Top Tips For Kids: Overcoming Stage Fright

A room full of audience members. Lights up. Heart pounding. Little hands gripping the sides of a costume. The whisper of “What if I forget my line?” It’s a moment most people know, whether they’re stepping onto the stage or preparing to speak in front of a class.

Stage fright, also known as performance anxiety or fear of public speaking, can affect people of any age, but it often feels especially big for children learning to navigate social situations and growing confidence. It can cause symptoms like dry mouth, increased heart rate, shaky legs or the feeling that your child might freeze in the moment. But stage fright doesn’t have to steal the spotlight.

At Spotlights, we see how theatre classes help kids transform nerves into excitement, using practical tips, fun exercises and the right support to build confidence in live performance. Here’s how to help your child shine on stage and feel calmer in the wings.

Understanding Stage Fright: Why Does It Happen?

Stage fright feels scary, but it’s not an actual threat. It’s the body’s natural response to perceived risk. When your child steps onto a stage or faces public speaking, adrenaline kicks in. This increases heart rate, releases endorphins and can make the body shake or feel nervous. It’s the same process that helps a performer focus and energises them for an ideal performance.

For some kids, this feeling tips into extreme fear, social phobia or anxiety about mistakes. They may worry about the audience watching them, fear forgetting lines or imagine the worst happening. It’s common, but it’s also manageable with the right tools.

Practical Tips To Help Your Child Overcome Stage Fright

1. Breathe Deeply and Calm the Body

Simple, slow breathing can reduce anxiety symptoms and lower heart rate. Encourage your child to breathe deeply, counting to four as they inhale and exhale, and to notice how it calms their body.

Research from Harvard Medical School shows deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, helping to reduce feelings of fear and calm nerves before a performance.

At Spotlights, we use breathing exercises in warm-ups so that they become part of your child’s toolkit, helping them feel prepared, focused and calmer before they perform.

2. Normalise Feeling Nervous

Many performers, from West End stars to local panto heroes, feel nervous before stepping on stage. Explain to your child that nerves are normal, and even a bit helpful, as they prepare to perform.

Let them know it’s OK to feel a bit shaky, to have butterflies, or to worry. It’s a sign they care and want to do well. Reassuring them that these feelings happen to most people can reduce fear of the symptoms themselves.

3. Practice, Practice, Practice

Repetition builds familiarity, and familiarity reduces fear. The more you help your child learn lines for a play, songs or dance steps, the more confident they will feel when the moment comes.

Try practising in front of family members, soft toys or even in front of the mirror. This helps your child get used to eye contact and performing with people watching, making the transition to a live performance less intimidating.

4. Use Visualisation Techniques

Encourage your child to imagine themselves on stage, performing confidently, and enjoying the moment. Visualising success can help replace negative thoughts with positive ones, training the brain to feel excited rather than afraid.

Sports psychologists often use this technique with athletes, and it works beautifully for young performers preparing for a show or musical theatre exam.

5. Turn Anxiety Into Energy

Adrenaline isn’t always a bad thing. It can give your child the energy to project, sing loudly and perform with expression. Help them reframe nerves as excitement.

Try a quick shake-out before going on stage or a short walk to release excess energy. These physical techniques can reduce tension and help your child feel more in control.

6. Focus On The Fun, Not Perfection

Fear of mistakes often fuels stage fright. But even professional performers forget lines, miss cues or crack a note, and the world keeps spinning.

Encourage your child to focus on enjoying the process rather than worrying about the outcome. Performing should be fun, and small mistakes are part of live performance. Often, the audience doesn’t even notice.

7. Build a Healthy Lifestyle Foundation

Good sleep, balanced meals and regular exercise can reduce general anxiety, helping children feel stronger and more resilient during performance situations.

Activities that release endorphins, like dancing, playing outside or swimming, can help lower stress levels and prepare the body to manage nerves more effectively.

Spotlights’ Approach To Tackling Stage Fright

At Spotlights, we see stage fright as a stepping stone to confidence. Through our musical theatre classes in London, children get the chance to perform regularly, practise public speaking and learn to manage nerves in a supportive environment.

We use warm-ups, drama rehearsal techniques, fun games and structured performance opportunities to help children gain confidence on stage. Our teachers know how to help children relax, laugh, and focus before they perform, using calm, practical steps that build skills and self-belief over time.

Helping Your Child In The Moment

Here are a few quick actions to help your child be a better performer and feel calmer when stage fright appears before a performance:

• Breathe deeply together. Count together to slow breathing.
• Do a gentle shake-out to release tension.
• Remind them it’s OK to be nervous and that it will pass.
• Focus on one friendly face in the audience to ground them.
• Use a fun pre-show ritual like a thumbs-up or fist bump to signal they’re ready.
• Avoid last-minute cramming to reduce pressure.
• Encourage positive self-talk such as “I can do this” or “I am prepared”.

These practical tips can make a big difference in how your child feels in the moment and can help transform nerves into excitement.

What If My Child Makes A Mistake?

One of the biggest worries for children with stage fright is making a mistake on stage. Here’s the secret: it happens to every performer at some point, and it’s never as bad as they imagine.

Teach your child to keep going if they forget a line or miss a step. Most audience members won’t even notice, and the performance continues. A small mistake doesn’t define their performance. In fact, it’s a sign they’re learning and growing.

A Bonus Tip: The Power of Play

Children learn through play, and performing is a form of structured play. Theatre games, improvisation and fun warm-ups help children relax, express themselves and explore creativity without pressure.

At Spotlights, we use games that encourage eye contact, clear speech, and movement, all while keeping the environment light-hearted. Play reduces fear and helps children feel safe to take risks, which is essential for overcoming stage fright.

Looking for Fun & Friendly Musical Theatre Classes in London?

Stage fright is part of the process for many young performers. It’s a sign they care and that they’re stepping outside their comfort zone, which is where confidence grows.

With breathing techniques, practice, visualisation and the supportive environment of musical theatre classes like Spotlights, your child can learn to manage nerves, focus on the fun, and shine in the spotlight.

Book your free trial or get in touch for more information!

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