Personally, I feel that, in most cases, cards tricks are too advanced for children. I've tried hundreds of times to explain this to a friend of mine but he insists on doing some of his best knuckle busters at childrens' parties. While the adults are in awe, the kids have that "What ?" look on their faces. And when I'm hired to do a child's birthday party, i could care less what the adults think of the effects, I'm hired to entertain the children. If the adults want to be entertained, they can hire me for their new year's eve party.

What do you all think about cards for kids?

Get "Kids Cards". Do a card on ceileng effect.

cards are more for adults than children, try something more visual for kids

I perform many card effects for the older kids. There are far fewer card effects that can be performed for young kids. The trouble is that young kids usually can't remember what card they selected, because they aren't in the habit of playing cards. Adults have played cards enough to be able to remember the suits, although some will need to look at their card for several seconds to burn it into their memories.

I have performed magic for kids some times (twice at kids shows) and I personally am against card magic to children. Very young children most likely do not understand card tricks, indeed they can be too advanced for them and hard to understand what was the magical part.
On the other hand though children 10 years old + I believe DO *understand* card tricks and what the magical part of the trick was, however they don't *enjoy* card tricks, they simply don't like them. They might be impressed by a few certain card tricks (most likely it must be visual card magic) but they would rather watch a coin trick or a rope trick, a pen thru anything routine and such. I know for fact that children enjoy vanishes, they enjoy watching a magician vanishing an object or doing a transpozition and such.
Understanding is different and enjoying is different.

There are cards out there that use pictures of Tweety Bird, Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, etc. I have used them sometimes for young kids card tricks. Keep it short, simple, and only do one card thing and it can be done.

Peter

So how many parties have you booked? Who is hiring you for the children's party? The correct answer is the adults. They are the ones who will tell their friends about you, and they are the ones who will hire you next year, or even before next year, for another event.
I don't care how good you can entertain the kids; If you don't entertain the adults, you will not get booked again. You must entertain the adults and get them in the show. If they have fun, they know that the kids had fun, and therefor, they will hire you again. IMO, you have a bad attitude about entertaining adults at a children's show, and if you want to keep getting booked, you must change...
-Tyler

Skate13,
You are 100% WRONG! If you worry about entertaining the adults during the show you will not only lose the interest of the kids you will lose the confidence of the adults.
You are hired by the adults to entertain the kids and that is what they want and expect from you. Not to say that your performance if done properly will also entertain the adults. I do two skits that do involve the adults directly and the kids included indirectly. A lot of the times the adults get involved 'with' the kids when I ask them to do certain things to help the magic along.
The adults take the time that you are hired to entertain the kids to take a break and 'chat' with each other, not to be the ones entertained. If they want that to happen they will hire you to do an adult party.
You may want to second guess the way that you do KID shows.

That is correct. I remember when I was going at children parties and there was a magician performing magic to kids, the adults didn't seem to care but they simply were drinking their cofee and chatting with the other parents.

Exactly jared,
I've had parents come up and thank me for giving them an hour of free time to have 'adult' time. They've been run ragged until you get there then they can kick back for an hour before the terror starts again.
Last week I called and told the Mother I was enroute (alittle early) and in a very desperate voice with much noise in the background she pleads " Oh, please hurry, I need you here."
Hanging up laughing, I thought..ahh, it's nice to feel wanted.

now now now...I think it is best to do at least one trick to get the adults involved...but not a trick that the kids won't understand. I always involve the adults in the show by getting a Man up to help me out as I perform 20th century shorts with the plunger (apprentice hat) attachment. I only do this trick to adults because they can usually take a joke and will usually play along. Kids love seeing the steps of this routine take place and parents do as well because you are making and ADULT look silly (something else children like to see). The routine is not done to make the spectator look like a fool...unless I want it too It is instead done to make the audience think that I was going to cut an adult in half...but something goes wrong and underwear pops out after a lot of by-play.

Even if you don't want to do a trick that adults will enjoy, you could always throw in jokes that the adults will understand and find humorous. It is easy to hide them into your routine so that they will catch it. But of course the kids usually won't.

If you entertain the kids...it is great...if you entertain the kids and adults together...it is AWESOME. You will get MUCH more bookings having done so.

As I said you should involve the adults 'alittle' but not cater the show for the adults. I've seen the plunger bit and it is great. But Skate basically said the heck with the kids the show should be geared to entertain the adults, naw baby naw!
I bring up an adult for the needle thru the ballon trick and I do a bad mind reading skit with the adults that I act as if it was amazing but is actually quite cheesy, but the adults love it.
Don't gear the show to entertain the adults though.

I did not say anything about making it an adult's show. Like Kyle said, you should do a trick with one of the adults; kids love that. It is always good to throw out some jokes that goes right over the kids heads, but the adults like.
If you do a trick with an adult, make it something fun that the kids AND adults will understand and like, and I did not say to do a card trick. Sometimes, card tricks can be used. I know that Ken Scott uses a card trick in his kids shows, which the adults really like.
-Tyler

I strongly disagree with your comment (bold). Entertain the kids first and worry about the adults second. I am not saying not to include them in something and maybe a joke or two for them but, besides that I gear the show directly for the kids.
The parents hired you to perform for the kids and that is what they want to see. The kids laughing and interacting with you and being entertained.
It makes them VERY happy to see their little birthday darling's party being a huge success. They will tune into your show at first to see if you are worth what they paid you then most of the adults will have 'adult' time while you are doing your job..(what they paid you to do.)
I've had parents come up and thank me for keeping them (kids) busy while they relaxed. I gear my shows for the kids and I get repeat bookings all year round. If it is working for you then fine, but I wouldn't make it my primary consideration.
Mike

The only card "tricks" that I do for children are colour changes, vanishing and appearing cards, any flourish or manipulation. They just don't understand 'the five of diamonds' and such, but they do think that productions, fans, an arm spread and disappearing deck is cool.