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150 just a minute topics, plus sample speech outlines and speeches
By:Susan Dugdale
One minute speeches. That's sixty seconds to inform, to persuade, or to entertain using between 130 to 150 or so words.
How succinct can you be? Can you get the point quickly and effectively?
Giving impromptu*1 minute speeches teaches us about talking smarter, not faster!
*Impromptu - without preparation time or rehearsal
I'd like to call on Joe to say a few words
Our lives present many occasions calling for someone, perhaps us, to say 'a few words'. Whether in our work place, family, social or community setting, the ability to do that confidently and competently is highly valued.
Practicing preparing and delivering one minute speeches is an ideal way to gain the skills needed.
What's on this page
150 one minute speech topics
You'll find 150 impromptu 1-minute speech topics, split into 3 groups:
- 50 one minute speech topics for children from middle school age and up
- 50 business/work/career themed 1 minute speech topics more suitable for adults
- 50 fun/nonsensical/absurd just a minute speech topics for adults
But wait, there's more! You will also find ...
Sample just a minute speech outlines & speeches with audio
In addition to the 1-minute speech topics there arethree example speech outlines that have been worked into speeches: one from each group of 50 topics.
I've included them because a1-minutespeech is just like any other. To be effective it needs structure.
The danger of opting to go 'free form' is that you're quite likely to serve up a meandering splurge of information leaving the people listening to it wondering what the exact point was you wanted to make.
One of the most effective structural formats or templates to commit to memory and use for impromptu, short speeches is Point, Reason, Example, Point or PREP*.
I've used it in my three sample outlines and speeches.The pattern, PREP, repeats three times in each of them.
You'll find text and audio of each 1-minute speech below each topic group.
(*Find out more about 6 other useful impromptu speaking templates.)
At the bottom of the page there's a compelling explanation as to why learning to give good impromptu one-minute speeches is a brilliant action to take.
Download a printable speech outline template
And very lastly, after information about the fabulous impromptu One Minute Speech game, there's a blank printable Point-Reason-Example-Point (PREP) one minute speech outline template to download for your own use. ☺
50 one minute speech topics for kids
- We should beable to choose our own bed times.
- Animals haverights too.
- We should neverbe beaten as a punishment.
- My favoritefoods
- What is thebest time of day for you?
- What do youthink you will you do when you grow up?
- My favoriteanimal
- The best timeI’ve ever had
- My mostfavorite subject at school
- The funniestthing that has happened to me
- The mostexciting event in my life
- The person Iwould most like to meet
- Something Iwant to learn
- The best thingabout my neighborhood
- What we do forfun in my family
- My favoritefilm
- The music Ilike to listen to
- What I thinkabout social media
- My favoritesport
- The silliestthing I ever saw
- My three wishesare
- If you had thepower what would you change?
- The most boringthing in the world
- Countries Iwould like to visit
- My favoritemeal when I go out to eat
- A family tradition
- The best prank ever
- Why apologizing when you’re wrong is a good thing to do
- Words we use that we have to explain to adults
- Fun games to play with friends
- My favorite item of clothing
- What means the most to me
- What adults do not understand
- The best season of the year
- The dumbest thing I did when I was very little
- The top three things I like most about my best friends
- The best character in a book I’ve read or a movie I’ve seen
- What is the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen?
- Three things I think the US President should do
- The happiest time I’ve ever had
- The hardest thing I’ve ever done
- My favorite place to be in the whole world
- The scariest thing that has ever happened to me
- Why friends are important to me
- Why peer pressure can be damaging.
- Why being different is OK
- Why bullying is never OK
- Who is a hero to you, and why?
- What is your favorite holiday, and why?
- The worst tasting food I’ve ever been given to eat.
Something I want to learn (Topic 13 on the list for kids)
Here's PREP - Point, Reason, Example - in action.
The opening sentence, incorporates the topic, states the first Main Idea*or Point and serves as an introduction.
Yep, it's working hard! You don't have a lot of time, so you need to get straight to the point from the very beginning.
(The speech text without the PREP outline headings is below.)
*Main Idea and Point are interchangeable terms.
1.Main Idea or Point
Something I want to learnis to read people's minds.
- Reason
Ithink it would give me power overmy family.
- Example
Forexample I’dknow what my mother was planning for my birthday. If I didn't likeit, I could begin a campaign to steer her in the direction ofsomething Iwanted.
2. Main Idea or Point
Iwouldalso know if people were telling the whole truth, partial truths ortotal lies.
- Reason
That'shandy for sorting out squabbles with brothers and sisters.
- Example
Jimmy dideat the last bit of cake. And despite what she says, Janelle borrowedmy top and splodgedtomatoketchup on it.
3. Main Idea or Point
Lastly my father would know I was on to his excuses for habituallycominghome late.
- Reason - Example
(I've missed both out to fit the content into the time limit, I don't feel it lessens the speech as the first two Main Ideas or Points were fully covered. Besides, the reason is implied. My knowing would/could curb my father's behavior.)
Close - Summary
TodayI begin training. I've enrolled in internet guru Madame Gloria's 10lesson mind reading course. My family will be amazed.You could try it too!
Total words: 145
1 minute speech 'Something I want to learn' text
SomethingI want to learnis to read people's minds.
Ithinkthis would give me power overmy family.
Forexample I’dknow what my mother was planning for my birthday. If I didn't likeit, I could begin a campaign to steer her in the direction ofsomething Iwanted.
Iwouldalso know if people were telling the whole truth, partial truths ortotal lies. That'shandy for sorting out squabbles with brothers and sisters.
Jimmy dideat the last bit of cake. And despite what she says, Janelle didborrow my top and splodge tomatoketchup on it.
Andlastly my father would know I was on to his excuses for habituallycominghome late.
TodayI begin training. I've enrolled in internet guru Madame Gloria's 10lesson mind reading course. My family will be amazed.You could try it too!
1 minute speech 'Something I want to learn' audio
You've read it. Now you can listen to it. Click the link to hear me, Susan. (You're hearing a New Zealand accent. ☺)
Something I want to learn - 1 minute speech example
50 work/career themed 1 minute speech topics
- Thedifference between features and benefits of a product.
- The value ofrecognizable branding.
- The wisdom ofthe maxim to follow your dream
- The advantageof a college education
- The traps ofadvertising
- The differencebetween fact and opinion
- Difference inpay scales due to gender
- The glassceiling
- The differencebetween having a job and a career
- Is the term‘ethical business’ an oxymoron?
- What 3 skillsdo you think are most valuable to an employer?
- Why is workingsmarter, better than working harder?
- Plain Englishis preferable to jargon.
- Who do youadmire most, and why?
- What qualitiesdo you want to see in a leader?
- What skill doyou think will help you get to where you want to go faster than anyother?
- Is it thepeople you know, or the abilities you have that gives you theopportunities you want in life?
- Where doespoverty begin?
- Should alleducation at all levels be free?
- What changeswould you make to the current levels of state or governmental care?
- What one socialchange do you think would alter the way we live for the better?
- What oneimportant idea has changed the way you think and act in your life?
- If you could bethe best version of yourself you could be, what area would you beworking in now?
- What does thephrase ‘living for the weekend’ mean to you?
- What specialqualities does a person need to have in order to be successfullyself-employed?
- What subjectareas should schools teach more of?
- How couldpracticing impromptu speaking improve your critical thinking skills?
- What qualitiesdo you notice particularly in good communicators?
- What advicewould you give a young person about choosing a career?
- How does whatyou do now for a living, vary from the way your parents worked?
- What qualitiesdo you admire most in the people who work alongside you – yourco-workers?
- What habits doyou find the most difficult to deal with in a shared work space?
- Is a 4 day weekor ‘working to live’ an unrealistic dream?
- What is yourfavorite day of the week, and why?
- What does itmean to listen well?
- What book hashad the most influence on your life?
- Three ways tostand up for yourself
- How to disagreewith someone respectfully
- Is it ever OKto lie?
- What is themost important lesson you’ve learned so far?
- If you couldhave dinner with whoever you chose, who would you choose?
- What thing didyou ever have to do that turned out to be extremely good for you?
- What my workclothes say about me
- Is it OK tohave private conversations or to handle personal matters while atwork?
- Three skills myemployers do not know I have
- How do you knowwhen you’ve been in a job too long?
- The notion ofjob security is no longer safe to hang on to. What should we bedoing instead?
- What advicewould you give someone who is appears to be in the job purely forthe money?
- How does toneof voice influence how you respond to someone?
- What makes youthink a person is trustworthy?
What my work clothes say about me
-Topic 43 from the work/career list - PREP format
The opening sentence, incorporates the topic, states the first Main Idea or Point and serves as an introduction.
(You can see the speech text, minus the PREP outline headings below.)
1.Main Idea or Point
Clothes make the man.
- Reason
Yes, we judge each other on what we wear. And have done forever.
- Example
For better, or for worse, in the western working world, nothing says dependable and professional as eloquently as atailored grey business suit, a crisp white shirt and a pair of good shoes.
2. Main Idea or Point
If we're sensible we understand clothing speaks louder than words ever can.
- Reason
And that our choices can undermine whatever we're involved in.
- Example
For example, a funeral director wearing a silver micro mini skirt teamed with skimpy red t-shirt meeting a client for the first time could set alarm bells clanging loudly.
3. Main Idea or Point
I'm immensely grateful to have been spared the minefield of choice by a business dress code.
- Reason
Both the risk and anxiety of getting it wrong is enormous.
- Example & close
So what my carefully selected work clothes say about me is that I'm conscientious, detail focused, ambitious and, per courtesy of my classic Cartier watch, that I understand quality.
Total words: 151
Just a minute speech: 'What my work clothes say about me'
Clothes make the man.Yes, we judge each other on what we wear. And have done forever.
For better, or for worse, in the western working world, nothing says dependable and professional as eloquently as atailored grey business suit, a crisp white shirt and a pair of good shoes.
If we're sensible we understand clothing speaks louder than words ever can.And that our choices can aid or undermine whatever we're involved in.
For example a female funeral director sporting a silver micro mini skirt teamed with a skimpy red t-shirt meeting a client for the first time could set alarm bells clanging.
I'm immensely grateful to have been spared the minefield of choice by a business dress code.The risk, and anxiety, of getting it wrong is enormous.
So what my carefully selected work clothes say about me is that I'm conscientious, detail focused, ambitious and, per courtesy of my classic Cartier watch, that I understand quality.
1 minute speech - 'What my work clothes say about me' - audio
Click the link to listen: What my work clothes say about me
50 1-minute speech topics for fun, for a giggle, a laugh!
- The time thejoke fell flat
- What’s funnydepends on the individual
- The biggestlaugh I’ve ever had
- The mostsuccessful prank I was part of
- Why peoplelaugh
- My mostembarrassing moment
- Two sure-fireways to get rid of your boss
- How to talkyour way out of having to do the dishes
- How to appearvery intelligent
- The deepestsecrets of your pet cat
- Why your dog isyour best friend
- If I ruled theworld
- Three words Iwould ban if I could
- Why I shouldhave an instant pay rise
- The significance of World Paper Clip Day
- Lessonslearned the hard way
- How to makeyour favorite meal last longer
- How tosuccessfully annoy your brother, sister, mother, father
- The top threereasons for not handing in homework
- Why beingpredictable is boring
- Three ways tofail successfully
- How to blameother people and get away with it
- How to mindread
- The best sellerI am writing
- The top ways toget people to like you
- How to lieextremely well
- The worst chatup line ever
- Three creative things todo with a brick
- How to tell ifsomeone loves you
- What to do whenyou forget the birthday of someone close to you
- The worstChristmas present I ever received
- The mostextraordinary thing that ever happened to me
- How to getother people to pay for you at a bar or restaurant
- Strategies foravoiding people you don’t want to talk to
- Idiot things Ihave done unintentionally
- Instructionsfor riding a bicycle
- How to teachyour great grandmother to use a mobile
- How to avoidbeing picked out of a group to present a report
- Designercamouflage for under cover parents at student parties
- Three excellentreasons to give when you want to call in sick
- How to getother people to willingly do your work for you
- Why gossip isalways so interesting to hear
- Why readinganother person’s emails is OK
- How I explainedFather Christmas to my children
- Why myson/daughter thinks I am super man/woman
- Why being me isso much better than being anyone else
- Why dogsresemble their owners
- How tointerpret the shape of your hand and fingers
- The art ofblaming your horoscope for whatever goes wrong in your life
- How to talkconvincingly on subjects you know very little about
The significance of World Paper Clip Day
-Topic 15 from the for fun list - PREP format
The opening sentence, incorporates the topic, states the first Main Idea or Point and serves as an introduction.
(The full text, minus the PREP outline headings, is below.)
1.Main Idea or Point
Naturally, the significance of World Paper Clip Day is of interest to all intelligent people.
- Reason
Weunderstand the importance of keeping it together, ofclipping ideas.It makes for an orderly existence.
- Example
Thinkof the horror of muddled thoughts. Strewn willy-nilly, with nothingto hold them. Pitiable, isn't it?
2. Main Idea or Point
Weneed clips. Just as we need the paper they hold.
- Reason
Bothare crucial in this digital age - where ideas can vaporize with a keystroke, or a system malfunction. Entire files, weeks worth of work,can be lost, never to be restored, in a second.
- Example
Clippedpapers are reassuringly tangible. They can be seen, touched and ifyou're into it, smelled.
3. Main Idea or Point
Lastlywe need to cherish the clip for its universality.
- Reason
Whereverit is in the world, what it stands for is understood.Thepaper clip unites - not just ideas, but people.
- Example & close
Lookaround! Vivela clip!
Total words: 149
1 minute speech -The significance of World Paper Clip Day
Naturally, the significance of World Paper Clip Day is of interest to all intelligent people.
We understand the importance of keeping it together, of clipping ideas. It makes for an orderly existence.
Think of the horror of muddled thoughts. Strewn willy-nilly, with nothing to hold them. Pitiable, isn't it?
We need clips. Just as we need the paper they hold.Both are crucial in this digital age - where ideas can vaporize with a key stroke, or a system malfunction. Entire files, weeks worth of work, can be lost, never to be restored, in a second.
Clipped papers are reassuringly tangible. They can be seen, touched and if you're into it, smelled.
Lastly we need to cherish the clip for its universality.
Wherever it is in the world, what it stands for is understood.The paper clip unites - not just ideas, but people.
Look around! Vive la clip!
1 minute speech - 'The significance of world paper clip day' - audio
Now listen to the audio: 'The significance of world paper clip day'.
Why learning to give 1 minute speeches is brilliant
The brilliance of becoming comfortable and competent with making impromptu 1 minute speeches is that you'll learn to:
- distill your material - reduce it to its core essentials - selecting only what is necessary and best to meet your speech purpose and the needs of your audience.
- structure your information efficiently and effectively thus mastering two important facets of good speech making: speaking to time rather than going over and, providing an easily followed sequence of ideas. Your audiences will love you for both!
Consequences, side effects and benefits
You will be a hero! I do not jest. (OK, maybe just a smidgen. ☺) However the person who can calmly, confidently, competently stand and talk in public settings is always admired, and in demand. Speak well, saying what needs to be said, and you're fulfilling a vital social service, along with super-charging your self esteem!
The next time a toast, a summary to close a meeting, or a 'few words' to welcome a visitor are called for, perhaps it will be you leaping to your feet.
(For more onthe benefits of public speaking)
The one minute speech game
Do you teach public speaking, or lead a speaking group?
There is a superb impromptu speaking game, called surprisingly enough, One Minute Speeches, that I devised years ago for a bunch of 14–15-year-old students. It's been a firm favorite wherever I've taught it ever since.
Click One Minute Speeches to go to a page of 10 public speaking games. One-minute speeches is first on the page. You'll find all the instructions to play the game, plus two advanced variations. I promise you it's contagious good fun!
And if you like it, you can buy it. Everything you need to teach it is available as a download. That's instructions for all three games, hundreds of printable topics ... Follow the link to see: one minute speeches.☺
Download the printable speech outline template
Get started on your 1 minute speech right now. Click the link to download a printable speech outline template.
Related pages
- How to banish impromptu speaking blues
- 150 impromptu public speaking topics
- 11 themed topic lists for impromptu speaking
- Impromptu speaking topic cards to purchase, download and print- a useful evergreen resource.
- Example impromptu speech outlines of 7 different structural formats each with a blank printable outline for your own use.