Hey guys and gals,

I have a kids show coming up, I am a teacher so I know how to interact with the youngins but what kind of material should I use??

I assume that prof. nightmare and spongeballs are a must and some easy to follow card magic...

If you could steer me in the right direction I would appreciate it...

ps I hope I posted this in the right place..

Ari

Do whatever you do best. nothing else.

Ari,

You can do anything that you normally do just gear it toward the age group. What is the age range of the children. I would not use a regular deck of cards to do a card trick for ages 6 and below (7 may even be pushing it). Stay away from card magic for younger kids unless it is a card effect marketed toward that age range. These cards are typically cards with animal pictures etc.

Obviously if they are too young to read you are not going to use effects dealing with words that they need to read as the effect finale (i.e. ABC Stung).

Like Frank says above "Do whatever you do best" ...but gear it to the age range you are perfoming for.

Wolly

Newtomagic
Don't do any card magic for the little ones, they will not be interested, but if they are 12 and older cards will be just fine.

Do you belong to the local SAM, or IBM?

I do not, but I attend the local IBM ring meetings when time allows.

1. Have you ever done a kids show before?
2. What tricks have you used in previous shows?
3. Did you agree to do this show before you had a show ready?
4. If you did not have a show ready, do you have a series of tricks that you've been previously working on, that you could use in a show?
5. Check out the Little Darlings "Index" to find tons of ideas on show structure, tricks to use, comedy ideas, etc.

Brian

I am curious what you have in your repetoir now.

Perhaps there is something workable to formulate a show for children that
the more experienced here can help with.

Ari
first off do you perform regularly now? if not you must understand that you cannot "just do" a kid show, close up show, stage show, Insert your favorite show and expect it to go well. You must develope a character, write a script for that character complete with choreography and stage direction, learn the script,rehearse the show, test the show before a gentle and friendly audience audience, re write the show etc based on real feedback, repeat the whole process then throw everything away and start over at least twice before you are ready. otherwise you are just a teacher who bought some tricks off the internet.
I step down now.
Michael

I suggest you work with humor. Ham it up, make it funny, have a good time and the kids will too.

Rope tricks, vanishes, productions, restorations. All of these are good. You can make a killer act with a TT, a silk, a newspaper, some rope, and some random items from around the house. Or you can spend thousands on props that bomb because you are trying to use props to drive the show instead of using your abilities to drive the show and props to help out.

I'd suggest a puppet routine, a rope routine, no more than one card trick (with a signed card - they might forget their card, but never their name), and balloons.

Kids magic is not easier than adult magic. Kids are a great audience, but if you are not prepared to entertain them, they won't be merciful like the adults who pretend they are delighted to see another obscure pick-a-card trick. Practice for a video camera and be very critical of yourself.

Oh, and advice that Steven has given on this board: get a book of kid jokes and memorize plenty of them. Silly jokes can save a so-so show.

-Patrick