I wat to start doing Very Intimate Kids shows (meaning not a lot of kids invnolved , around 20 ) in a not so far future and this is what I have so far that I BELIEVE I could use :
Vanishing Hanky, Color Changing Hanky, Airtight, Biting Sensations, Cut and Restored Rope, Professor's Nightmare, Sponge Balls & Sponge Ball to Jumbo Square, PB&JELLY, All around the world Mind Reading Coloring Book, Magic Coloring Book, Misled, Magic Ratlle Box, Stealth Pen, Diminishing Returns, Mandarin Mirror Box, In A Flash, Floating Dollar Bill & Flash Bills......these are not all the tricks that I own but are the ones that will probably suit better a Kids Show that is very intimate and that of course also has parents as spectators...

I am planning on getting Bigger Finish, Sucker Die Box, Little Fishy, Vanishing Caryons, Mini Hippity Rabbits.......

What else would you advice me to get???
Any dvd that packs some pretty cool ticks for kids here at penguin???

Any books that give some good insight and pointers in regards to kids shows???

How about animal ballooning??

Which type of clothing should I wear ?? Colorful??? Perhaps dying my spiky hair?? People say I look like Harry Potter , would this work????

HELP ME PLEASE, THIS KIDS STUFF IS VERY NEW TO ME AND I WILL THANK ANY ADVICE THAT YOU GUYS CAN GIVE ME....
Thanks beforehand, Sincerely,
JRdigitized.

u don't need to look like a clown to entertain kids, another good trick for kids are dlites and cups and balls. Also, little kids sorta like tricks like the Hot Rod. I know there was a trick that has a color that a kid thinks of written on the pencil, but i'm not sure if they sell it here.

0365

I know I don't have to look like a clown but I've seen some professional magicians that do Kids shows and they dress in very colorful clothing , I believe this is because it makes you look much more amicable, trustfull, and funny....
I will be performing for audiences of both kids and parents so the tricks have to be impressive for both type of audiences.....the kids will be like 8-101 years old.....
And you are right D'lites is very good for tricks but I don't know if they would work out in a patio where there is a lot of sunshine....
Cups and Balls ...... perhaps I will have to change my routine so that it can adapt to a children's audience......I'll have to experiment...
Thanks though......

First off if you are going to do shows for kids, keep it simple. Ages 6-10 about 40 minutes. Secondly get rid of the card tricks. Many (especially younger kids) don't really comprehend the value of cards and the suits. Here is a list of what I would recommend for kids shows, from some experience:
Vanishing Hankie,
Any silk magic (20th Century silks, Magic Lollipops, Blendo, Silk Tube, or a production device, mismade Teddy Bear or Flag)
Hippity Hop Rabbits, and/or Sucker Die Box,
Magic Coloring Book
Magic Milk Pitcher, Comedy Funnel
Strat-O-Sphere,
Any comedy stuff, like the Fall Apart Wand, Fan, Sorcers Hat, Paper Tear Hat,
Cut and restored rope.
I would also recommend the following, Birthday Magicians Handbook Dave Fiscus, Packs Small, Plays Big - Dan Harlan Vol 2, Children's Magic the Herbert Way-Terry Herbert.
Dan Harlan does about a 45 minute routine all from a small carrying case and gets good reactions from the kids.
Terry Herbert is English, but he has a well thought out routine with some good patter and story lines. Hope this helps. Just remember, kids like to be involved, if it is just you doing magic, they may get bored, you need to have helplers and assistants thru out the show. Not every trick but a few times.

It never hurts to start off with a mouth coil for a kids show. I haven't come acrossed one kid yet that doesn't think that it's amazing. A couple more suggestions would be a linking rings routine, torn and restored party napkin, maybe think up something using some slush powder. Just be creative!
Also, definately go with a collorful outfit. It catches the eye and keeps the kids attention on you.
I agree with fcchief about adding some humor to the routine as well. It goes a long way!

i would HAVE TO recommend these three
Mouth Coils
Slush Powder
Magic Coloring Book

and Don't ever do Card tricks.. (except something like card toon maybe)

I wouldn't say, "Don't ever do card tricks." Some are OK. Presto-Printo comes to mind. Something visual, not the "find a card" type of trick.

My favorite kid-show trick is the Vanishing Bandana. I start out the show by telling the kids that the last trick I will show them How I learn to do tricks. It's great and funny. I actually do this for adult shows too.

Check out material by David Ginn, he has a ton of books on kids magic and has been doing it for a long time.

I've never seen it, but I've heard that "Vanishing Banana" is funny and good for kids. Anyone with experience with it?

Your list is pretty good. Another thing that works well with kids is any "Do what I do" routine, where you have one of the kids' parents come up and try to do everything that you do, but obviously can't. Whirling/hummer card works well with this, but even REALLY simple things like making a coin vanish. When the adult can't do it, the kids crack up.

Another variation is to have a kid and an adult come up. Put a coin in one hand and close both hands. Ask the kid which hand the coin is in - kid gets it right. Repeat it with the adult, but do a false transfer - adult gets it wrong - kids crack up. Repeat it a couple of times, but at some point produce a bigger load - kids roar. Or do this with a sponge ball routine.

Do the milk pitcher trick with a kid and an adult. Have the kid assist you, but act like you're spilling the milk on the adult. They flinch - kids crack up.

You can do some pretty basic stuff, but make the kid look smart and the adult look goofy and the kids will LOVE it!

Just make sure you give the adult a sincere "Thanks" and a pat on the shoulder at the end and whisper "Thanks for playing along. That was great!". That way they feel like they were part of entertaining the kids, rather than the butt of a joke.

vanishing ketchup bottle, of course coloring books with vanighsing crayons AND extra BLANK coloring book do a switch and destroy the hecklers. airborn. andy animal magic especially birds or rabbits... plus you can charge more if you put animals in your show. paper hat tiers are funny. definatly use a dove pan. either produce a dove or produce candy or something to keep them interested. i think its a must becasue it has loads of audience perticipation. i didnt bother to read the whole p[ost so i repeat anything whihc i ost likly did, excuse me...

The Comedy Egg Can is great.

You crack an egg into a canister, cover it with a piece of cardboard and invert the can (the cardboard is keeping the egg from coming out). You ask for a volunteer to come up and you place the canister on his head (the only thing between the egg and his head is that piece of cardboard) and have him hold it in place with one hand. You pause, tell him that you forgot what's next and have to refer to the instructions. You then pull the cardboard out from under the canister and the kid's mom is usually the first one that gasps!

Oooops! You tell the kid not to panic. You grab a bowl and have his mom hold it in front of him. You hand an egg beater to the kid and tell him that at the count of three you are going to slide the canister off of his head, the mom is going to catch the egg in the bowl as it falls, and the kid has to turn the handle on the egg beater as fast as he can, ok? So the kid agrees.

You count to three, slide the canister off his head, and the kid is turning the handle like crazy, only no egg is falling. The egg has disappeared. You check his head and there is no egg there, either. You can turn the canister upside down and right side up and show that no egg is coming out - it really has disappeared.

Then you proceed to produce a tumbler full of hard candy from the canister for the kid to enjoy.

I have a slush powder routine also, but this post is too long already so I'll save it for another post later.

--Henry