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jolyonjenkins Inner circle United Kingdom 1181 Posts |
Did a load of coin magic for some children (5-12) yesterday evening, plus CMH and a few other small things. They were blown away (nice change from my own children's bored and blase attitude!) but they really wanted me to "teach them a trick". I couldn't think of anything suitable. What impromptu, easy thing would you teach in such a situation, that they won't mess up, and which doesn't amount to exposure? I thought later about removing thumb from hand.
Jolyon Jenkins
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FunTimeAl Special user 987 Posts |
Kids are always wanting to show ME card tricks that rely on math. I think they like the tricks because they require no sleights and are fail safe as long as one remembers the correct dealing order and patter.
The "pick a row", gather and re-deal, "now pick a column", gather and re-deal, "now pick a pile" trick comes to mind. (I'm sure there's a name for this trick, but I learned it when I was 7 or 8 for show and tell at school.) I saw a magician teach a bunch of kids the French Drop with a coin and turn it into a quick routine with some patter about being sent to the store to buy a loaf of bread and losing the money along the way... I don't know, though. Is that revealing too much? Is the French Drop considered a closely guarded secret? As a classroom teacher, I do tricks in front of kids daily and refuse to reveal even the tiniest bit of information. So, I'm one to err on the side of secrecy. This is because I want to use the French Drop for my 30 year career, and thus can't give it away to those that I come into regular contact with. So there's two answers, and they even contradict each other. How's that for a reply!!??!?!? |
Andre Hagen Inner circle 1432 Posts |
Tell them to visit their library, and they will find books with many tricks. If they are REALLY interested, they will do so. If they are just casually wanting to know a secret, they won't.
Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one - Albert Einstein
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Neznarf Inner circle NY then AZ now 1840 Posts |
Magicrtandpa,
I tell them the same thing. And they ask me where the library is. I tell them to ask their parents or teacher.
"Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...it's about learning how to dance in the rain."
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jolyonjenkins Inner circle United Kingdom 1181 Posts |
The French Drop is in lots of kids magic books, but I wouldn't want to teach even that to a child with just idle curiosity - after all, I use it myself. I think it would have to be something even more basic and self-working than that.
Jolyon Jenkins
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John C Eternal Order I THINK therefore I wrote 12940 Posts |
Quote:
On 2007-04-21 12:27, magicgrandpa wrote: I believe this is the way to go about it! John |
itsmagic Inner circle middle earth 1117 Posts |
Depends on the age of the kid and how interested they are. Besides telling them to visit their libraries, which is how I got started, I also show them a couple of things:
1. The pen, pencil, ruler, straw, magic wand, etc. clinging to your open palm by "static electricity." 2. Rubberband jumping from first two fingers to the other two fingers (Houdini story). 3. Automatic 4 Ace assembly. Deal out four aces in a row, then deal three cards on top of each ace. Pick up the piles and cut them as often as you want. Then redeal the cards into four piles. The aces come together into one pile. 4. Write on a business card or index card, "Pick a number 1, 2, 3, 4" Tell them this is an experiment (cuz it doesn't work all the time). On the back of the card, write, "Why do all smart people choose 3?" It works 90% of the time for me. They will try it on their moms or dads and most of the time it will work for them too. There's a bunch more stuff you can show them, but again depends on how interested they seem. I usually have an activity and coloring book that teaches them some simple, but cool magic tricks. Also I give away the giant dollar with some magic tricks on it. |
flimnar Special user Salt Lake 577 Posts |
I agree with Itsmagic on this. I typically will show them either the rubberband jumping fingers or pencil defying gravity by sticking to the palm. It is one thing to enjoy watching magic, it is another to experience performing it. This will get a few of them excited enough to go to the Library and get a magic book. I am happy to give the truly interested a little additional incentive. Then I add to this the recommendation that they visit the Library or a local magic store (if one exists). As for the rest of the less interested kids--at worst they have a couple of tricks they can use to mystify their friends.
Flimnar
"This one goes to eleven..." Nigel Tufnel
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ROBERT BLAKE Inner circle 1472 Posts |
Rubbing the coin at the elbow trick
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jolyonjenkins Inner circle United Kingdom 1181 Posts |
Thanks for the suggestions. Which is the rubbing the coin at the elbow trick?
There's a silly mentalism one I know as well which might work: the one where you predict that the person will think of an orange kangaroo in Denmark.
Jolyon Jenkins
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magicgeorge Inner circle Belfast 4299 Posts |
What happened to the grey elephant?
You'll find instructions online for the coin in elbow trick, have a google. I have taught that one to the occasional adult who wants to learn a trick. It's actually quite a good trick it always gets people. It can be hard to teach to some kids because they pick it up with the wrong hand without thinking. The jumping band trick is the obvious choice if you've just done crazy man's handcuffs, though. George |
ROBERT BLAKE Inner circle 1472 Posts |
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