. I need some advice on kid shows. Ive never done anything like em b4 except when I did my sisters b-day party. ( 20 girls + boys) they were all freaking out, and for the rest of the night they were asking to see more tricks after about an hour and a half of showing them st8uff i was outta tricks. I think in a few months i will be set to make money off kid shows . I just need some tips on what type of tricks. Most people have told me to stay away from card tricks/ coin tricks,a nd only go for vanishing hank type of tricks and such ( basically stage tricks).. I need some ideas for tricks i would use in a kid show considering most of the ttricks i have are pretty
good, at least good enough to amaze any guests my parents have over. Any suggestions would be helpful. I know I have enough skill to perform, its just im not sure on how to present my self at a b-day party. ex: dont know what clothes to wear, dont know how to set up, dont know how to act... Ill take any comments .. they are needed! Also- most of the magic i have is close up...


Thanks For the help!!!

- Kirby

This should be in the kid show forum but anyway, for a kid show, I would do stuff like:

PB&J Illusion
maybe Bisection
Strat O Sphere
Zombie
Rocky The Racoon
maybe Facelifter
Swallowing a Balloon from Geek Magic(You'll lose alot of bookings)
Headrush maybe
if you wanna get expensive, do some illusions that suit well
perhapes metal bending
XCM Demo

That suggestions but it really depends on the age of your audience

Your biggest challenge when doing childrens shows is not the tricks, it management of the audience. Cards are ok if it's quick and visual. Coins have the same rule but are more forgiving.

Birthday parties are the devil as far as I'm concered. Parents seem to want you to do the babysitting while you're performing and it brings on an whole new dimension. Manage your props and workspace wisely or some young'un will grab something up and run!

My favorite "kids" shows are a table hopping type venue. I have a Cub Scout banquet comming up and it's a sigh of relief compared to the birthday parties. Kids are seated; parents are next to them. It's more of a dual show because you want to entertain both the children and adults. The fact that it's table hopping means that I only have to have 5-10 tricks ready and can alternate them between tables. The end is an audience wide finale.

Enjoy!

You should really check out the Kid Show section of the forum...it gives lots of information about the type of questions you are asking.

It is my understanding that you don't want to do too many tricks, and it requires a lot of patter and comedy relief to keep the kids interested. Also, it would depend on the age of the kids.

If at all possible, try and be on the 'audience' side of a few kid shows prior to trying to perform for yourself. I have found this invaluable. Luckily, there is a magic shop in our area that also does dinner theatre. Once a month they host a 'kids' show performance. If you can watch others perform in the same venue, it will help you tremendously.

Be sure that prior to trying to perform...that you have your routine nailed....for experience.....how about offering some free shows at your local day care center? They should be happy with the kids being diverted for awhile, and you'll gain valuable knowledge on how difficult it will be to maintain the kids' attention during a show prior to trying to be paid for it!

Good luck...let us know how it goes!

How old are you?

Im 15 years old to answer your question. It seems a little young, but I think im ready- I volunteer at a nursery once a week for 2 hours so i know what kids can be like- its actually more like a day care center. Umm more suggestions are welcomed. Thanks to everyone that left some comments- please keep em coming! Im gonna go check out the Kid Show- forum.

Thanks Again! - Kirby

So much for the kid show forum- try 3 topics in there...

Again- any suggestions wanted! Thanks!

-Kirby

in my eyes its not that young if you have controll and show showmanship

Ok i've got an idea on a few things i think im gonna get for kid shows.


1) Pb+J Illusion
2) Stratosphere
3) Slush powder
4) Vanishing hank
5) Pen thru dollar (this is a maybe-Not sure if they would like it)
6) Large Magic coloring book (this is a maybe)
7) Bisection


and that is all I can think of so far to get - any advice on what to add to my order is needed! please help me out.... I was also wondering... should I have a fold up stand or something in case the party is out doors? Keep the advice coming please!!!! Need more ideas for tricks that arent to expensive...im kinda poor...hopefully if all goes well, i can earn it all back. we'll see.. Thanks Again!


-Kirby

I don't have any experience in this type of stuff, but from what i've read in the kid's show forum(before the mod accident...)this is what i would say:

pen through dollar... great trick, get B-2 bomber... but not for a kids show. are they gonna have a dollar? no. depending on their age, they might not even know the importance of money. i just don't think this will work.

bisection this might scare them... belive it or not... i read that in one of the kids show topics too. seeing somebody's lower half dissapear?!?!? i would be scared if i was five! that, or they'll be totally amazed.

magic coloring book this is probably better for younger kids. i figured it out when i was 10 or 11. before i got into magic. then again, all the clowns and magicians in my town have it.

if you think i'm wrong, or don't want to listen to me b/c of my lack of experience. feel free to!

hope i helped!

MAT THE MAGICIAN

You never mentioned the actual age of the kids. I perform for 10-11 year olds, and that age they get bored real quick. If you ever run out of tricks, remember you can use the TT for many types of tricks. Get the Hampton Ridge video, 25 tricks with a TT.

Thnx for the advice all- I was wondering what ages to do....since I have no experience in this area I would have no idea what age level to perform to. I was thinking maybe 8-11 year olds?? maybe even 7-10 or something.. Again, keep the advice coming!!! thnx! Oh and how much could I charge for a show? would I have like a main half hour long show then just leave or what...... please help!

- Kirby

I disagree about the pen through dollar. The other day i was sitting at the dentist and i grabbed a magazine and preformed the pen through dollar on one of the pages. It doesn't have to be a dollar. It can be anything. The kids were swarming over me for more tricks. And the parents too. The mom wouldn't stop thanking me for preforming! And i'm only 14!

The kind of tricks I would suggest for a kids show are
Joker tube
Hippety Hop rabbits
Candy factory (not available here)

Also I saw this kids magic show a while back, which I really didn't like. This guy had about five tricks and managed to make such a big deal about all of them and talked for so long imbertween them, the show lasted 45 minuites! I thought it was naff, and the kids just got bored. You need to have a wide range of tricks and don't spend much more time than you need to on the tricks.

If you have just started in doing kids shows I wouldn't mention anything about pay to the person who you are doing the show for unless you are an estableshed magician. You may often find they will give you some money anyway!

Hope I'm of help- DW[/i]

I've done kid shows for a few years and the core of my routine is always the same, regardless of age:

Appearing Drinking Straw
Chick-Pan with treats (small toys) for well-behaved volunteers
Color-Changing Shoelaces
Sponge Balls
Super Frog
Dishonest Abe (kids like the different sized coins)
Blooming Bouquet (you won't believe the response!)
Cups & Balls (the appropriate patter is what sells this to kids)

If they're really young (less than 5) I often throw in a spring animal trick.
If they're really old (9-14) I do a Harry Potter trick where a plunger ends up on the volunteers' head.

If I do card tricks for younger kids, I use Pokemon cards for card-on-ceiling.

This is the core of all my kidshows and I build around it depending on the details of the show.
Simple magic seems to work the best. You have to remember that the sun coming up every morning is magical to a small child! There's no need for elaborate sleights or complicated routines. Just use something colorful, engaging and most of all, fun. You're an entertainer first and a magician second.

Good luck!