Ok before you even think about doing a kid show you should do the below things

1) Make a routine.

First things first you need to know what you will be doing and in what order. A routine should flow, that means every trick should run smoothly into the one before it.
First I take a piece of paper (or go on Microsoft word) and brainstorm all possible tricks you will do. They should all have a similar theme or be able to flow into each other in some way, and be good for the audience that will be seeing the show.

Next Plan the order of the tricks and the patter to make them flow.

2) Be sure you have all the necessary things to be able to perform this show.

Buy or gather all things needed to do all the tricks in the show.

3) Practice Practice Practice !!!!!!!
Make sure you have practiced your head off.
Nothing would be more embracing than messing up a trick in front of an audience.
Once you have practiced enough than practice some more!!!!!!

4) Study Your magic.

Study other magicians preformances and notice all the little things such as gags thay do.

5) Things to remember.

A) Stay calm.
B) Talk to the audience.
C) Make sure there having fun.
So go out there and perform.

do you have a thing for the beach? You keep talking about a "shore."

Actually, I think 4 should be first. Go watch some real preformers, take notes, get a solid DVD and learn from it. Then get the props you think you need.

Ops. I fixed it.

Exactly! First read up on Kid shows, how to do one- how to PERFORM.
Then look for effects.
Everyone thinks kid shows are easy. What's so hard about understanding kids, right! Magic will mystify them. Wrong-wrong-wrong.
Accept a show first and then worry how to do it. That takes nothing but pure ignorance and arrogance.

Sluggo is right. I have heard several magicians state that performing for kids are harder than adults. Make a mistake, and they'll nail you right then and there. Also, they don't over-think tricks like us adults, so they can catch on quite quickly at times!

But, if you love kids --- its definitely the right area of magic for you.

a childs perception is only of a birds brother.................................



think about it

Adults will nail you just as much as kids, kids will usually be more physical and louder though (more disruption), but adults let you know via (especially) facial expression.

At least through my findings, though (through various shows I've watched and chats with some fellow magicians), kids may be more disruptive if something goes wrong, but it's also easier to get back the attention of kids than adults.

Sneak, you obviously don't do a lot of kid's shows. I have seen adults be amazed at certain effects but the kids saw thru it instantly. Hey, that's happened to me, not often but it has.

As for the last sentence, you have no idea about kids. If you lose one kid and he gets bored. You're toast. The bored kid will start to disrupt your show and that's all Folks. You MIGHT, if you're REALLY LUCKY get back one or two of the kids but the rest are gone and they will cause enough havoc to destroy your show.

Some of the people here remind me of one time I was in clown doing a restaurant. This one lady said "I used to be a clown>" So I asked her where she went to school and her answer was "Fairfield High School." Then she told me "I have never had a kid afraid of me." That told me she not only didn't know what she was doing but she was also a liar. Same here when someone says "I have never had a problem with kids losing attention."

Your last paragraph shows your nature once again, Pad! The hate that you bring here to so many makes one thing seem obvious, you must have alot of problems at what you do despite your claims otherwise! But, hey, that's just my opinion.

To clear up one matter you brought up, I have about 100 kid shows under my belt. Maybe not as much as you, don't know, don't care, but enough to warrant responses here.

And to another matter, if you don't follow up immediately, then yes, you have lost the crowd probably. But a quick reaction can fix the problem. A magician should always have something ready in the event something goes wrong somewhere in your show. What I have done is to have a standby effect that that can be used at any time and it uses multiple spectators so that as you bring them up (and they pretty much all want to go up), their attention goes back to you and the show. In about 2 situations thus far, it has worked 100% of the time.

Sneak, I am one of the full time performers here. The ONLY important thing is to make the kids happy. I am not in any way spreading hate. What I insist upon is providing a professional quality show so that every kid ther, plus any parent has FUN.

Again you say you have done over 100 kids shows. From the advice that you give in this forum it is obvious that none of them has been a repeat not any of the parents at the parties have hired you.

Sneak, you need to learn before you can teach.

I have been asked several times to perform from parents and I have even had 2 teachers ask about performing. One teacher for herself and another (who didn't have any kids) for a friend of hers.

My advice here is different from yours as I value effects more than you. All the advice you give on presentation I pretty much agree with, I just don't talk about it more because you already are.

You really don't have any idea on my show, but you already mentioned that in another post yesterday.

I am still curious about your performing schedule, though, because I just find you too angry and I can't picture you in front of 5 year olds. I can picture you being a decent busker, though. Can I ask if you do busking?

Sneak I responded to you in another thread in Kid's shows but to answer your question about busking, yes I do busk. When I go out I set a goal for myself depending on the day and the weather, Sometimes as low as $100 but usually more. Then I work the pitch until I make that amount. After that I take it easy for the rest of the day.

I now have to make some changes in my busking style because of health reasons. I went from one medicine to control my diabetes to insulin injections 3 times a day. Have to talk to some people about how to handle that while busking but I'll do it without problems.

I am not all that angry but I have strong feelings about kid's shows. They must be the BEST shows we do. We MUST leave them with great memories of our magic. They don't have to remember that Paddy did anything but that some magician made things appear when I was 5 years old. I am not important but the memory of seeing and being amazed is.

I now see from the other thread that you also believe that. I missed seeing that previously.

Paddy, I couldn't agree with you more! Your words got to the very heart of it, because if you don't leave them with the magic and wonder when they are young -- you run the risk of them losing it as they grow and then magic becomes a lost art.

Excellent post!

Oh, those memories....... in a nutshell, memories is what it's all about. If they have good memories about it, they'll remember magic as a positive thing.

And that's why I am where I am today......

Back in the 70's when I was about 7-8, I went to my first magic show (at my school) and the seed was planted. To this day, I have always remembered the show, the miracles, the laughs, the great time, and have grown to love magic to the point where I want to share with others, this thing called 'magic' that is so much a part of me.