Hi,

I want to add in my kids b-day shows a "mini" theme. I would like to make the b-day kid really the STAR of the show. But more specifically, he would become a magician at the end of the show. So the kid would help me with some tricks and become more and more a magician as the show goes. Does anyone have some ideas of tricks for that?

Thanks!

Ken Scot's Fantasy magician?

Mark

Spot on mark!

Louis

Thanks!

I still need more ideas, anyone else?

I do a metal bending routine that turns the child into the magician. But that isn't something you can learn overnight, so I'll move on.

How about building a simple tip-over box. Putting a rabbit inside, the child saying the magic words, waving the wand etc, and when they open the box, it has turned to something else. Maybe a tip-over box is the wrong choice, but you get the idea. A box switch might be better suited. The idea however is that you choose a trick so simple they can do, like a dove pan and you pretend that they can't because it takes years to master.

John Breeds' book on kid magic has several mentalism routines where the child is the hero. Also, Practical Magic's Knitty Knitty Bang Bang has the "spikes" through balloon done in a way that the kid is the hero. Also, many blendos can be done in a kid's hand, and Matt Fore's comedy magic has a good parasol routine where the kids "do the magic." Then there's the crystal ball card reveal (see Martin Lewis' page and DVD), where the kid "sees" the reveal. You can also have the kid "reveal" in any change bag routine. Another one is Jolly Roger's puppet force in a birthday trick he sells (clever variation on old trick, involving equivoque elimination of items which are not prediction). David Ginn also has some of these in his repertoire. I try to do several of these per show; it's great when the child achieves what you cannot. And yes, for birthdays I use the Wolf Funhouse and have the kid blow up balloon and say magic words as the rabbit appears . . .

Bigger Wands by Creative Magic

My whole show is set-up in a way that I am severely lacking the magic that I once had on my Xth birthday. So I'll need the help of someone, but only someone's who's Xth birthday it is. My volunteer helps me throughout the show and I often get shown up by them. I'll say things like "Hey, remember buddy, it may be your birthday, but this is my show!" to laughs.

One example is my Sponge ball routine. It's a standard routine, but I narrate it so that he/she keeps doing the magic that I say I am going to do. For example, I say I will take his/her ball and magically steal it and make it appear in my hand with my ball, "just like.... hey (my hand is empty)....open your hand! Give me that!! This is my show! Now like I said, I'll take this one and you take that one and I'll magically take it from your hand and put it in my like this!! (Empty) Hey!!! Fine, you keep these 2, I'll make another one magically appear in my hand... (Empty, now they have 3)." And I build on that as long as it is getting laughs.

I also have one routine for a very basic trick that the birthday child reads me the instructions to. You have to be aware of their age and make sure they can read well enough. The steps have me doing very silly things and I play like the kid is picking on me. One example, after arguing with him for a bit I say, "Ok, seriously, I'm not doing that, what's the next step." They say, "Step 15. Don't mess with me, man. I'm crazy! I'm dangerous!" To which I promptly obey. Sometimes the kids are laughing too much to even get the lines out.

And like Jay said, I also use Bigger Wands.

I use the birthday child in all my routines and they get to choose who else comes up and at the end they make they rabbit appears...they are the star of the show

Speaking of the star of the show, Trixi Bond gave me a great tip, she said to take a chair, something like a directors chair, and print "The Star Of The Show" on the back. Let the birthday child sit it it during your show. I did it and it works great. Every time I call the B-Day child to come up and help, I call them "The Star Of The Show".

Mike

Hocus Pocus has my Who's the Star on the clearance section of his site. He had just a couple left and has them for less than I paid to have them printed.
The routine is cute and the prop is made of PVC material and printed right on it.

I do bill Abbotts Smart Ass with the idea that the kid will read my mind. The kids don't need to know the names of the cards because its totally visual when they turn both cards around at the end, they match. I don't even name the card but the kid feels great because they see that they picked the same card I did. Trust me parents and kids love this!

You can't go wrong with Ken Scot's Fantasy Magician.

Mike

A big thumbs up for Barry Mitchell's "Super Sleuth" on this thread. You can adapt the routine for many different presentations, but ultimately the kid finds THREE randomly chosen cards in a shuffled deck.
Potty