Which magic tricks children want to learn the most?

My experience is this: When I show them lots of tricks they often ask me if I can teach them the silk trick (thumb-tip-routine) and the paper-to-bill-trick.

Other tricks - for example the invisible deck - are well recieved too and real foolers - but not very often children ask me to teach them this trick.

Misers's Dream, not that I'm teaching but that's what they ask about most when I perform it.

Since I'm not particularly great at it, I have to think the effect is what attracts the Kids.

-Mary Mowder

Sawing a Person in Half
Floating Someone
Pulling a Rabbit from a Hat

You didn't specify if this was a Magic Club or just any child.

Just anyone: Any trick that is easy to do and is in any basic magic book.

I like teaching the dollar store magic kits, to a group of elementary school magic club.

Age is also Important. Puppets are fun for 1st and 2nd graders.

I ment "normal" kids who see you perform as a magician for example at a brithday party.

Here in Germany in 20 years no child ever asked me to teach him or her tricks like "Sawing a Person in Half", "Floating Someone" or
"Pulling a Rabbit from a Hat" - but sometimes they asked me if I can perform such a trick.

In my experince only older kids (7+) ask to learn a special trick.

All I every hear is "show me a trick", never at a birthday party do I teach a trick.

It has been said with older kids 11-14, teaching them tricks is far better then watching you perform. They think it is cool. There are a couple of DVD on this topic. Do a Search because I forgot who on the Café does this.

Hi Dennis,

I allready have several DVDs about how to teach magic tricks to children. My intention with this thread was to get to know what are the tricks that "normal" children want to learn the most.

Best wishes

Daniel

I always start off by teaching a couple of basic shuffles, how to fan cards, a simple p**m, and a f**se t***fer. That's for kids who come for magic lessons. If it's just a kid at a party, I teach them the "Basic Glimpse" trick: The cards are shuffled by the spectator, and the magi takes them, and fans them out. In so doing, he glimpses the bottom card of the deck. The cards are cut, and the card returned to the TOP portion of the deck, and then the cut is completed. Now the cards can be cut (and even shuffled a little, mostly the trick will still work). The cards are then spread face up, and the chosen card is the one above the glimpsed card.
I keep away from teaching gimmick tricks until I know that any particular kid is serious about learning magic. I don't like to give away the TT, or any other gimmicks, as many professionals use these in their acts.
Potty

Most kids are happy with a very simple card trick. That's where I started.

With my eight year old daughter I began with professors nightmare, as she wanted to learn this. She also can do some simple flourishes, such as a one handed knot in a ribbon. She put together a brief act using a change bag, etc. She wants to do a thumb tip routine next. She seems to love it, and is quite good at the patter.

My son, on the other hand, learnt enough card tricks to impress his friends, and has stopped there. His interest peaked as soon as he had what he needed. All kids are different, I suppose.

Both of them love simple mind-reading tricks (Elephants in Denmark, etc).

The trick I've found to have the best combination of ease, coolness and cheap, is the mind-reading cube. You know....the one found in most magic sets where the spec places a cube into a little box, puts on the lid, hands it to you behind your back, and you quickly divine which part of the cube is facing the lid by holding it up to your forehead. It's old as dirt, but beleive it or not it's STILL a real fooler! When I rediscovered it a year ago, I did it at work and NONE of my co-workers could figure ot out! You can teach the effect to a 7-year old in about 3 minutes.

I do a lot of birthday shows
and they also want to learn how to vanish a silk.
or a rope trick.

Thanx for the answers everybody.

@ The Mighty Fool: Some days ago I got "Color Vision" from a big US-dealer for just 0,28$ for each trick! The trick is small but it works. PM me if you need details of the company.