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Andy_Young
Loyal user
Williamsport PA
271 Posts
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Posted: Mar 23, 2012 2:38pm
Just looking for any ideas of some good magic tricks to do as I walk around a retirement home. Looking for more for visual effects. I have a nice rope routine and working on rubber bands. So any advise would be good. Thanks in advance.
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Magic Rik
Loyal user
Eastern Canada
251 Posts
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Posted: Apr 1, 2012 3:14pm
I am new at this as well - been three times to eh Nursing Home so far. This is what seemed to work for me.
TT - vanish and re-appear for a bright silk - I used a large diamond cut - see my picture
Change bag with big colourful changes
Chop cup seemed to be OK
Elusive Polly - http://www.dazzlingmagic.com/products/Polly-the-Elusive-Parrot.html
Nothing small nor too long
I have not used any small card tricks at all
Have fun with them - they are neat people.
Posted: Apr 1, 2012 7:53pm
Andy - I also have a "rabbit in the hat" puppet that they seemed to like.
Magic Rik
Life itself is magic - I just want to help a bit!
https://www.facebook.com/Magic.by.Rik
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milesart
New user
63 Posts
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Posted: Apr 6, 2012 12:16pm
They also like very much magic effects with safety pins, silks, sponge balls, enjoy!
Simple Magic Tricks - become a magician
Facebook
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dman11
Regular user
PA
124 Posts
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Posted: May 10, 2012 7:28pm
I hope more folks can chime in here with more ideas as I will be doing this shortly
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dattyw
New user
How long is the fence?
51 Posts
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Posted: May 11, 2012 2:13pm
I second sponge balls or sponge rabbits or sponge anything. Just make sure that the elderly person's hands are able to hold them and that you don't squeeze their hands too tight. My grandma loves this trick but I have to be gentle with my touch. Also, any kind of floating card trick usually plays well.
Good show,
David
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Majake314
Loyal user
Australia
243 Posts
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Posted: May 13, 2012 6:00am
Levitations are always good
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Bob Sanders
Grammar Supervisor
Magic Valley Ranch, Clanton, Alabama
19309 Posts
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Posted: May 25, 2012 7:19pm
They make a great and grateful audience. Keep it visual! Hearing is not a strong suit. Avoid predictions and most mental tricks. Hearing is just one of the problems here. Given a prediction to hold for later, most likely it will be opened and passed around before you are ready.
They love color, productions, livestock, and taking part. I try to produce something they can pass around and inspect. (Line of Silks is great for this.) They also enjoy music. So we use it!
Even something as simple as a Double 4-Color change plays well. Mis-Made flag plays well too.
Torn and restored newspapers are also a hit. (Keep visuals LARGE!)
Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander / The Amazed Wiz
AmazedWiz@yahoo.com
SilkMagic@DoveLite.com
http://www.magicbysander.com/
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bowers
Inner circle
3041 Posts
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Posted: May 29, 2012 11:06pm
Don't forget some rope tricks too.
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Atom3339
Inner circle
2244 Posts
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Posted: May 29, 2012 11:12pm
Balloons?
TH
Occupy Your Dream
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Pompey2L.A.
New user
92 Posts
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Posted: Jul 9, 2012 5:43pm
I found that my grandparents loved my "out of this world". Red or black in this pile or that pile. Quick and simple. They don't have to remember a card and it's not too drawn out.
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leolaurindo
New user
53 Posts
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Posted: Sep 2, 2012 9:18pm
I would suggest something that don't require too much thinking and very direct. Nothing mathematical, "puzzle-like", neither swindles...
Also, if there's audience participation, make sure it's nothing too tedious and speak clearly so that they can understand (also, don't make them stand up!).
Sponge balls, some card and coin tricks...
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robsn
New user
Germany
37 Posts
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Posted: Sep 4, 2012 6:48am
Coin tricks are fine, right. I performed for a friends grandmother and her party. The coin tricks were good for the gents, but the ladies seemed not too exited.
But then:
What I recommend especially are Tricks with charme! Producing flowers for example. The ladies loved it! They gave me some wallowing (is that the right word?) "Aaaah" and "Ooohh" - the gents were loughing and liked it, too. For me this seemed to be the most suitable for this audience.
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Nikki78
Regular user
Germany
160 Posts
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Posted: Sep 4, 2012 12:28pm
My grandma loved all effects with silks & spongeballs and also her wedding band.
I think, like most of the users already mentioned, you should use something bright & colorful and nothing to complicated...
When it comes to cards Oil & Water, Invisible Deck or the ambitious card were always very popular...
Just my 2 cents
Cheers
Nikki
I'm not a native speaker - please ignore the mistakes 
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Countage
Veteran user
Charlotte
333 Posts
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Posted: Sep 6, 2012 8:09pm
Cant go wrong with sponge rabbits and mental photo deck.
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JonesingForTruth
New user
60 Posts
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Posted: Sep 7, 2012 3:48am
I've never had a nursing home resident try to grab and shuffle through my invisible deck... well the visible version. hehe... but yeah. Old school is best for the old crowd.
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troppobob
Loyal user
Crescent Head Australia
266 Posts
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Posted: Oct 1, 2012 7:04pm
G'day
There are some great insights in the dicussions above.
Here are some rambling reflections from my experience on the topic of performing comedy magic in nursing homes.
I have been performing at nursing homes for some time and I find that the colourful productions - silks, flowers, Tora Magic dice, Sik fountain, appearing broom work well. These effects are central to my shows.
I keep away from anything that requires complex memory skills as the venues that I pefrom at have a percentage of people with some level of dementia.
In regard to cards I have introduced the blank deck/photograhic deck and this is going over well.
The production of a cute fluffy animal or 2 that after the show can be taken around for a meet and greet has been a popular component.
I have an effect where $20.00 bank note (Australian plastic money) is borrowed and eventualy dissapears and re-appears with the aid of flash paper - this one goes over very well.
My Axtel puupet (the Cockatoo with the arm illusion) is now in the show and the feedback indicates that this is greatly appreciated - I was surprised because I saw this as very much a children's routine - but the staff are insisting that it be in every show.
At the completion of the show (45 minutes) I make some balloon models - flowers with perfume, poodle dog with magicaly appearing ball on the end of it's tail as well as things that are requested. This part of the show is incporated into the part that involves general discussion with the audience as they are movong out - it often takes an extended time in the settings that I have been involved with as there are people in wheel chairs and sometimes in beds with breathing tubes etc - So interacting after the show is very important and can be a highlight of the week for people who have few visitors.
I enjoy these performances and get re-booked on a regular basis.
Here is an interesting insight:
At one of them we arrange 4 shows every year and the feed back the staff gives me indicates that this form of entertainment is very much enjoyed by the residents. I asked them how they could tell it was going over well - because even though I had some nice feed back from some audience members after the show - my observation was that there was ony mimal clapping and other audience responses and some people appeared to be drifting in and out of sleep - they (the staff) explained to me that my shows were always packed and that every one stayed for the whole time - they also explained that in the other entertainment that came to the nursing home (music,singing craft etc) that people just got up and wandered in and out and that the performances were not packed like the magic show.
So it appears that our magical entertainment can work well in this setting and make a positive impact.
Bob Latta (aka Troppo Bob)
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montygoodrum
New user
Texas
50 Posts
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Posted: Dec 27, 2012 7:30pm
Music is a great thing to add for to your Retirement home shows. Old School music they love.
Songs that they are familiar with and haven't heard in a long time, sure does make them smile!
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Gord
New user
58 Posts
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Posted: Jan 28, 2013 3:06am
I know I am late with this, as it was posted in May but just wanted to add: When I did retirement homes I found most liked colorful tricks with silks spongeballs and also the topsy turvy bottles went over well.
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jcrabtree2007
Regular user
136 Posts
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Posted: Feb 4, 2013 4:13am
Stay away from card tricks. Many cant see the cards well. Sponge balls, rabbits. Linking rings. They go nuts over the dlite.
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joey
New user
montreal,canada
52 Posts
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Posted: Mar 3, 2013 8:24pm
Definetly more of visual magic, they love the doves, no fire, no popping ballon effects as this could scare or freak out some of the people. preferably to music swing is always a hit with most of the nursing homes I perform in. At the end I usually go out and do balloon sculptures for most of the people, while most of the others are brought back up to their rooms
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Dick Oslund
Special user
684 Posts
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Posted: Mar 10, 2013 11:06am
I remember a nursing home in Montana a few years ago. An older gentleman laughed so hard, he fell out of his chair!
The school assembly bureau that booked me, found that these places do have a budget for entertainment, and the "old folks" were very nice audiences.
The comments above are all good. The reason that applause is not loud: ARTHRITIS! Watch for nods and smilesl!
Use effects that are colorfull, visual, and fun. Check with staff regarding audience participation. (wheel chairs, senile dementia, etc.)
I'm surprised that no one has mentioned PAPER HATS (THE CECIL LYLE TRICK). .
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DanielCoyne
Special user
Western Massachussetts
540 Posts
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Posted: Mar 11, 2013 12:02am
Here's a link to a thread about a regular nursing home gig I had a few years ago. It's got some thoughts and ideas, and If you scroll down, there's a sample set list.
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=412928&forum=199&26
Good luck and keep us posted!
— Daniel
www.danielcoynemagic.com
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