Any suggestions or ideas for young teens 11-13? wHAT TRICKS HAVE YOU FOUND WORKS BEST? What's the best humor to use?

At best a little bit of close-up, they love close-up, but they often don't see you as entertainment, but a challenge and will spend the whole time trying to tell you what your doing. Personally I avoid them like the
plauge

Do adult show material. Like card-o-graphic/martin lewis, Lemon game is great. A trick called teh Yes game using 4 quarters. Fantasy magician always gets them laughing,. An last DO a magic workshop where you teach them magic.

Ken

Suggestions? Avoid them. Best Trick? High Pressure Water Hose. Best Humour? Menacing! (My 11 year old son finds this amusing as he sees me post this!!)

:fruity:

Do adult material...Osterlind's Challenge Water Production, Anderson's Newspaper tear, stuff with money, etc. Solid magic to get their respect, and of course add age-appropriate humor.

Is it only me that notices that our cousins from across the pond will always advise on tricks to do for 11-13 year olds, while us over hear in the UK scream don't do it. Says a lot for the differences in our societies. and our kids attitudes doesn't it.

Over here If you catch them in ones and two's you can get away with some close-up as they'll watch it and enjoy it, but anymore than that and ours turn into a pack of wolves and they then see it as a one-upmanship challenge you against them, and them against their mates as to who can muck you about the most.

HI Emazdad,
I have, will and do work for 11-13 year olds. particulary if there all that age. though it is not a popular age that people book magicains for so I do not do that many.
Phillip

Hi Phillip, around here the kids of that age see it as a threat to their street cred, a bit babyish to have a magician, all they want is a Disco. If they're at a younger childs party they'll sit at the back and enjoy the show, and also if there is only a couple of them you can do a bit of close-up, before or after the show, but once with their peers their attitude changes, I turn away bookers that ask for shows for that age group.

I do magic for this age group fairly often. The secret is to treat them like adults and do VERY STRONG effects. Take no prisoners. Have fun with them and don't treat them like children. They will always come around and think of you as "cool". Of course, I have had a bad apple in an audience every once in awhile, but it's amazing to see the rest of the kids turn on them...ah..peer pressure...

Steven

Hi Phillip, around here the kids of that age see it as a threat to their street cred, a bit babyish to have a magician, all they want is a Disco. If they're at a younger childs party they'll sit at the back and enjoy the show, and also if there is only a couple of them you can do a bit of close-up, before or after the show, but once with their peers their attitude changes,

Hi Emazdad,
There like that here too, but that's the fun.
you just got to kill em /get there respect in the first couple of effects then they change and you become cool in there eyes.
Actually 11 - 13 age love Juggling , devil stick, diablo ext and are keen to have a go.

when I was regularly working for Italian students in Swansea uni I used to do a 45 mins magic spot and 45 mins circus skills workshop that's 1.5 hrs total. for age range 10 - 16. if you go to my website you will find a copy of the letter from the booking company with there opinions. Oh yes they could not speak english either!

Phillip

Lot of good advice in this thread. I agree with Ken, teach some magic also. I just did a show Sat for about twenty 14 yr olds. The highlight of the evening was teaching the two card tricks. They loved it!

Tim

I'm normally booked to games and magic, I wouldn't call the above magic, that's more like a circus workshop. Like Emazdad and Tony, I would just say no to this age range. They just like to try and show off in front of their firends, trying to catch you out and not interested in enjoying the show like the younger age range. Although, I think it often depends where the children live. I've come accross 'country bumkins' who seem to be a lot less street cred and would sit no problem, but your average streetwise kid would rarly sit and enjoy it.

All the best, Billy

To be honest I don't think anyone down here would actually book a magicain for that age group. The kid would consider it decidely uncool.


I'm doing a party for 12 14-16 year olds next week, but they are special needs and have a mantal age of 8-9.

I wouldn't call the above magic, that's more like a circus workshop.


Hi Billy ,
If you read the rest of my post you will see
that I actualy stated that I did a magic show and circus workshop. I do not advirtise circus workshops as my friends Luke and Lucy (Jugglestruck) make their living from juggling and a little magic. But if a company rings like the European Study tours co did and they want a long session I will offer it. Believe it or not years ago when I was only semi Pro I was a manager of a hands on science centre and the first winter was dead nothing to do from 10am to 4pm so I used the time to learn juggling, devil stick<, Diablo, plate spinning, Contact juggling. I find that I learn better if I learn several things at once rather (not litraly) than learning them in turns.


"To be honest I don't think anyone down here would actually book a magicain for that age group. The kid would consider it decidely uncool."

yes it's the same here I do not do many for those age ranges, but I am happy enough to do them when they occur.

Phillip

I think that you'd best stay with examinable stuff...color monte really gets my friends (im 14, I do magic at my school)-everything you guys say is very true...you can do a trick and the second after you finish its not "wow" or "amazing" its "I think I know how you did that" (Even of they don't know)-I stick with color monte, deluxe pen thru dollar...i got it at penguin magic and tis a killer-I also do a very simple one with a match...i make it vanish...(in case you want to know how, I wet a part of my thumb...the part if you bend it, its just above your fingernail, and stick the match there...it looks like your holding itt...pretend to throw it at them by opening your hand and showing all 5 fingers, the match will travel back with your thumb...take it from a 14 year old, it looks awesome and its simple and a 11-13 year old wont figure it out!)--Trust me all you pros, (once again) take it from a 14 year old, stick with the examinable stuff...that will really mystefy them! Josh

Oh yea I have a follow up-at my job today, I did the pen thru dollar to a 15 year old but with a quarter and the kid replys with "im not impressed, I know its a fake coin and a fake pen"-I say.."well show me"...I give him the coin and the pen and he just laughs and walks away! I loved it, I got him believing in magic! Josh

Sorry Phillip, I did read your post but didn't notice the abouve. Regards, Billy

As Emazdad mentioned, it's interesting to note the differences between the U.S. and England re what will play and what won't for this age group.

Can someone across the pond please explain to me what you mean by "disco"? When I hear that, I imagine it to mean what we in the U.S. would call a "disc jockey" or d.j.,...in other words, a person who is playing music. When I lived in Cambridge that's what a disco seemed to mean, anyway.

Disco was a music genre in the 70'S (?) High energy music.

Go rent the movie 'Saturday Night Fever' and you will see what disco was.

You're right, it's a DJ who brings along a music deck, lights etc and plays music for the kids to dance to. it's very popular among the kids 10 yrs old and upwards. Some people hire a disco for younger kids parties, but unless they get a good one who will lead the kids through the moves for the party dances you end up with a load of kids running wild around the room. Especially the boys who see dancing as cissy.

RayBanks,

Thanks...I grew up to the BeeGees, so I've got that definition down pat

Emazdad,

That's interesting. You say it's very popular over there. To those among us from the U.S., do you know of any American magi's doing this? Ken? Do you D.J. at youth parties?

I'm curious because for some reason I've never heard of this being done over here for a kid's party. I wonder if, unless the party was pretty big, it wouldn't go over very well...sometimes it's hard enough getting the crowd of 10 to clap and laugh loudly, much less dance...maybe I'm just blind and haven't seen it being advertised.