Magic Performance/Class for elementary school

Jan 22, 2012
418
1
Hello guys,

Recently my friend's mother asked me if I would like to perform and teach a class full of 4th-5th graders magic. I have a month to prepare what I can perform for 20 minutes and teach for 40 minutes. I would really like some help on what I could teach them. Each kid will be provided a cheap deck of cards so the tricks will have to be based on cards. In my performance I think I should demonstrate and perform different effects. If you could leave me some insight that'd be great.
 
Nov 11, 2009
194
0
Im not sure what the name is but when someone asks me to teach them a card trick I always teach them the trick where the card is selected and placed back in the deck and the magician puts the cards behind his back and turns the selected card upside down without looking. I teach that it is popular one among laypeople. You could also teach them some mathematical card tricks. Hope I helped :)
 

Blaziken

Elite Member
Sep 8, 2012
85
0
Quebec, Canada
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The classic color change, key card, maybe a rubber band trick if you will teach more than just cards, don't know how's called but you can teach em the thumb trick, i mean the one you grab your thumb and make it looks like you took it away or you cut it away, etc.
 
Nov 3, 2012
26
0
The classic color change, key card, maybe a rubber band trick if you will teach more than just cards, don't know how's called but you can teach em the thumb trick, i mean the one you grab your thumb and make it looks like you took it away or you cut it away, etc.

Maybe it's just me but I would have to disagree with the color change depending on what you were thinking. If these are kids that don't know anything about magic before hand, a color change may not be the best way to go.

With cards:
(as cliche as it sounds) key card. (not like anyone else brought this up before) :rolleyes:
Classic 21 card trick

Other stuff:
French drop
Retention vanish

I don't think you'd have to teach that much considering it's 40 minutes and you're probably going to have to walk around helping people with the sleight of hand stuff.
 

RickEverhart

forum moderator / t11
Elite Member
Sep 14, 2008
3,637
471
46
Louisville, OH
Keep in mind that virtually none of them will have actually "held" a deck of cards in their hands without dropping them or bending cards.
You may want to consider bridge sized decks or if you are using standard size...maybe have them in pairs and split the decks in half. Just food for thought.

Your 40 minutes of teaching time will go faster than you think. If you have an opaque projector that you could perform on or something with a cam connected to a projector or Smartboard it would be much easier for all students to have a nice view to follow along.

Within the 40 minutes I would probably teach them 3-4 effects and do them over and over again to get some repetition in. If you show them 10 things, they will go home and not remember any of them or mix and match steps to effects.

Perhaps you can have the steps typed up in a flier with some photos / pics to follow along when they go home. Either that or make a little tutorial video of each effect and give the students the link or burn them to a DVD-R for each child.

I'd show them how to hold a deck in mechanics grip and probably 3-4 tricks. I'd start with a self working effect, key card, or reversed card behind the back. Anything that requires double lifts, pinky pull downs, etc. you might as well throw out the window but I'm sure you knew that. :)

I'd take a look in Josh Jay's Complete Course on Magic, Encyclopedia of Card tricks, Michael Ammar's Easy to Master Card Miracles, or Mark Wilson's Complete Course.
 

RickEverhart

forum moderator / t11
Elite Member
Sep 14, 2008
3,637
471
46
Louisville, OH
Dude..I seriously haven't had time to sit down and help you out yet. Just walked in the door from coaching my son's wrestling team, eating dinner, and will come up with some ideas for your class later tonight once the kids are in bed.
 
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