Hi guys, I'm a part-time magician and full time dad =) But I'm in a bit of a dilemma. I have been a magician for about 10 years on and off. I wouldn't say I'm the best but I have been approached by a local community to teach magic to kids. They offered me money for it but because I don't need the money, I am happy to do it for free because I'm that passionate about magic. Even my son has asked me numerous times to teach him!

Magic has given me so much satisfaction and life skills and I want to give this to my son so badly as well. But as a magician I know that the magic world looks down on teaching magic since it's been a 'secret art' for so long. Please share your opinions about this because I'm a split man at the moment!

Magician and Dad ---> Two forms of magic! Welcome to the Café...

Thanks! Very true mate. One I can make myself disappear...but the other one....that is impossible!

Try teaching your Son first and see if you have any facility for teaching. The experience will help you choose good material for the project and bring you and your Son closer together as well.

Teaching and doing Magic involve different parts of the brain. You won't believe how confusing it can be to describe something with words that you normally do without thinking.

If you impress on your students that there is a commitment involved, teach them to be good Spectators of Magic and don't teach a student a new effect till they learn the first one I think it's OK to teach a class. Keep the class small.

-Mary Mowder

Hey welcome to the magic Café mate!

This is just my opinion,

I think its wonderful to be able to teach magic to Children, I mean after all they are the future of magic (sounds cliche I know! lol but its true)
and to be able to do it for free mate? oh I think your a bloody legend for doing that! far too many people in general today are after money money money.
If you can teach magic to a child, Im telling you right now that its the best gift you could ever give them. Magic isn't only a skill set, it's giving them the
ability to do something special and it is from this special feeling that confidence and self esteem really stems from.

Think about this for a moment, in most schools now you will see kids playing basket ball, marbles, pokemon cards and what not lol but never will you see
a child interested in magic. Why is this? because its not readily available in an easy to understand format. I totally support you in what you are doing! go for it mate!

Good luck with it mate! You have my full support!

ps. It is exposure if you tell someone how an effect works and leave it at that. But to teach a magician an effect for the purposes of them learning, practicing and performing said effect, I don't think we can deem that as exposure. That is what I call teaching; proper teaching, one of the most important ideas in existence.

In my opinion, magic has to be passed on. It is frowned upon if you tell everyone you perform to. But if you take someone under your wing who is passionate and wants to pursue magic, and show them the ropes to help them get started that's okay. Just don't tell everyone how it's done. Magic is a dying art and needs to stay alive!

Completely agree with you Mystic Sleights! I think its a struggling art! I mean if you ask most people they regard magic as only a minor art and that bloody bugs me!! it should be a Major art!! lol but that's just me =)

G'day Lennioz
Welcome to the Café and it looks like you have already started a thread in the process of introducing yourself.
I am not sure where in the Café this discussion would get better coverage but if you have a look at the range of topics I am sure there will be one that covers teaching magic.
I note that there are plenty of performers and some of the major magic shops that incorporate teaching magic into what they offer. For school and holiday programs I offer a number of workshops related to performing. All of the above advise is worth considering. One thing that I have considered is, that in the type of setting that you are looking at, I present a program that will introduce the students to aspects of performing and not just the mechanics of how a trick works (that is easy enough to find on "You Tube" and a thing that kids keep telling me about called "Tricky TV").
When it comes to the actual tricks to be considered I choose the ones that are in the readily available books targeted at teaching children magic tricks -books like "Magic for Dummies" and others similar. 2 standard effects that I include in my standard workshop and that allow for consideration of misdirection, the importance of practicing, eye contact etc are the "jumping rubber band" and the one where a chosen card is returned to the deck and then magically turned upside down.
Enjoy working out how to approach this challenge.
I am happy if you email or send a PM if you would like to discuss the issue further.
Bob Latta (aka Troppo Bob)

Great that you are teaching them, as long as you don't teach them the classics.
I have kind of the same dilemma with my daughter who's 8. She is interested in magic, but too young to keep the secrets 100%, so one after the other, her friends will get to know at least some of the secrets. Either by her repeating it too often, teaching it to her friend to performing it together or something. I'm teaching, but teaching simpler things than what I'd normally use myself.

BTW, in Busan, Korea, they have taken it a step further. They offer university courses in magic, and you can study magic full time for years. That is how it should be.

Welcome! Good luck with your instruction to teach young ones!