There is hardly a more anticipated contest for students of grades from 4 to 6 than the Tropicana public speaking contest. The purpose of it is to advance the public speaking skills of children, boosting their confidence and self-evaluation. Therefore, Tropicana speech ideas are to be smart and thought-provoking. The topics for the contest can be selected individually, yet there are a few to be considered as the most popular and interesting for both the child to prepare and the jury to evaluate. In fact, this contest takes place in the University of Florida as a part of the 4-H program. Tropicana is related to the contest directly as it is the main sponsor of the contest providing children with pleasant rewards for the effort they make to develop the strong skills of public speaking.
The following topics suggested in this article are to be considered for the best experience of participating in the Tropicana contest. Besides, the list of practical tips relives this experience dramatically. Follow our tips and stand out among the other participants!
The List of Tropicana Speech Topics You Can Rely On
The range of topics for Tropicana speeches is vast. A speech topic can be personal, historical, philosophical, scientific or social. It can be related to either general or narrow topics in which different questions are covered. However, the most important condition of choosing the best speech topic is to represent the main concepts and ideas relevant to the knowledge and experience of speakers. So, there is no need to refer to the topics that only senior students have good ground to talk about. For example, will be a 10-years old student discuss the question, “How much money is needed for space exploration today?” or “National boundaries in the face of today’s globalized world”? Probably, it won’t be interesting for children of this age. And it is one of the main conditions of successful public speaking – when a speaker is interested in what he/she is speaking about. So if we are talking about children of 4-6 grades, it is more logical to choose the following categories:
- Family,
- Friends,
- School,
- Leisure time,
- Science,
- Animals,
- Food, etc.
After the main direction of speaking is determined, it is easier to proceed with choosing the Tropicana speech topics. Look what it is possible to speak about for each category:
- Family
- My family background: What do I know about my family?;
- The relationships in my family: Is my family close-knit?;
- The commitments of each member in my family;
- My family leisure: How do we spend free time together?;
- My family’s traditions;
- The ideal family size for me;
- Friends
- A good friend: Who is this person for me?;
- How do I make friends?;
- What does my friend think of me?;
- Funny things I and my friends do;
- Should I have many close friends?;
- School
- My ideal school day: How would I spend it?;
- The school of my dream: What is it?;
- Who is my favorite teacher at school?;
- The most interesting class I would attend every day;
- Leisure Time
- How do I spend my free time and how would I spend it?;
- Do I have enough leisure time?;
- I would/wouldn’t like to participate in … but … ;
- Science
- The world of science: What is it for me?;
- My scientific experiment;
- What do I do in science class usually?
- What part of science would you like to study in the future?
- Animals
- The wonders of the animal kingdom;
- What wild animals have I seen and where?
- If I could talk to animals, I would …;
- What is my favorite pet I have or would like to have?
- Food
- The most delicious food I’ve ever eaten;
- One meal I know how to cook is …;
- The contents of my lunch box;
- The flavors of food cooked by my mom.
Which Topic to Choose for the Tropicana Speaking Contest?
The most rewarding and interesting topic for the Tropicana speech is “My Family”. This topic is widely-used each year, enabling the contestants to reevaluate the impact of their family on their own life and appreciate their family members for the contribution that they have had in the life of a child. There is also an opportunity of specifying the topic, concentrating on a single parent, sibling or describe the weird habits of the family members that make the contestant love them even more. Moreover, this topic is simple for a child to reflect on and come up with the actual speech on his or her own, with no outside help from the grown-ups.
A second topic to consider for the Tropicana speech would be the description of a recent adventure. The topic provides a unique opportunity for a child to relate to the exciting experiences that he or she has had in recent times. The adventure could be real or fictional, enabling the youngster to be creative and implement the wildest dreams in writing the speech. Furthermore, the adventure topic is often regarded as the most interesting one for the contestants, as the speech not only makes them think of the events in the past but also visualizes them again, immersing into the overall atmosphere of fun and joy. This topic is often used for Tropicana speeches, as its benefits for the contestants are tenfold, ranging from the opportunity fantasize about applying the methods of creative writing of the speech.
The final topic for the Tropicana speech to be grasped is “Never Do it Again” theme. This topic is very beneficial for the contestants, as it not only provides the opportunity of creative writing but also serves a teaching purpose. The child is able to reflect on his or her actions in the past, evaluating the impression of his or her actions on the parental reaction or its lack. It can be a description of the activity that the child did not end up liking with the explanation of reasons or experience such a touching, a burning match that taught him or her about the qualities of the surrounding objects.
Besides our speech topic suggestions, there are other creative speech topic ideas you can rely on to stand out among the other contestants.
3 Next Steps to Deal with a Tropicana Speech Topic
Read through this list or made your own list of topics for a Tropicana contest? Well, it’s half the battle, but there are still some crucial steps in presenting it in front of an audience. Each participant willing to win should:
- Get prepared in advance. No good speech is delivered spontaneously, especially when it comes to beginners in public speaking. It is better to stick to the words, “The will to win is not worth much unless you have the will to prepare to win” while taking part in any contest, including Tropicana as well. “How to prepare my speech?” Write a speech beforehand and rehearse it in the mirror several times. It works well when the speech content refers to personal thoughts and feelings of the speaker. Don’t try to impress examiners by inventing powerful stories that aren’t relevant to you.
- Get in the mindset to speak publicly. It is important to realize that nothing terrible will happen during several minutes of speaking – each speaker shares his/her opinions on a particular question. However, not everyone is talkative by nature. It is vital to pull together and speak fluently that is always highly appreciated. There is nothing better than good training that gives a beginner the confidence to enjoy public speaking. So ask friends, parents or teachers to listen to you or discuss this topic together to look natural on stage.
- Do a last-minute preparation. A key aspect of proper preparation for public speaking is avoiding all possible last-minute problems such as the way a speaker looks, his/her position, gestures, visual aids and other details that influence the overall impression of listeners. Ideally, all that should be taken into consideration well in advance of speaking. But take care of all the little details immediately before moving to a place of speaking. Don’t spend this last minute on anxiety, shaking and saying, “I’m afraid”.
Indeed, public speaking isn’t such a stressful activity as it may seem – just start to develop speaking skills in different contests as early as possible. Know why? Millions of dollars are spent every year on various public speaking workshops, coaches, books, and other materials to develop such a vital skill as speaking publicly. Look at 7 ways on how public speaking can help you advance in your chosen professional career. Tropicana is one of these contests during which you can experience it. The earlier students start speaking publicly, the more confident they will look in front of the public. So what do you have in your to-do list now? If you have a point “Write my speech”, you always have the choice to write it on your own or with the help of our speech writers who are experienced in different speaking contests. They know what to write. And you?