"I competed in them myself when I was younger, I love it."
For 10-year-old Lily Kautz this will be her second time competing.
"I like it because it could be useful later in life," she said.
"Like if you have a speech in front of lots of people or are convincing someone to hire you for a job or you want to learn to remember things better."
Meihana Taputu, 10, has never performed in a competition before.
"You get to meet new friends and learn to use your expressions," he said. "It's fun."
Sofia Keeling, 9, said she liked doing drama because she could act like anyone she wanted to be.
This year will be the 71st Speech and Drama Competition held in Rotorua and committee member Adele Hulme said it was exciting to see people entering from out of town.
"It will be really exciting," she said.
"It's really great for their confidence and general skills in public speaking.
"The younger ones get a chance to just learn so much on a weekend like this by watching the older students perform."
The competitions are being held at the Sir Howard Morrison Performing Arts Centre from 8.30am until late.
The premier event is the "Performer of the Year" - entrants compete for this title over the weekend with the winner announced at 1pm on Monday.
Admission is free for the public.
Although entries are closed for this year, students interested in performing next year are encouraged to check it out.
What: Rotorua Speech and Drama Competition
Where: Sir Howard Morrison Performing Arts Centre
When: 8.30am-Late Saturday and Sunday, 8.30am-1pm Monday
Cost: Free
