I was asked by a daycare basically to do walk around outside while kids are playing and all kinds of activities.
Parents are going to be present.
Has anyone done a gig similar?
What are good small kid walk around?

Sponge balls, coloring books, break-away wand, … (impressive, easy-to-understand tricks that can be performed repeatedly). You might want to scroll through the threads in this forum for more ideas. Good luck.

If it’s outside you may be running more than you walking. (lol) But serious if they have bounce houses, etc for the kids they wont be standing still for very long. I agree with the sponge balls, etc. And it wouldn’t hurt to have something extra to entertain the teachers and parents if you do have moments where you’re just standing there watching the kids.

Good luck with it

Tom

I do a lot of walk around gigs for kids. There may be older siblings there. I'd ask how many kids and make sure the amount of time you are hired for is proportunate to how much material you have, including simply joking around with them. It's a big subject, but here are a few tips. A big part of it is simply interacting with them, joking around, being fun and funny, being silly, not just doing tricks. Because you are new to strolling, at least for younger kids, you may need or want to do some of the stuff you do for your regular show. You may need or want to bring your Lefler style table or whatever stuff you need to do some of your regular show. If you do that, it may end up being sort of an informal version of your show material, but just done in small chunks. Or you might end up getting a crowd like in a busking situation. And you may not end up doing any of that stuff, but having it in your car as back-up may be a good idea. As far as material, sponge balls of course, pull ribbons or coins out their ear, multiplying bananas working into another trick, stuff like that. You can also mix in strolling interactive puppet stuff like bunny in hat, I mix in a fair amount of strolling ventriloquism with puppets. You could also try to talk the client into soing a full show or multiple short shows. If older siblings are there, then you probably have close-up stuff for that.

I don't know the name of it, so I'm hoping someone will chime in.

Two loose beads on either end of a knotted, 7 - 8 " string. The effect is that the string will pass through the spectator's wrist.

Jeff McBride teaches it on "Magic from the Edge". It is an old trick with various forms.

Paper Streamer from silk or elsewhere or thumbtip streamer. Hank ball with the silk traveling around.

A little ring and rope. They don't need a long routine.

Some juggling, including silly juggling. Even silk juggling is enough, you don't need much, and you don't have to be great.

My partner Tom came up with a routine we call Toss Trio. Various knots disappear and are handed invisibly to Children. The kids throw the invisible knots towards the rope as it is swung through the air, and three knots are caught and become visible again. I can't give the details, if you know any rope magic already, you can come up with something similar. It really plays strong!

Little kids often enjoy watching Magic done for Mom or helping to do magic with a magic word, wand waving, or finger wiggling. Helping a puppet do Magic with a change bag is a good choice.

This age group will want to see the same thing over and over; indulge them a bit. They are not trying to figure it out. They just want to see it again.

Misers Dream moves can be fun; they don't need a big finish. Coin from ear is a perennial favorite.

Just be present and willing to listen to them as you perform will be good. Let them touch the props if they are not sticky.

This is walk around, you are not performing at them, you are performing with them. Any adult that will play with them and not look at a screen is a hit. Sadly, it's a low bar.

Non-magical items like Clack blocks, or the paper blooming flowers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NqjTeyQu9k are fun for them too.

Have fun. I was afraid of this group for far too long. They are super sweet.

- Mary

I particularly liked danfreed's post.

If you get a blooming flower reinforce the arms clear to the bloom ( allowing room for the various blooms.) Kids can't touch it. It breaks easily.

Mary said it perfectly. Hard at that age to concentrate but excellent advice!

I'm curious about the beaded string through wrist Mary Mowder mentioned. I've found the McBride DVDs on eBay, Magic at the Edge. Are there any other references on this trick? Thanks Mary!

My friend Dale Lorzo says it is similar to a Tenyo trick called Lucifer's Lock (or Locket) but it is smaller and uses no lock.
Another friend says it is just called band through Hand but a search of that is only getting rubber band and weaving cord through fingers magic. I'll keep looking for a real name.
I guess I'll watch Jeff McBride's Magic from the Edge again. Sounds like fun.

- Mary Mowder