeschooling family, our Classical Conversations co-op is a room of our favorite friends who feel more like a family. In a CC homeschool group, you get to know the family members, your children’s tutors, and your children’s friends. It’s not just your homeschool kids who will have to give a weekly presentation in front of their classmates. Family presentation is for everyone in the family… including the parents!
If this is your first year in Classical Conversations, the thought of standing in front of more than fifty kids and their parents may be a little overwhelming. However, it really is a great way to get to know the other parents at your Classical Conversations group, and hopefully, you will be able to find a new Mom friend among the crowd.
Let’s limit your stress level. Copy these ideas! Here’s a long list of Classical Conversations presentation ideas to lessen your worries. And, please, have fun and don’t stress it.
What is a Classical Conversations Family Presentation?
A CC family presentation can be as formal or loose as you and your family want to make it. Your family presentation may last five minutes or ten minutes. It may be the highlight of your kids’ year, and they ask you weekly when your family gets to talk. In contrast, this may be the CC week that makes you want to choose to fake an illness.
Know the day for your family talk ahead of time, and plan accordingly. And don’t be afraid to express your concerns to the Foundations director. She’s your new best friend and can answer all your questions! The Classical Conversations foundations director may even let you pick the date, so you can wait until you’re feeling more comfortable.
What is Included in a CC Family Presentation?
The main components of a family presentation are simple. All you have to do is…
- Introduce yourself as Mom (and hopefully Dad if he can come)
- Let the kids introduce themselves by name and age
- Tell something about your family.
- And… Keep it short! Aim for five minutes and call it done.
Remember, this isn’t a big structured presentation that you need to spend an hour memorizing. Bring notes. Draw up a pasteboard. Grab whatever you need to make your life easier.
Ideas for Fun Family Presentation Ideas for CC!
Everyone’s CC family presentation looks different, but it isn’t necessary. Copy someone else’s ideas!
Most likely, the other grown ups in your Classical Conversations group don’t remember what each family talked about, and they definitely couldn’t tell you if you’re stealing someone else’s idea. Even if they realize you did exactly what they did the week before, Classical Conversations parents don’t care! Go ahead and steal these ideas!
Remember, family presentation can be a time to learn from each other, get encouragement from other homeschool families, and above all, get to know the amazing people that are now in your life!
Make Your Family Presentation Funny
Two truths and lie – Have a list of two true things and one lie ready for each family member. Read them out, and the community has to guess which one is the lie for each person. They love the interactiveness of this, and it can get a bit rowdy.
Guess who – Have each kid bring 2-3 items that belong to them. Put them in a big bag, and someone in the family unveils each item one at a time. The audience guesses who it belongs to, the owner of the item agrees or disagrees, and they tells a short story about the item.
Tell a joke – You know those silly jokes your kid wants to tell you over and over? Bring them to a new audience!
Rhyming words – Write a silly poem about each member of the family. The gigglier the better.
Make Your Family Presentation Musical
Family dance off – This is the most creative one I’ve seen in a while. The presenting family shared their favorite song that helps them wake up every morning, and the whole school got up and had a dance party with them. Don’t be afraid to make your presentations fun!
Sing a song together – Have each family member grab an instrument they can play (or bang) and sing a hymn or favorite song you enjoy singing together at home. Make it silly or make it beautiful. Either way wins.
Perform for us – Work together at home to prepare a short skit or play for everyone. Assign parts, bring props, and make it yours.
Make Your Family Presentation Encouraging
Share your faith – Tell a favorite Bible verse, Bible story, devotional, or prayer. This is a great way to practice sharing their faith!
Tell of homeschool victories – All homeschool parents need to know that they aren’t alone in this homeschool journey. Use this time to share a personal or family victory (or struggle).
Speak to younger moms – If you have older kids, use this time to share about your students’ Essentials or Challenge journeys. Let them see the connections with Foundations, and give younger moms a glimpse of what they can look forward to. (This also helps them know which parent has answers to their future questions.)
Make Your Family Presentation Historical
Family history – Share a story of your ancestor or where your family came from. This is especially meaningful if you can tie it into a history or geography topic for the year.
Share your homeschool journey – Mom can tell the family’s homeschool story while the kids tell their favorite part about homeschooling or their favorite subject.
Meaning of the name – Have each person tell the meaning of their name when they introduce themselves or where their name came from. You could even tie it in with the meaning of your last name. Don’t forget to tell about the pets at home too.
Make Your Family Presentation Familial
Recent trips – Homeschool families like to travel – it’s a fact! Inspire other people to take homeschooling on the road with your adventure mom tips or favorite road trips. Bonus if you bring pictures of your favorite destinations.
Bring pictures – If you have pets or special items that you can’t easily bring to CC, bring a picture! Let the kids talk about the picture, answer questions about the picture, and possibly pass the picture around if you can. (If it’s okay with the community, bring our pet. Better than a picture!)
Family traditions – What is that special thing you do together to celebrate that others might enjoy adding or learning about? What do you do at Christmas? What non-traditional holidays do you celebrate?
What we like to do as a family – Keep this simple. “My name is ——. My favorite thing to do is….”
Make Your Family Presentation Personal
My favorite games, sport, books, toy… – Kids listen to suggestions from other kids more than they do from their own parents. (Surely I’m not the only one, right?) Use this presentation time to convince other kids why they should play or read something new. It might even inspire a kid book club or show a mom how to incorporate gameschooling.
Bring a hobby – Have everyone bring a sample of a craft or hobby they like to do. This is another great way to inspire others to learn how to do something new and remind kids that mom will always be the lead learner in your homeschool.
Read some writing – If you are a small family with an Essentials student, use this time to tell why you love the program, and let your child proudly read one of their Essentials writing assignments. Even if they’re not in Essentials, bring something to share!
If you’re new to Classical Conversations or homeschooling or even just new to presentations in front of a group, I hope this ideas help! You and the kids can do more than you think you can.
Questions about Classical Conversations? Check out the CC website and ask me your questions.
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Reclaiming Wonders // Bobbie
With years of planning family road trips, Bobbie is an expert at incorporating amazing activities into her family travel plan which she shares on the blog, on Instagram, and through content creation for destinations and products. As a homeschool mom of four kids in Georgia, she strives to create a learning life full of adventures around the dinner table or throughout the United States. Learn Bobbie’s story to be encouraged to leave the busy life and reclaim the wonders of life.
