Hello, It's me again,
I had a question that has been on my mind lately so I'm going to use you guys as my shrink. Anyway, if you had to do a kids party and you of course need to bring tricks, which tricks would you not leave without at a kids show? I really think I need to know this since I'm doing kids shows now.

Thank you Kindly,
Lance

Definitely coloring book as long as you have a good entertaining routine

-Dave

I think an egg bag routine or something of that sort would be good for kids. Also any good rope tricks and maybe a multiplying rabbit sponge ball routine. Basically anything but cards. It's best if it is visual AND involves the kids. Make sure every trick you do involves the kids. That way they will stay interested as they see their friends involved. I also read an article in Magic that said this is also a great way to keep the parents from talking during your show. When their child is "on stage" with you they will stop talking and tell the other parents to do so also.
good luck!
Matt Thomas

I think we should give kids more credit than we do. (I'm talking about over 6 years old or so). For under 6, stop reading NOW!!!

I don't do kids shows but I do perform for my daughters friends (4th, 5th, 6th grades)
when they ask and I've done some freebie stuff for the cub scouts which is even younger like (2nd, 3rd grades or so) and I've found that they very much like good magic. It does not have to be stupid, full-of-gags, the-dumb-magician stuff at all.

For selfish reasons, I usually do the effects that I'm working on or whatever I feel I want to do, especially when I do it for free.

If you like the magic, they will like the magic. If you're excited about what you're doing, so will they!

Example:
I've performed Cylinder and Coins for kids and it is undoubtedly their favorite trick that I do and it is hardly a kids trick.

Usually parents lead the applause, I notice, but Cylinder and Coins has provided me more unpropmted applause from kids than anything else I do.

At that point, you're performing for the whole crowd, not just the youngest.

Lots of stuff would work for the whole crowd. That's what I would look for...

Sponge Balls
Ring and Rope
Ring and String
Chop Cup maybe?
Egg Bag

then the closer....
Poker Demo followed by Rollover Aces (kidding!)

That made me think that perhaps I don't need to have toilet paper sticking to my shoe, the big red nose and to remember to forget my own name at least 3 times during the show.
Nothing wrong with that either, it's just not my style. Well, maybe the forgetting my name I do but none of that other stuff.

Now I'm not a kids entertainer in general so feel free to bash away. It's just my opinion based on the little I've done stuff for kids. I can take the criticism

thanks,
fred

no, I mean Frank

Oh, I forgot one other thing..
I always do Michael Close's
"The Big Surprise"

this is great for keeping the 'little
darlings' focused and I always let them know
that they get to see the big surprise if they all behave. I don't use the word
"behave" necessarily but the kids sort of keep each other in line during the whole show so they get to see "The Big Surprise".

Thank you so so much for all your replies, I appreciate this a lot. If you couldn't tell by my pic, I am 13 and the youngest soon to be comercial magician in my state, from what I know anyway. I am still looking forward to any other replies that may find their way to this thread anytime soon so feel free to give more advice.

Again thank you.
Lance R. Wilson

Hippity Hop Rabbits!
Ya gotta love 'em. I still can't figure that one out!

Hmmmmm, as this was in the "pick a card.. any card" section I assumed the question was regarding suitable CARD TRICKS for children.

I'm not sure what you mean Lance by
"youngest commercial magician in the State."

Good card tricks for children are Cards Across, Cards Up Sleeve, Six Card Repeat, Homing Card, etc... Classic effects which are easily understood.

Paul.

I have been doing a Signed Ripped and restored act for the kids recently...
We draw funny pics on the selected card,
and I rip it to shreds. Then fail 3 times to restore the card in the spectators hand...
Then I simply move on to a balloon trick and
act embarrased for messing up..

I then reproduce the signed card inside of a balloon and give it to the child!..
its been a big hit so far!
Good luck Lance!
I wish I had been fortunate enough to stumble on to this beautiful art at such a young age!
Congrats
Tom

What I mean by the youngest comercial magician in the state was the youngest comercial magician in my state. I live in the US. And I think I am the youngest magician in Utah. And when I posted this it was the first day I stumbled into the Café so I grabbed the first forum I could. I reposted this in the correct forum. So it is in New to magic. Help! So if a moderator could please move this to the proper room it would be appreciated.

Thank you for your replies.
Lance R. Wilson

Absolutely and without question, the Miser's Dream.
I've said this before but: Kids don't seem to think you are a "real" magician until you pull a coin from behind their ears.
Also, the Magic Coloring Book -- but, as Magic Dave says in his post -- the routine must be good enough to justify it.
The Die Box (only, PUHLEEZE, don't use a die; fix it up so that it looks like a Rubik's Cube or anything other than a magic-prop die!)
Professor's Nightmare, done as my own routine of Jack and the Beans Talk, which appeared in the Linking Ring magazine a couple of years back and is now being marketed by Abracadabra Magic (Graham Etherington in Australia).
Anything (almost) that uses volunteers.
cheers,
Peter Marucci
showtimecol@aol.com

One thing I add to most of my shows is preshow music. I noticed this really helps set the mood.

Something I am putting back into the Nearly Normal Show is a short juggling bit with apple, onion and ball. I really get a good oooh as I crunch into the onion.

I of course also feature vent with fractured songs. I use Karoke Tapes and alter the words
of simple songs. (I've been working on the railroad or Do you know the muffin man - becomes do you know the librarian, the librarian.... --at Library Programs)

I agree with the above suggestions especially the one that said you can do "non traditional" kid magic for youngsters.

An example is, I use red hot mama, with a sticker of the party theme on the stranger card. You could even have the birthdate written, or on label on the stranger card. Great hand out.

Harris

You asked for the tricks we would not leave out for a kids show. Fair enough, here's my list, but they're only there because I have good tested routines for them. It's the routines I'm confident in, more than the tricks themselves.

Sponge Balls (one assistant)
Egg Bag (two assistants, plus the whole audience doing the chicken dance!)
Yes Game (boomerangs - one assistant)
Professors Nightmare
Linking Rings

and sometimes Invisible Coin (a one coin routine), a Ring and Rope routine and a Colour Changing Silks routine. (I always carry them to a kids show, as they are very compact and take virtually no set-up - they can be slipped in at a moments notice if something else isn't working).

And curiously, I regularly get very good responses, even from rabbles, with Troublewit and a string figure routine. Both are sit and listen/watch story routines with no assistants. Of course, a whole program of things like that would be just as likely to lose their attention as a whole program of card tricks!

You also need to be careful how you define kids: some routines will play well across the board, some will need to be modified (or dropped) for younger or older audiences.

Cheers,

Bill

I also have found the troublewit to be well received by kids. Almost all my gags in the routine are aimed at the adults, but the kids think it is hilarious. It's the only non-magical routine I do in my show, so the novelty of it also adds interest. I agree with MiNiM that too much of this kind of thing would lose the interest of the audience. Variety!! Look at your show, and see how much variety you have in the effects, the props, and the participatory needs. Have fun

A lot of mayhem and fun happens at my children’s parties. Because I perform for a lot of referred clients (who have seen my show at other times) I have several different versions so not to repeat too much.

The routines that I perform, in no particular order, that get the greatest response for me are:

Blooming Bouquet
Knotted Rope in paper bag
What's Next
Clatter Box
Cake Bake w/Milk Pitcher w/Comedy Funnel for special ingredients
Egg bag
Professor's Nightmare
Coloring Book
Rabbit from Hat

And if I could only perform one trick at a party it would have to be without a doubt Peanut Butter and Jelly.

Besides the actual tricks themselves there are items (i.e. the broken wand) that are must haves to continue the laughs and have more bits of business happen during the party.

Again there are many more that I do, no not all during the same show, and the above items may not work for you. 90% of what I do is presentation and interaction. Please don’t go out and spend lots of money on new effects. I’ll bet you can do a great show with what you already have. Just work on your presentation and have fun with the kids.

90% of what I do is kid show...

Audience favorites include...
(by audience favorites I mean, the one's the kids ask me to do if it's a repeat performance or I am at their birthday party next year...)

"Do the one with the balls!"
STRATOSPHERE-- kids always say they have seen it but they LOVE to see it again and again...

"did you bring super frog"
SUPER FROG-- I have so much fun performing this one myself....

"Is Cynthia (my spring snake) a real snake??"
CARD DUCK or VIPPER (SNAKE BASKET) depending on if it is a repeat performance I switch between these card tricks...

HIPPY HOP RABBITS-- Always a favorite with the kids and the ADULTS at the party..

BALLOON TO DOVE-- Of course if you don't perform with animals this would not be a good addition to your show!!

Best of luck Lance... performing for children can be very rewarding and very profitable!!!

(E-mail me if it would be helpful to see my show list)

Lance,
I just attended a lecture by Dick Barry, and he performed an effect with a puppet, (crow)
that I thought would be fabulous for Kid's shows. It does involve a playing card.

Have the birthday child make a mark on the card, put it back in the deck and the deck back into the card box. The closed card box goes into the mouth of the puppet, and after some funny bits of business the puppet tosses the card box out of his mouth and is left with the signed selected card stuck in it's mouth.

The puppet squaks like a crow as well. He also markets the effect using a shark. (card shark).

His website is http://www.dickbarrymagic.com

The effect is called Max Raven.

David Paul

This is very subjective.

There are no right or wrong answers here.

For me...

Silks
Zombie Ball
Comedy Egg Can
Double load Dove Pan and props
Sponge Balls
Rocky Raccoon and the Zig Zag Illusion

That should do for a complete 40 minute show.