I have been asked by a family friend if I could perform at her daughter's birthday party. She has hired a professional magician (I wouldn't consider myself professional) to do a show, but has asked me if I could do some strolling magic before the other magician's show. The children at the birthday party would be around the kindergarten age. I am 15 and fairly new to the children's magic performance world and this would be my first 'walk around' performance for children. I have done research on children's magic because I have been interested in it for a while now, but I am very nervous seeing as I was asked on a very short notice and my magic supplies have run out lately.

I have never dealt with a situation like this before and the books I've read didn't cover this very well. I need advice on a routine, what supplies to buy (because I have almost none at the moment), and any further advice that applies.

I don't have to perform at the party; passing on it is an option. However, I would really like to be able to perform at this party, so I appreciate any advice or help you can give me.

First, if you don't think that you are ready to be performing at a kid's show you probably aren't. Second, what type of party is this where you would be doing walk around for kindergartners? Parlour magic is entirely different from walk around. If you are doing walk around, you want sponge balls. If you are doing parlour, you want a few solid tricks such as the peanut butter and jelly illusion or hippity hop rabbits.

As for whether or not I feel that I am ready, I do feel like I am ready to perform, and it's not nearly as big as performing an entire show, but This type of performing for children is different than what I am used to, so for all I know, walk around could be completely different and I could be over my head.

I may be misunderstand your second question but I'll try. The party is in a restaurant-type place. The children will be eating at tables and I assume there will be individual areas with things to do.

As for parlour magic or walk around, I am not sure which one I will be doing but I'm leaning towards walk around. Parlour is not out of the question though.

At any rate thanks for the advice!

First off when is this party? How much time do you have to prepare?? If they asked you to perform for the kids prior to the "professional" magician, will the kids be running around or sitting at tables? These are just some of the questions that come to mind.
In addition, personally I would not take the job, I would politely decline out of respect for the hired magician. If you do feel you are ready and know what environment you will be performing in, then the next thing is to find out who the magician is and contact him. Why? Well maybe you decide to do a spongeball routine walking around from group of kids to group, only to find out later that the "professional" magician has spongeballs in his routine!!! You would want to know what is in his routine so you don't duplicate it, again a matter of courtesy and respect.
Again personally I would not accept the invitation, although I would ask if I could attend to see the magician since you are interested in Children's magic.
Oh and you would not be doing parlour magic, that is more what the professional will be doing. Just my 2 cents and am sure others may chime in.

Personally, I don't think that it would be fitting to do walk around at a kindergarten event. No offence to you, I just believe that kindergarteners don't have the attention span to pay attention to walk around routines. They don't have the ability to follow the simplest commands, "okay hold this one sponge ball while I make this one vanish." They either will not be into the magic or you will be surrounded by all of the kids, and as anybody who has done magic for a large amount of kids know, they like to crowd around and invade space. Again, no offence to you, it is solely my opinion that walk around should never be performed for people under 10 years old. I do not mean to sound mean or snobbish, and I hope that I do not come across that way, I am only offering my opinion.

That's a very good point, fcchief, I would've never thought of that.

And no offense taken andrewlevino. I guess the only way to effectively perform walk around for children is if they're restrained; IE, sitting with their parents and not allowed to wander off, or if you have godly crowd control skills.

The idea that walkaround magic doesn't work for children, kindergardeners included, is just dead wrong. The right magic presented well can completely captivate them. Quick, visual, colorful magic will work just fine. TT Blendo... silk vanish/production... a simple coin routine (sort of a walkaround Miser's Dream... "Hey...there's a coin in your ear...!")... sponge bunnies... and so on...

Although magic performed in stand-up and walkaround situations can be very different, the necessity for the magician to have the ability to catch and hold a child's attention in either situation is crucial. If you cannot hold a child's attention in a walkaround scenario in which you are interacting directly with that child -- the focus is right on that child -- there is no way you will be able to hold the attention of a full audience of children in a stand-up situation. Whether or not a child is "restrained" has little affect on that child's attention span; in fact, you can argue that a "restrained" child will be harder to entertain because all the child wants to do is "escape."

ebonn... you might "feel like" you are ready to perform, but if you don't know what tricks you to do or how to manage children in a walkaround situation, then you are clearly not ready to perform. There is a huge difference between wanting to perform and being ready to perform. The Penguin forums are pack with teenagers who want to perform, but very few of them are really ready to perform.

Just a few days ago at one of my dad's corporate parties they had a magician that could really keep them watching. His trick was that he carried around a bag of balloons did a really short routine and then made balloon sculptures.

Nothing else to say..Ditto to Caffe's comments. You aren't ready ebonn, you want to but you are not. You have no effects aren't sure about walk around with kids that age so, you need to go back to the drawing board get some 'learning' material and be ready the next time.

Did I understand this correctly? A magician made balloon sculptures for bussinessmen?

It could happen...

I know a guy (not a magician, though) who gets hired regularly to make balloon sculptures in a casino.

I completely understand what you all have said and I realize that I am probably nowhere near ready to perform at this party. However my parents and our friend are really counting on this and I don't want to let them down. Please don't be angry with me for thinking this way, and I know I may sound crazy but I am probably going to try to do it. But I still think you are overestimating the size of this situation. If I were to go to the party it would be for half an hour tops. I realize that I am doing the opposite of your advice, but this is for more personal reasons, and I would still like your advice, other than that I shouldn't be doing this in the first place.

Alright this is how it is: I am going to go to the party. I not doing anything major, it's very small. I am also not being paid for performing at this party. I am going to go to this party, that's definite. The point I'm trying to make is that I'm going to this party to help me, not as a job. This isn't a big event, and it will be good practice for me with kids magic. I am allowed to leave at any time also. If I feel it's not working out I can stop and leave. Personally I think there is nothing to lose. What are your thoughts?

A number of people have already given you their thoughts. It sounds like none of that actually made any difference and that you've pretty much made up your mind to do what you want to do. Good luck.

You mentioned that you didn't want to let them down...if you aren't ready what do you think the outcome will be????
It probably won't be a positive experience for you either. Although it seems to be very informal which is good but I think you will walk away little dazzled.
Just learn from it, remember what you felt were your weak/strong points and build from there.
if you are really interested in kid shows you should start getting several of the books and DVDs that will help you learn the finer points on kid shows.
Good luck...cause you are going to need it.
Never accept putting on a show...when you don't have one.
Ah! my one millionth time saying that, does that make me an Emperor penguin or an idiot