Do you guys think that the trick Reparation would work well with a nine year old crowd? I'm not goingt to do it simply as a T&R card routine, I'm going to do it as a comedy routine, the patter being 'some of the secrets magicians use to find cards are small crimps (fold card completely in half)' etc.

Magic for kids is ALL about presentation. I think you could pull it off, usually 8 year olds and up will understand card tricks. If I were you I'd force an Ace of diamonds or hearts so it's still colorful. If they see a red ace torn, then restored a little while after, then they will react. As apposed to tearing up say a 6 of clubs.

I wouldn't go into mentalism even if you were god.

Kid Show Rule #3

Cards are not for kids.

That isn't always true. I assume you read Seriouslly Silly, and if you read what he says for ages 10-13 he says you should definitely do card tricks. I was asking if 9 yrs old was old enough to understand what's happening.

No cards in our routine.

Here is a true story for you. My niece, who loves magic-- and absolutely LOVES my daughter and rates her up there with Santa and the Easter Bunny - loves to come to our house. When she was only 5 my daughter showed her a card trick that involves tearing a card--- long story short, she went home and my brother found her tearing all his cards from his expensive WPT set. He was not happy.

Be careful what age you do cards for!

Can't kids understand cards after about 8 years old? I had one kid who was picking a card, and after I asked him what it was, and he said "4 of diamonds". Which was right because I forced it.

Children's shows are typically parlor style and cards are low visibility. Since kids require high visibility effects to keep them interested and engaged, this is a problem. Let us also remember that not all children understand cards, and we've likely managed to alienate the entire audience.

I have 3 different kid shows:
One for 0-11yrs
One for 12-14yrs
One for 15yrs+

Only the 15+ involves cards.

I’m sorry, I didn’t make myself clear at first. I was planning on doing this trick at a kids birthday party (20-25 kids), not like a school show on stage. Visibility won’t be a problem. About them knowing the cards, This summer I worked at a camp and my group was kids entering 3rd grade. Almost all of them knew the different suits, and the group below me could all recognize the different numbers, and some of them even knew the suits. The actual tricks that I did had to be simple (card to mouth (similar to the one on the trilogy), simple triumph, even an ACR), but they couldn’t follow the more complicated tricks (biddle trick, Ambitious Ace thru Five (It’s sort of an impromptu 5 Speed found on Volume 4 of Complete Card Magic)).

I say you should just go ahead and give it a try. Let us know how it works after. And if it doesn't work, you know never to do it in a kids show again. No problem.

Visibility is an issue at any distance 8 feet or further - pips are small.

As Maloney said, "go ahead and give it a try."

Frankly, I doubt you'll get what I'm saying unless you actually try and fail.

Well, lets just hope it won't fail.

I agree with dbaker,
Cards aren't all that fun for kids. There are to many other things that will go over much more than cards. But once again presentation and some good warm ups will pull you thru anything.

So you agree that it could work, right?

This is my best advice Maloney. I tell my daughter to listen to absolutely everything she can from her mentors and to learn from them. They all have knowledge to impart on her. After that she has to choose what is right for her and for her show, that is part of your individuality as a performer. But, when all your mentors are telling you the same thing--- its wise to learn from their experience, obviously they know something you don't.

~ Kristen

I always listen to you guys, and you've helped me greatly in my performance. But I was just saying maybe it could work with the right presentation and patter. I mean, why do kids like rope so much?

P.S I'm not trying to disagree with you, I'm just wondering.