I am just starting to do magic shows for kids and i am curious how many tricks i should fit in for an hour. Also, if neone has any tips to help me get started or any tricks i should get for sure let me know. Any old tricks no one needs would also be greatly appreciated!
Thanks

I can see now you are months from being ready for a paid show. Get some books and videos on the subject. An excellent book is 'The birthday party business.'
You can go on David Ginn's site go to books and you'll find it there. Do your homework and don't expect to get your show by asking others on this thing.
You are nowhere near prepared to even think about doing a show.

ok i would definatly rehearse your entire show several times adding and removing tricks and timing your self so you can fit it in to your time frame
also my advise make a script for your tricks and reherse it untill you dont need it.

A good place to start is at local public libraries. Get your show together and approach the local childrens' librarians about performing a show for their "story hours." It's a freebie show, but you can pass out business cards and get lots of referrals locally. You'll get practice with real audiences and be able to try out new material that you'll later decide to put in your "professional" show if they go over well.

Also, during the summer, you can often perform at local recreational centers... again for free, but you're getting valuable experience instead of pay and you're getting noticed locally (and keep passing out those business cards!).

When you've done a number of these shows and feel you are good enough, ask the person in charge if you can take a photo of your performance for the local paper. Have someone take a photo of you performing (preferably with the kids all looking excited and raising their hands or something). Write up a story carefully (use spell check!) and submit it to the local paper. Summer is a slow news time for many local papers and I will bet you money that if you have a well written article and submit it with a photo very politely, you'll get some very valuable free publicity. You may even get the paper to send a reporter and photographer to your next show.

The moral of the story... don't spend all of your time learning magic and neglect to learn the business end of magic; how to publicize yourself, how to book yourself, and how to handle yourself publicly in a business-like manner. It's just as important as learning the latest magic trick.

P. Spellbinder
http://www.magicnook.com

just my opinion...I would not start with an hour long show.

My current shows run 45 minutes to an hour, but there is no way I could have done an hour when I started.