Show and Tell and Hutcheson Hot Seat

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I taught first grade for almost 20 years and loved every minute of it. At the end of each school year when I asked my students their favorite activity from the year it would always be Show and Tell, partnered with the Kid Complimentary activity.

We all know what the traditional Show and Tell looks like at school so you can make your house into a home by every week incorporating this fun activity with a twist. Not only do the kids get to bring in their favorite toy, or stuffed animal and talk about why it’s important to them and take questions, but the parents also get to do the same.

It’s fun for the kids to learn about their parents, their parent’s past, and to remind the kids that you are someone outside of their parent. Most kids think their parents were born as their parent so it’s neat for the kids to look into their parent’s past as well as their present to see what is important to them.

Some fun things my husband and I have brought in for Show and Tell are trophies from our days as an athlete, a special wedding gift, a souvenir from a trip before they were born, or some fun items from our childhood, like a yearbook. One day I showed up for Show and Tell in my wedding gown and everyone was howling with laughter. The kids have a zillion questions and are fascinated that we are someone outside of their parents. It’s also healthy for the kids to realize there is more to us than just their parent but also someone with hobbies, passions, and memories that are inside us forever.

You can run it however you want, but the way we run it starts with someone sitting in the Hutcheson Hot Seat with their Show and Tell, ‘telling’ a little bit about their item.
Each person in the family then raises their hand with one question about the item. Kids love being in the hot seat and fielding questions like they see their teacher doing at school. We play it up and sometimes call the person in the hot seat as Mrs. or Mr. and their last name to make it funny and official

My favorite part of Hutcheson Hot Seat, or whatever you want to call it, is at the end of the Show and Tell for each person, the child or adult tells the group one thing they love about themselves. Everyone then raises their hand to say one thing they love about the person in the hot seat or a special memory from the week like “You are a thoughtful person and I thought it was so thoughtful when you helped me bring in the garbage cans when I didn’t even ask you last week.

If you’re looking for a fun and easy way to connect and build tradition and memories with your sweet family, try your version of the “Hutcheson Hot Seat.” When I taught first grade in the classroom it was a fan favorite and it’s still a fan favorite in our house today. The kids beg for it and it’s fun for us too! We hold Show and Tell each Sunday making it easy to keep up with and wrap it by reciting the “Our Father” as a family. It’s a great way to start the week together as a family!

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Kelly Hutcheson
Kelly Hutcheson, a child counselor with a Masters in Child Counseling, a Certified Life Coach from The Life Coach School with Brooke Castillo, a behavior specialist, a teacher and a parent of 2 is addicted to positivity and living her best life each and everyday without coasting!   She has overcome people pleasing, perfectionism, and caring what others think to live her most authentic life and she loves teaching others how to do the same.   Her passion has always been for kids her emphasis in life is in helping parents connect more with their children, getting them to listen without yelling and restoring the harmony in your home forever.   Kelly is a bundle of positive energy who radiates this through her message of having fun again with your children, enjoying them on a whole new level. Kelly loves teaching and will help you see your children in their miraculous light, as they were hand chosen for you to raise!