Performing Magic for Kids

[Jedimasterjt]

Color changes go over v nicely for little kids, especially between the ages of 4 and 8. Pretty much any kid can identify red and black and understand when one changes to the other. It's quick, visual, easy to comprehend and strong. Just be sure they clearly see what color card is there before the change. I like to involve them by asking what color the card is. When they say, for example, "red," then you can say, "Very good, but if we use magic, it will change to ______," (and let them say it.) Another thing you can do after the change is a top change and have them blow on it or wave their hand, then show they have done the magic this time by changing it back and watch their little faces light up.

I find color changes to work well too!

 

[RealityOne]

KIDS LOVE CARD MAGIC INCLUDING CARD VANISHING

They like visual card magic. Depending on the age range, you can get away with more complex card tricks without it being boring.

Often times a card plot is so weird that adults can't understand it. Children loose interest very quick, unless it's a super visual trick that ends in a few seconds.

Color changes go over v nicely for little kids, especially between the ages of 4 and 8.

I'm going to go back to my distinction between card tricks and tricks with cards. A vanish, appearance or color change is a trick with cards. Having a selected card go to a box, bottle, wallet, pocket, etc. is a trick with cards. Invisible Deck can play either way. Locating the aces is a card trick and pretty much anything that begins with "pick a card" is a card trick. Card tricks are inherently trivial and less entertaining because their scope does not go beyond what you are doing in your hands. Tricks with cards start off with a higher interest factor. Both have to be presented in a way to make them interesting, entertaining and magical. So how do you do that?

1. Add additional elements. I used to open my kids show with a Jumbo Invisible Deck. I would play music and toss around a beachball. When the music stopped whoever had the beachball would make a choice (red/black, suit, face or number, card). Good routine. But then I thought about why I was using the beachball? I changed the music to a song that made people think of the beach. I brought out the deck out as part of a bag of beach toys. The deck was put in a bucket and I used a shovel as a magic wand to have one of the audience members do the magic and have the card selected magically turn over in the deck. Throw in a Hawaiian shirt for me and the audience member helping out for good measure.

2. Keep the effect simple. Your spectators should be able to explain what happened in a sentence. "We threw a beachball around and everyone helped pick a card and then Tommy waived a shovel over the deck and just that card turned upside down." Try explaining the 21 Card Trick in a sentence. Complexity is not magic.

3. Make it understandable. Kids don't understand poker hands. They may or may not get that the Aces are important. They may not know all the court cards and may not know the different suits. As @Al e Cat Dabra said, they do understand colors. They do understand numbers - which is why Mark Wilson's Bigger Card is a great effect. I love the McCombical Deck. However, I've found that it doesn't go over too well for 5 to 8 year olds, but kids 9 to 99 love it. The plot just takes a little more maturity to understand. For my invisible deck routine, I explain that the deck consists of 52 cards, two colors, four suits, thirteen cards, 3 picture cards, 9 number cards and on ace.

4. Give it meaning, context or mystery. For my Invisible Deck routine, I say, "Want to take a trip to the beach with me? People like to do a lot of things at the beach: listen to music, play with a beach ball, read books, build sand castles or play cards." I have a color changing silk routine that is based on going on a safari (with safari hats and a camera). I also do a selected card to nest of boxes to music. The music and silent presentation give it an aura of mystery (see Jeff McBride's Miser's Dream presentation for an example of what I'm talking about). My current show has a story about a young dragon who falls into a crevice on his way home from school and a story about my first rabbit, Harvey and his soulmate Lola.

 

[Jedimasterjt]

I find color changes to work well too!

Audience participate always a plus too.

I'm going to go back to my distinction between card tricks and tricks with cards. A vanish, appearance or color change is a trick with cards. Having a selected card go to a box, bottle, wallet, pocket, etc. is a trick with cards. Invisible Deck can play either way. Locating the aces is a card trick and pretty much anything that begins with "pick a card" is a card trick. Card tricks are inherently trivial and less entertaining because their scope does not go beyond what you are doing in your hands. Tricks with cards start off with a higher interest factor. Both have to be presented in a way to make them interesting, entertaining and magical. So how do you do that?

1. Add additional elements. I used to open my kids show with a Jumbo Invisible Deck. I would play music and toss around a beachball. When the music stopped whoever had the beachball would make a choice (red/black, suit, face or number, card). Good routine. But then I thought about why I was using the beachball? I changed the music to a song that made people think of the beach. I brought out the deck out as part of a bag of beach toys. The deck was put in a bucket and I used a shovel as a magic wand to have one of the audience members do the magic and have the card selected magically turn over in the deck. Throw in a Hawaiian shirt for me and the audience member helping out for good measure.

2. Keep the effect simple. Your spectators should be able to explain what happened in a sentence. "We threw a beachball around and everyone helped pick a card and then Tommy waived a shovel over the deck and just that card turned upside down." Try explaining the 21 Card Trick in a sentence. Complexity is not magic.

3. Make it understandable. Kids don't understand poker hands. They may or may not get that the Aces are important. They may not know all the court cards and may not know the different suits. As @Al e Cat Dabra said, they do understand colors. They do understand numbers - which is why Mark Wilson's Bigger Card is a great effect. I love the McCombical Deck. However, I've found that it doesn't go over too well for 5 to 8 year olds, but kids 9 to 99 love it. The plot just takes a little more maturity to understand. For my invisible deck routine, I explain that the deck consists of 52 cards, two colors, four suits, thirteen cards, 3 picture cards, 9 number cards and on ace.

4. Give it meaning, context or mystery. For my Invisible Deck routine, I say, "Want to take a trip to the beach with me? People like to do a lot of things at the beach: listen to music, play with a beach ball, read books, build sand castles or play cards." I have a color changing silk routine that is based on going on a safari (with safari hats and a camera). I also do a selected card to nest of boxes to music. The music and silent presentation give it an aura of mystery (see Jeff McBride's Miser's Dream presentation for an example of what I'm talking about). My current show has a story about a young dragon who falls into a crevice on his way home from school and a story about my first rabbit, Harvey and his soulmate Lola.

Alright thank you I will work on building stories!