|
|
Mitchell.Stafiej New user Quebec 61 Posts |
Children's entertaining is one area of magic available to us all - whether you are a parent performing to your child at a birthday party, or a professional magician hoping to expand your repertoire, or a teenager trying to entertain some children. Children's entertaining is a rewarding and enjoyable branch of magic.
Kid's magic is very different from close-up magic or sleight of hand - it is nearer to stage magic, with visual illusions to keep your audience from wandering off into their imaginations.. When planning your children's magic shows, it is essential to keep in mind that children have a relatively small attention span, so you need to keep them on their toes by using visual props (such as magic wands, colourful tricks etc.), funny jokes and a lot of audience participation. The magic illusions should be varied, exciting and most importantly, entertaining for the children. The tricks you choose for the magic show are very important - you should pick tricks for children that are suitable for their age and sex. A patter about football wouldn't go down too well at an all-girls birthday party! Before you perform a show, watch a little children's television and see how the presenters act. They smile, laugh and appear to be enjoying themselves - a very important part of being successful! Try to also remember some of the characters names - you can rename your pet rabbit to a "Teletubby", or "Barney" at the time being, for example. To be (almost) as successful as famous magicians, you need to enjoy performing magic, the kids will know you are enjoying it, and your positive feelings will help to make them enjoy your magic show - there's nothing worse than watching magic performed by a bored magician! Improve your chances of repeat performances by rewarding the children with merchandise. A well crafted balloon model is great, but once it pops, you're forgotten. If you can afford some promotional material with your contact information to give to the children along with the balloon, then the parents will have a way of calling you for their child's next party. Just don't pin your business card to the balloon!!!! To sum up, try to create a fast-paced, varied and exciting magic show to keep the children entertained. Reward participation with merchandise, and word of mouth will be your main exposure. Mitchell |
Dennis Michael Inner circle Southern, NJ 5821 Posts |
Sounds like you got the "game plan" down right!
Well said and welcome to the Café Dennis Michael
Dennis Michael
|
millarhouse Regular user New Zealand 199 Posts |
Good advice Mitchell.
|
Marvello Inner circle It's amazing how little I can say in 1612 Posts |
Thanks for the tips. great advice, for sure.
Never criticize someone else until you have walked a mile in their shoes. Then, when you do criticize them, you will be a mile away from them and you will have their shoes.
|
todd75 Inner circle 1277 Posts |
I could not have said it better myself!
Soooo many people out there today that are working in the children's market don't really like it but they do is for the money- period! Wrong attitude! I think you have to LOVE children not like them- LOVE them to be successful as a children's performer. Great post! |
Amazing Magic Co Inner circle 1711 Posts |
Well said. I have to admit to being a bit selfish as I enjoy doing kids shows because I like them and the tricks I choose are fun for me to perform. I find when you do something you enjoy, the fun and appreciation comes through in others. To me, the ultimate compliment is inspiring the imagination of others.
Dan. |
Jizmagic New user 85 Posts |
I think all of us have seen this in our daily lives - so many people doing jobs that they have no desire doing, and don't want to be there. Magic is supposed to be fun, especially when performing for the children. I know I get as much enjoyment (if not more) when doing a children's show than the children themselves. Perhaps I'm still in the honeymoon stage of doing magic (although this honeymoon is going on six years), but I sure hope it lasts. - Joel
May the magic be with you!
|
Mitchell.Stafiej New user Quebec 61 Posts |
I think it also helps performances if you think like one. What will they WANT to see?
Mitchell |
Potty the Pirate Inner circle 4632 Posts |
I think it helps if you can spend some time with the birthday kid before the show starts. Often this is when I'm setting up. I don't use many props that need to be set up "in secret" apart from my Flying Carpet. So I use this time to chat, tell a few jokes, sing a few silly songs, daft poems, pull a coin from the ear, etc. I ask about the kid's favourite sport, TV programme, thing at school, what presents he got for his birthday, etc. I find this creates a bond between us which pretty much guarantees the success of my show. It makes kids feel very special if their entertainer takes an interest in them. After all, to them you are a celebrity! Sometimes you find out stuff you can use in your show, it makes a strong impression if you apparently know all about the birthday child once you have him up in front of all the other kids. The parents are always delighted, and you can legitimately claim to have entertained the kids during your set up (I will entertain any number of kids while I set up, in a busking environment that works to create my audience before I start). Before I leave, kids will regularly give me a big hug and say really nice things. That's when I feel I've done my job right.
|
boppies2 Elite user Arizona 422 Posts |
Potty,
Some excellent points to ponder. I am sure I can take a little more time with the birthday child before the show to create a stronger bond. |
Mitchell.Stafiej New user Quebec 61 Posts |
Great points, the reactions will be so much better if you create a bond.
Mitchell |
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » The little darlings » » Children's Parties-> How to make them enjoy it. (0 Likes) |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.02 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |