Demonstration Speech Topics -
Getting that perfect show-and-tell topic

You need to find a demonstration speech topics but nothing seems quite like you would like it. This page will help you come up with a topic for your demonstration speech that is suitable for you.

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The idea of a demonstration speech is to demonstrate some physical task or activity. Couple that with the concept of authority or credibility for a given subject and you've got your winner.

Brainstorming demonstration speech topics

Centrally to finding a good demonstration speech topic is your ability to show and not just tell your audience about it. It might also be called a show-and-tell speech. Start your brainstorming by expanding on the questions asked below.

What activities do you like?
What are you good at?
Do you know some secret way to do something (for example a secret recipe)?
What new things have you learned to do recently?
Did you witness some historical event or an emergency? What did the people involved do? Demonstrate it.
What arts / crafts / hobbies to you do? How do you do it?
What are the tools you need to do it and how do those tools work?
How did you / they make that?
Did you ever do one of those 'do not try this at home' activities? tell us about it and why it succeed / failed.
Do you have an exotic pet? How do you have to take care of it? What government forms do you need (if any)?
Do you participate in a non-mainstream sport? How is it played and what equipment do you use?

If you need more ideas, visit the how-to sites below (it will open in new windows):

Preparing the demonstration speech

Make sure you have all the ingredients and / or tools to make your demonstration speech topic work. If there are elements that will take too long, e.g. 'bake for 50 minutes in a preheated oven' have a piece that has already gone through that process. This might mean that you actually have 2 or 3 of the perfect 'how-to-bake-the-perfect-chocolate-chip-cookie' chocolate chip cookies.

If you are explaining a more abstract concept and need to show diagrams of how it works, you will need a flip chart. Ensure that the chart is suitable and arrange chronologically how you want to present it. Even in such an instance where you are demonstrating abstract concepts, have some props or representative objects at hand to assist the speech. Explaining how the money system works, you might for example have a lot of notes handy, model buildings representing banks, a mini safety vault representing the Federal Reserve, a Ken and Barbie doll to represent consumers.

Practice the speech at home with all the props to make sure you are doing and telling everything that you want to bring across to your audience. It helps if you have someone to assist you or someone that can ask questions which you can then include and make part of your demonstration.

Doing the demonstration speech

Arrive early and set-up well before you are due to do the speech. Get a separate dedicated table if at all possible. Arrange the objects or props chronologically (meaning in the order that you want to speak about it) on the table. Doing it this way helps smooth the demonstration as you can simply move from one side of the table and demonstrate how each object is involved in the process. If you have chosen a demonstration speech topic that isn't suitable in this format, adapt the process to something that works for you.

Remember that demonstration speeches are fun and informative so choose your topic with this in mind, prepare well, remember all your props, and go out and have fun.