JAEIII:

I personally, and this has been debated back and forth both here on the Café and elsewhere, would be careful with the balloon animals for the 2 year old.

I make a point of telling my clients who have parties which include anyone under 4 years of age that I do not give balloons for children under 4 (and sometimes I feel that is pushing it). Some people will insist that I make there under 4 year old a balloon sculpture 'because their child is very bright and is not in the habit of putting such things in their mouth'. Well, I will oblige, but insist on giving it to the parent and they can give it to the child.

Lo and behold, one time, no sooner did the parent give the 3 year old the balloon, the little girl put it in her mouth, bit on it (I was told she had just lost some teeth and was gumming everything) and it popped. Luckily, she was being held by her mother at the time, who was destracted by conversation with a guest, and the startled mother was able to pull the one piece still in the childs mouth out safely. We just exchange 'looks'.

I know that regardless if the mother was the one that gives the child the balloon sculpture, if that child is hurt or chokes because of something I made for them, and gave to them directly or indirectly, I would feel horrible having gone against my own best judgement.

I offer to give the under 4's another giveaway instead of a balloon sculpture.

This is sort of a controversial subject and I don't mean to be on a soapbox but I just wanted to give you my opinion on the matter. As for anyone who disagrees - and there will be someone - please don't hold it against me....I know there are differing opinions and I accept them as such.

As for the rest of the program, it sounds good. Try adding some scarf routines. As for the sponge balls, go ahead and use them. It does not have to be an interactive routine. Just produce them, change color, vanish and change it to a another production item ie: a scarf (or vice versa.
The rabbit production will get the biggest reaction and should be your closer.

Do not be intimated with this age group the closer to 3 years old they are, the easier they are to entertain. They are a lot of fun. Be one of them and play!

Wolly

Wolly,

Thank you so much for such an excellent reply. I was actually debating the balloon animal with this age; so I agree with you that perhaps I shouldn't do it. I typically don't make balloon animals for any kids regardless of the age...but I was really just looking for something different for this younger age group.

Thanks for the other great tips as well!

My pleasure JAEIII, glad I could help with the decision. As I mentioned, there are others who will disagree - but there are two sides, and maybe more, to anything.

One other prop that you may want to use, and it is mentioned by Harris above, is the use of a puppet. Really any puppet will do, just make sure that you put a good routine together for it and it does not have to be magic. I write my own scripts but you can purchase them on the internet. This will take a little practice to incorporate into the act but is well worth it. I use them for all age groups, and I mean all, toddler to senior citizen....great entertainment!

Wolly

While driving in the car today between shows I was thinking about my original post under 4's...which implies 3 year olds...actually 3 year olds are not so difficult especially if older children are at the party. The question should have been when you get a request for a 3 year olds birthday...where the top age is 3 and most children will be 2 turning 3....there is a big difference between a child who has just turned 3 and a child who is 3 and a 1/2 or more.....I currently have a lower limit of 4 year old birthdays...so the question is do you have a lower limit where you advise the parent to seek an alternative to your show....I recommend a local gal who dresses like a fairy and does quiet games and story telling.

While driving in the car today between shows I was thinking about my original post under 4's...which implies 3 year olds...actually 3 year olds are not so difficult especially if older children are at the party. The question should have been when you get a request for a 3 year olds birthday...where the top age is 3 and most children will be 2 turning 3....there is a big difference between a child who has just turned 3 and a child who is 3 and a 1/2 or more.....I currently have a lower limit of 4 year old birthdays...so the question is do you have a lower limit where you advise the parent to seek an alternative to your show....I recommend a local gal who dresses like a fairy and does quiet games and story telling.

Birthday Magician,

I hate to say it but 1 and 2 year olds are really out for me when it comes to doing a "typical magic show". As I said in my earlier post, I can entertain them with "goo goo gah gah' and make some funny faces and if the parent wants to pay my fee for doing something that they, and anyone that comes into contact with the child on a daily basis does, then so be it.

Some parents will want a clown or other character and that is fine depending on the disposition of the child(ren) involved. I have had people force their screaming child on Santa's lap, into the arms of the clown, the Easter Bunny, etc (and again the child is screaming their heads off). I don't know how the parent feels about it but it is a very uncomfortable feeling for myself and not to mention the child. Seeing and enjoying Santa, the Easter Bunny, a clown, Elmo, etc. on TV is different then seeing them in real life where they are 'larger than life". All of a sudden the child is overwhelmed that this 4" television character is 6 feet tall.

So basically, I draw the line at 1-2 year olds...but there are always exceptions (non-monetary) and I will make those exceptions after I have determined the disposition of the children involved and I make the parents well aware of the circumstances and possible consequences.

Your recommendation of the girl who dresses like a fairy is a good recommendation and practice. I too send any business such as the cartoon characters etc to my local magic dealer who does have performers who provide those services.

I hope that helps,
Wolly

Lots of good and valuable experience , insgihts and suggestions shared here on this great thread.

I thought it might be of interest to some if I shared a bit about my relatively unique (as far as I know) start and approach to my children's show, so here goes..

The first 20 minutes of my show are performed without speaking. Only music playing in the background and the sounds of the children and their parents laughing and clapping. I have the parent of the birthday child introduce me, before I come out and before the music starts. She/he introduces me as being a very funny and very magical magician, but lets the children know that "Monsieur Magic" is also very, very shy, asking the children to whisper my name to help me come out.

This was my own idea many (many) years ago, and it always seems to work... as the children's attention seems to be captured from the very start, and even the potentially most boisterous child is genuinely curios and engaged in the intro of the show and seems calmer and more receptive throughout the entire show --more than if I had the kids yell my name and have me come out to their loud and shouted calls.

..at least this special introduction has worked for me over many years --though I realize it is not for everyone, and certainly does not fit the persona of many magicians out there.

So for myself and my audience, the intro sets the mood and is always lots of fun. My first serious of tricks (about 5 or 6) are, as mentioned, performed silently (a bit like in the style of Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and other great silent comedians). Then, some 20 minutes into the show I start speaking telling the children I am not so shy anymore. I then, with their permission proceed to tell them a brief story to when I was a child and began to realize that I might also be a magician. Again, this segue works well for me.

I sell the show to parents as being primarily for e-12 years old, but often there are a few 1-2 years old in the group, which is fine , as long as the parents are there and the 1-2 year olds are on their lap or close by (because, I explain to the parent, they tend to wander into the show --wanting to touch the props, etc... and they are "very" expensive, I tell the parent). So the 1-2 year olds stay close to their parents and seem to still watch the entire hour-long show attentively enough --though admittedly they may not watch every second, but they are certainly not disruptive.

Anyone interested in viewing a short clip of my show can do so on our site, as we have recently uploaded this clip.

http://www.monsieurmagic.com/Max_videos.html

Hope you enjoy the clip as much as I enjoy performing these shows.

It's worthwhile to note that the birthday girl was only age 1, and so I used her older (3 year old) sister for my closing effect, where I usually have the birthday girl (when she is old enough), wear a nice red cape and become the magician to help me perform the last trick of my show.

With best wishes and encouragement to those new to the field of entertaining children.

Jonathan (aka "Monsieur Magic")

Nice vid Jonathan...can you fly down and do a show for a 2 year old bday?

Just kidding...

So I hear a lot of discussion at the 3 year to 4 year range, but no one has
discussed the 2 year old range. Though, I seen several mentions where one
would draw the line.

The reason being, I have client who is insistent that I perform at her 2 year
old's bday (just turning 2) and the audience (class mates at a daycare) will be
in attendance. Also, they're requesting balloons, though I feel that children
under 3 (as stated on the qualtext package) should not handle balloons without
supervision.

The show I do play's extremely well for the 4-7 years and I have also revamped
it to also interest the 7-12 years olds.

So my thoughts here; invoked by the video above and what has already been
discussed; is that the show needs to be:

• short 30 minutes no more.
  
• needs to have music
  
• interaction but at their level; meaning, performing on your knees ( I like the idea of having a stool).
  
• Puppets
  
• magic (you still have to do some form of magic (parents are watching )
  
  

Any thoughts on performing for those who are two?

Dear Solrak29. Thanks for your kind words about the video.

To address a few of your other concerns, I should let you know that I only accepted to perform my show for a one year old birthday girl, because I knew she had an older sister (age 3) and that most of the other children were the friends of this older sister (ages 3-4). When I do get calls to perform for a "group" of two year olds, I
explain to the parent that in my twenty years (+)experience, I find that groups of two year olds are not well-suited to a magic show (of any kind), and that the parent would serve the childrens interests better by engaging the services of a singer (with a guitar ) that plays known childrens songs, or perhaps a puppeteer, or an activity specialist that can play games with the children or do coloring and crfts etc (though, frankly I cannot recall if 2 year olds are too young to do crafts). I caution them to be careful in hiring a clown to perform and make balloons, etc, explaining that balloons that pop can scare and if they go into the children's mouth thay can choke, and a clown with white face, not trained to work with the very young can also frighten a child. I then encourage them back to the possiblity of a puppeteer, singer or activity specialist, and ask them to keep my telephone number and website bookmarked for next year. IN some cases where the parent insists that theiur child is especially bright and intersted in magic tricks, I let them know that this is great and that they are obviously more mature than most, but that the chances are the majority of the two year are not ready to watch a magic show. By this point in the conversation, the person on the other end of the phone is usually expressing thanks for this advise and assures me they will keep my name and number and site for next year which they often seem to (relly) do. As for handing out balloon animals to children less than 5, I always explain to the parents present, letting the older children know too that if they have younger brothers or sisters, they should not give them their balloon to play with because if the young child puts it into their mouth they can really choke on them, so they should please have fun with their balloon animal, but also be careful. I also tell them not to put them in thier mouths at all because they are much more likely to pop. They (the kids and the parents) seem to get the message. If I have a parent insist that I give their less than 3 year old a ballon animal, I wil but only after I repeat my warning with a serious (yet friendly) tone of warning. At that point most will then say never mind, but the few that still wnat it (usually because their little one is crying to have one like their older brother or sister)let me know they will watch their child very carefully. This cautious yet (somewhat) flexible approach towards the concern of giving balloons to very young children has always worked for me. Hope it's helpful for you and others.

Jonathan

Jonathan

I stopped doing 3-year-old parties about a year ago. I found it was just too much wear-and-tear on me. Mostly it involves a lot of slapstick and puppets, almost no magic. What is magical to a 3-year-old about something disappearing or transforming? They see it everyday in their limited experience. The Great Zucchini in my area (WashingtonDC) does a lot of 3-year-old shows, but again it's very fast paced quicky effects and a lot of slapstick.

I do perform a LOT of 1-year-old parties because in some communities those a large family affairs with a wide range of children to be entertained. I've found the first birthday celebration market to be particularly lucrative, so don't hang up when someone calls wanting a party for a one-year-old.

Can anyone show me a link to this video. I can't seem to find it! Thanks!

Here's the thread with all the links.

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......um=17&13

I read somewhere that it is actually illegal to give a balloon to a child under 4 or 3 years old. Anybody ever heard of this? In any case, it probably isn't a good idea anyway. Same with tricks that involve ears & mouth (coils, coins, etc.) Little kids don't get the caveat, "don't try this at home."

Simple, flashy, quick -- or routines involving props they are familiar with (coloring book routined well goes over great!) And, yes, puppets. These guys always give everyone the most memorable moments in my shows for the littler ones.