Magic for kids. I need a little help.

Apr 2, 2017
95
49
California
Hello T11 Family!

I am coming to you because I am in need of some advice.

Long story short.

I got into magic while working at a bar. Never learned it as a kid. I now live in a rural town where there is no magic shops, shows, or any people that practice on the regular.

I have a friend who knows I do magic and I showed his 8 year old son a couple of tricks (spellbound type coin effects). He now asks me every day to teach him magic. This hs gone on for about a month now. I agreed but I just want to make sure I teach the right stuff for the age of the kid.

I really don’t mind teaching what I know but I have really only performed for adults and not sure where to begin with kid magic.

Any advice would be welcome, I just really want to treat this right and give the best information I can.

Thanks a bunch!

P.S. Books I own: Bobo’s, Card College series, mnumonica, tangled Webb, and Coin Magic by Kauffman. I don’t own a lot but really like what I have. Also the closes magic “lesson” is about 1.5 hours away from here.
 

RickEverhart

forum moderator / t11
Elite Member
Sep 14, 2008
3,637
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Louisville, OH
You can easily teach a child some basics like Professor's Nightmare using cheap rope or clothes line, styrofoam cups and pom pom balls from Walmart or a craft store to show a beginner cups and balls routine, etc. You don't need to spend a lot of your own money to teach a young child who may or may not continue you in our art.

I would also highly suggest going to your local library and checking out some of the magic books from the kids section to take to your lessons or to show him the value of finding effects in books.

Also think about purchasing Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic for either yourself or to teach him out of.
 
Jan 26, 2017
2,173
1,338
23
Virginia
I third Mark Wilson's Course, though you'll have to teach him with it (not sure he can just pick it up and learn)

If possible, Sponge Balls. If I'm not mistaken, they come in a small size too, and they're fairly easy to learn.

Since he is a kid, I recommend more visual stuff
 
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Aug 17, 2008
473
13
Ann Arbor, MI
Mark Wilson's guide to magic was one of my first books. It's awesome. Super easy effects, great instructions/illustrations which mean it is super easy to learn.


But! Why not a Fantasma magic kit? After I saw an old guy vanish a cigarette in front of my eyes when I was 10 years old, I was hooked. I needed to know and I wanted to learn so much more. But where do I start? Well, my grandma got me one of those magic kits and from there on I knew what I wanted to do. That was almost 14 years ago now. I think that magic kits are an awesome starting point for kids. And they actually have decent (for kids) tricks in them. It also will show if the kid is serious about magic, which hopefully he is.

Hope this helps!
 
Jan 26, 2017
2,173
1,338
23
Virginia
Mark Wilson's guide to magic was one of my first books. It's awesome. Super easy effects, great instructions/illustrations which mean it is super easy to learn.


But! Why not a Fantasma magic kit? After I saw an old guy vanish a cigarette in front of my eyes when I was 10 years old, I was hooked. I needed to know and I wanted to learn so much more. But where do I start? Well, my grandma got me one of those magic kits and from there on I knew what I wanted to do. That was almost 14 years ago now. I think that magic kits are an awesome starting point for kids. And they actually have decent (for kids) tricks in them. It also will show if the kid is serious about magic, which hopefully he is.

Hope this helps!

I can't speak for the kits, but I did buy a Fantasma "Phantom Deck" (Invisible Deck that also had all one color be short cards), just to see what it was. It was cool, but it felt super cheap. Bridge sized plastic cards with a generic back design, and the part that makes it an ID wore out pretty quick.

I guess it's good for a kid though
 
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Aug 17, 2008
473
13
Ann Arbor, MI
That's what I'm saying. Are the kits amazing? No. Hell no. They're cheap, use plastic, etc. But the kid is 8 years old and he wants to learn magic. Why not start him out on training wheels? The kits are god for kids. That's why they say ages 6-12 or something like that. It'd be good for him.
 
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willtupper

Elite Member
Apr 28, 2009
283
335
The book you're looking for is A Book of Magic for Young Magicians: The Secrets of Alkazar by Allan Zola Kronzek.

It's on Amazon.

It's $7.95.

It's amazing. It's my favorite.

Get it for your friend's son. Get it for yourself. Get it for anyone and everyone who wants it.

It remains, in my opinion, the finest introduction to magic book on the market (and one too few know about).

And I've read a lot of them.

IT'S SO GOOD.

Get the book, a couple decks of cards, some rope, and sponge balls, and the book (so important, I put it twice). You'll be able to help him learn magic principles, in addition to actual effects.

At the end of the book, they will have a show, an honest to goodness performance prepared (scripted and everything) that they can go and show anyone they want.

They'll know... I'm going to shut up now. Just look through the preview of the book on Amazon.

SO GOOD. Have I said that already? IT BEARS REPEATING :D.
 

RealityOne

Elite Member
Nov 1, 2009
3,744
4,076
New Jersey
I agree with the recommendations for Mark Wilson. Everything you ever could want to know.

The Fantasma kits are cheap junk, but a decent price for a lot of stuff.

If the kid is serious, I'd recommend the following list of props:

1 Set 2 inch Goshman Super Soft sponge balls (around $3)
25 foot of Magician's Rope ($7 and it works better than regular rope)
Cups and Balls Set (you can get plastic for $3, aluminum combo set for $17)
4 Half Dollar Coins (most banks have non-silver versions for $.50 each)
2 Red Bicycle, 2 Blue Bicycle BRIDGE SIZE
Thumb Tip Jr. (nothing in Mark Wilson's about using it, but if you know how to use it you can do amazing things)

If you have creative ability, I'd go with making bridge sized stripper decks and invisible decks!

I also have a love for the classic magic shop "toys" (check out magictricks.com, they have a great shop by age section and the owner Peter is great fun to talk to):

Drawer Box
Bandit Box
Pen Through Coins
Money Maker
Pocket Sized Coloring Book
Shrinking Nickels
Penetration Coins
Pen Through Dollar
 

Tower of Lunatic Meat

Elite Member
Sep 27, 2014
2,435
2,029
Texa$, with a dollar sign
You guys are stupid. He is 8. Get him a magic kit and if he doesn't like it? You can move onto another art. Good luck lol.

Kids'll use about 15% of what a magic set has in it without any guidance. A kit with a book will provide guidance and make some of the kit tricks (cards, rings, etc) easier to conceptualize instead of being abstract "what do I even do with a deck of cards? What do I do with these linking rings" deals.
 
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RealityOne

Elite Member
Nov 1, 2009
3,744
4,076
New Jersey
You guys are stupid. He is 8. Get him a magic kit and if he doesn't like it? You can move onto another art. Good luck lol.

Insulting other members is not productive and does nothing to change people’s minds. All it accomplishes is to diminish the weight given to anything you subsequently say in your post. Please act respectfully to others.
 
Aug 17, 2008
473
13
Ann Arbor, MI
God, sober Blake is embarrassed by kinda-sorta-really-tipsy Blake haha.

I definitely called you guys stupid last night and I very much am sorry for that. I got too much in my feels about a damn magic kit lol. I think I got in my feels because a magic kit was what got me into magic, which ultimately is now my passion. And I even had Mark Wilsons Guide to Magic! So I don't know why I was complaining last night.

I just wanted to apologize to you all because Theory11 is like my second home. I grew up back in the day. I've been on this website since 2008.

So, again I am sorry all.


Much love,

Blake
 
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Aug 17, 2008
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Insulting other members is not productive and does nothing to change people’s minds. All it accomplishes is to diminish the weight given to anything you subsequently say in your post. Please act respectfully to others.


And you are 110% right. I apologize and to all you other guys I apologize as well just like I was saying in my previous post.
 
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