I have been thinking of adding in a few new effects into my 10-13 year olds show and was wanting some others opinions.

Considering these effects:
-sheer luck book test
-Kurostoke
-Blindfold with drawings

What do you guys think, whick one or two would work or not work. Would it be a good or bad idea to add 2 of the 3 into my show or would that be too much.

Thank you,
Derek

Mind reading and psychic stuff does not usually play well for kids till you hit older teens and then it needs to be off the hook cool.

the younger ones cant grasp the concept as well and follow what is really happening.

now a drawing duplication might be the best of the bunch as you can make it personal and more interesting.

or maybe something like master prediction. have the kids all help write a dream and as they say stuff you point out that you had the same dream.
it could get really funny. then reveal the box and point out that you wrote your dream down and then show it and read it with some additional funny to it.

again this kind of magic is not really great for kids. not that it is impossible but its not that easy.

i do a psychic effect in my show but gear it for the adults attending.

kids like the ride more often then the destination.

have fun

I agree with Sam. Mental effects are beyond the comprehension of young audiences. In my own kidshows I only do one "prediction" effect, and it's basically a humorous piece, played for laughs.

For older teens and adults, I do perform one or two more intriguing mental effects.

I completely see what you mean. The blindfold drawing effect in a little more detail is that I am blindfolded 3 kids each draw an imagine and I try to guess who drew what and what the drawing is while blindfolded, I thought this may have worked since it does look kind of funny blindfolded plus 3 kids get to draw. And the kurostoke I was going to use is more like a hide and seek or guessing game where the whole audience (kids) helps me figure out who has the one different color ball (there is 5 kids on stage 4 has red ball and 1 has black). Not sure if this would help make it better for this age or not. Thank you already for your thoughts.

I'm not sure what Blindfold with Drawings is but anytime you put on a blindfold in front of a group of Kids there is apt to be someone willing to test if you are blind and you may fail the test.

While you are blindfolded you can't really ask kids to behave without revealing that you are not blind (unless you are responding to sound). It seems like a good way to lose control.

At 10 to 13 they are VERY interested in Mental Magic. 5th graders are thinking a lot like adults in many ways. They are starting to look inward and are becoming self involved. Pick the right Mental Magic and you will be a big hit.
If you will think back on that time in your life you may recall an intense interest in the limits of mental abilities.

Some mental Magic works fine even for kids over 8 if you involve them by turning it around so that they "guess" right instead of you reading their mind.
I do Deja Zoo (but not as it comes ) and it works very well for any kids over 8. I do a book test for Library shows (mixed ages) and if you keep it simple and involve them it is great. Just don't drag 'em out for effect.

-Mary Mowder

Terry Parrett has an ebook out titled, "Magic for Tweens" (copyright 2001). It was part of a package of 7 ebooks that he was selling a few years ago (more recently than 2001).

You could try to connect with him on Facebook and ask him if it's still available for purchase. I don't think he's active on the Magic Café at this time.

- Donald

Terry's "Magic For Tweens" is fabulous! Well worth purchasing if you can find it.

In the early '80s, I experimented with a mental segment in my Senior High school and college program. I used Maurice Fogel's "Fantasy in Flame", "Second Spot", and the "Key Rect" (I can't recall who "thought that one up".

After a month or two,I dropped the whole routine! It played "too strong"! One college kid, told me that he regarded "that mental stuff" as a "religious experience".

I do agree with Devin Knight on using mentalism for kids. He suggests using only one effect in your show that is mentalism. I have (and do) use his Puzzle Mania in a lot of my shows. I have used it for kids ranging from 7 to 13 and from the reactions it was a hit. Not only is it a hit with the kids the adults watching love it to!

RNK

Thank you for all your great thoughts and I think I will stick with just one mental effect but I have one more quick question does a strait jacket escape go over well with this age group?

For teens a strait jacket is good, but you need a strait jacket for each kid.

I prefer a chair and a whip to keep them in line.

LOL

-Mary

Just like "mental", an escape can play well with this age. (I said "can", not, "will".)

It aint WHAT ya do, it's HOW ya do it! As always, it aint the PROP, it's the PERFORMER, and his PRESENTATION!!!!!

I have found escapes can work for this age.

Multiple shows the sane day for this age are interestingness and educational.

One hour might laugh at a bit, while another will have a wave of responses such as
"Creepy". How I respond to their response can make or break a moment.

Harris
Still too old to know it all

I do Kurostoke in my Edgar Allen Poe Library show in a routine called The case of the Telltale Telletubbie. Although it was designed for teens I always get younger kids in the audience. Even so the routine still plays well.

Any classic, done well, works great for this age.

egg bag
cups and balls
linking rings
prof. nightmare
color changing hank

kids that age really like to be entertained and appreciate seeing something they thought they were going to figure out, but cannot.

Gee Frank! I can't believe that you are still doing all those corny old classic tricks? --Besides! you are copying MY act! (Except for the cups & balls)

Oh...You left out the 20th Century Silks and the Misers Dream!