I was hired to perform table hopping at beef o bradys on tuesday nights which is there kids night. Now i personaly know both of the owners and they have seen my magic outside of their restaraunt and really enjoyed it. Tuesday nights are very slow for them so they inquired about my services to increase their outcome on that particular night, i accepted the offer and my first night was this past tuesday. The night started off very well but i usually do alot of magic for adults at street fairs and just strolling the streets. So on kids night i found it difficult to keep the childrens attention so any thoughts and ideas would be greatly appreciate. Managment was very pleased with how the night went but i myself was dissapointed i just did not get the WOW factor im used to. This was my first restaraunt gig but they want me back so any ideas on effects that play well with kids would be great....

right now my routine starts off

introducing myself etc etc...

pulling a spongeball from a childs/adults ear...
doing a simple vanish of the ball...
then splitting into 2..
i then explain on "how to make the balls vanish performing the 10 count" which gets great reactions.
then doing a transpo.
explaining i use three afterwards ending with 2 in the one in the pocket and vanishing all of them at the end ending clean..

i also use the color changing knives..

tt work...

crazy mans handcuffs...

and some card stuff...

but i cant seem to hold the kids attention the adults love it but the children are not as impressed.....i did the vanishing salt trick and one spectator said its in your thumb i saw how you did that on youtube.....that kind of exposure is killing this artform....

but any ideas would really help, im 22 years old i work hard every day like 12 hours then come home and practice practice practice. I love magic sooooooo much i have been doing it since i was 15 and i want nothing more then for this to work out... its like a dream coming true....

I'm not to big on close up for kids but here are a few ideas for you to run with.

First. Cards and Kids do not go together. No too many kids know the different suits or face cards and they easily confuse clubs and spades. So they are easily lost when the cards come out. When they are lost in the what's happening, you're going to lose their interest and then they will start reaching for attention...and they'll get it because they're louder than you.

Coins generally have the same issue, BUT if you get some blank poker chips at a novelty shop, you can paint them bright colors and use them in leu of coins.

Be careful of long detailed stories because children want to SEE what you are doing, not hear about it.

Colors colors colors...the brighter colors your props are, the easier by design it will be to capture and hold a kids attention.

INTERACT WITH THE KIDS
Probably the most important of all...kids want to touch talk and tell, so let them.
Anywhere you are in a situation where the kids can grab your props without causing exposure they will go nuts. If you are using cups and balls, keep them moving until your final load is in place and you've just made a revalation, the kids freak and go for the last cup (or only cup) and when they grab it, THEY reveal the final load...THIS IS AWESOME!

Be careful of arguing with them about "How it's done". Just keep moving unless it calls for it. For example, I use PB&J (with my own twist) I begin by showing the peanut butter on one side (while I'm looking at the props) and the jelly on the other. I look away from them and show them again, only now they have switched. The kids shout this discovery instantly and that gives me a basis to "argue" with them. I tell them that I am going to look to see if they're telling the truth and I lift the covers again (looking at them) and they are right where I left them. I do this a few times before I reveal my climax. This is just an example of being OK to argue with them, just have to be careful of ugly them off before the final revalation.

I know that this will not work in a restueaunt setting, but it's just an example.

Hope this helps at least a little.

Kirk Charles's book on restaurant walkaround has some excellent tips on working for kids. You might want to pick that up.

Also, while I agree that most card tricks aren't going to be all that interesting to a younger audience, I think there are a few exceptions. Check out David Williamson's 3-Card Trick as an example; it's a great routine with lots of built-in comedy and no need to have any cards selected or remembered. Greg Wilson also has an excellent version on his Pyrotechnic Pasteboards DVD.

Gregory Wilson's version is called "Lethal Fours", and is my favorite card effect to date- can't perform it enough!

Remember when you are working with kids the tricks needs to be entirely different. They are not as impressed that a card can change as an adult is. They need the trick to be fun for them.

Make a long routine with a TT and handkerchief. Kids love colors. You should maybe have 10-12 minutes between you're TT work and sponge balls.

bright colors. LOTS of bright colors. and simple shapes. things kids can really relate to. maybe use earplugs if you have them. I do the sponge ball routine where you make one vanish out of your hand and appear in their hand, but I have 2 sponges. one yellow and rectangluar with a face on it, and a pink star sponge. like spongebob and patrick for the 6 or 7 year olds that might be there. its easy for the young ones as well as the older kids. and sponge bunnies. great for every age.

I couldn't agree with you more adjones, this is BY FAR my favorite card effect!

Here are some of my suggestions. (K.I.S.S) Keep It Short & Simple! Kids have short attention spans. Also don't just walk up to a table and ask... WANT TO SEE A MAGIC TRICK? Start off with a question that can't be answered with a Yes or No answer. I usally use... " HEY FOLKS! How we doing tonight?" Also there are two times during the meal I look for to approch the table at. #1 Right after the order has be placed with the waiter/waitress.... That will give you pleanty of time to entertain while they are waiting for their dinner to be servered. And at times you can time it out so you wrap up your "ACT or Routeen" just as the food comes to the table! Or #2 Right as the KIDS are finished eating. Most kids are finished eating in about 15 to 20 mins after they get their food. Some times I'll tell the parents. "Well I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll check back with you when you are finnished or just let your waiter / waiteress know when your ready and I'll be back. Also one thing that is a great "ICE BREAKER" for kids is STICKERS Kids love Skickers! I get some from my balloon company. Kids eat it up!

Then when I do my magic I do stuff like the "French drop" vanish to pull the coin out of the kids ear. I know it's corny but it works. I also use the 3D sponge Rabbits. Or the "Vanishing Red Hanky" and make it appear from many different places... Napkin off the table, Out of thin air, from a hat some one is wareing... Use your creative juices to see where you can pull it out of. I've even done the MOUTH COILS routeen and pulled the coils out of my mouth. The coils are rainbow color! It just blows their mind that the "PAPER RAINBOW" isn't wet! I even use the "Professer's Nightmare as a table hopping trick! It is something that the kids can handle, tug on and I just set the trick right in front of them... They don't know any better!!! All of these can be done un under 2 mins. and they have color and flash. Also this is very important.... MAKE SURE YOU TALK TO THE KIDS NOT AT THE KIDS! Listen to what they say. And Never admitt that they have guessed how you've done a magic trick. Unless you have messed it up so bad it is ovious that you have. Then just drop the trick and go on to the next one. And when ever some one tells me how I did a trick... no matter if they are right or wrong... I always stop , listen and say. " You Know It can be done that way.... But I didn't do it that way." That stops them from trying to explain the trick again! Remember Kids are people too! I always treat them that way. I have parents all the time tell me, " WE JUST HAD TO COME HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE THE KIDS WANTED TO SEE YOU AGAIN!" I tell them.... Make sure you tell the manager that for me, OK? Also I teach all my "KIDS" who come to see me, what the two (2) most magical words in the world are..... "PLEASE & THANK YOU I remind them that a lot of thing happen when you say those two words. I also get a big smile and a nod of the head from the parents too!

Sorry I was so long... I've been twisting balloons & doing magic in resturants for over 10 years now. (WOW THAT LONG?) These are just a few things I have learned while being in the trenches.

Keeping the Magic Alive
Mighty Mike

Pick up Card-Toon 1 or 2, Penguin usually has one of them in stock. Great effect for kids. Your doing spongeballs which is great as well. I also do the professors nightmare, but maybe with colored rope. I don't think anyone has mentioned a chop cup yet. You can get the kids going for days if your witty with that one. Paul Green's Flying Eagles (or any coins across) is good, especially with his giant coin finale. Sounds like your doing some coin work already. Finally, I have found that kids like to watch mom and dad be part of the magic as well. I use Michael Finney's spongeball routine, and the kids go nuts trying to help mom or dad figure out which hand the ball is in. I've been in the restaurant now for about a year and the above has been my experience. Hope it helps.

Even though this thread is pretty old, I was just wondering how you split a spongball.............. AFTER VANISHING IT ! ! ! ! !

I gotta learn that one!

he has an invisible spongeball duh