talkmagic.co.uk

Basically, I'm an established close-up performer, so I don't have any material for childrens tricks!

What I need is 5 or 6 good kids tricks that have relatively no, or small, gimmicks/props. If preferable someting that can allow me to introduce fruit!!

i need to take a workshop teaching a few people dressed up in costume, (don't ask!!!) some simple, and good, kids tricks.

My first few ideas were, sponge balls, ropes etc.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

thanks guys

sponge ball are great for kids, as are silks. Mark Wilson's book has got loads that are great for kids with some minor alterations.

Things like self colouring pictures, appearing cuddly bunnies basically the bigger and brighter, the better.

D'lite shows

sponge balls.. simple routines..

I.T work.. hummer card.. floating objects..

balloon making if you know how..

all work for kids along with being a dozey prat

The vanishing bandana!

A great kids trick that involves a banana.

Actually adults quite like this as well.

Very funny and very easy

goin slightly off course there arent we Greedoniz

I hope your not being rude....

When I mentioned a banana I really mean't the yellow bendy fruit with the skin you peel back in order to eat.

It still sounds rude!

Ooh poo.

Anyway, the vanishing bandana is still a good kids trick and the only props are a small cardboard box (could be optional), a banana and a hankie......

Ignote me I'm talking rubbish and didn't read it properly

I'll get my coat

If i can involve fruit and football, I get extra browny points!!

Its for McDonalds, so they want to portray a healthy, active image!!

The banana is one i'd already thought of, what books would you suggest??

Easy Peasy. A cups and balls routine.

See if you can track down little footballs to use as the balls and use fruit as the final loads!

Try Micheal Amars DVDs on the cups and balls if you have not preformed them before.

I do a thing where I show how eggs can be dropped without breaking (use those rubber ones you can get) and then go into an egg juggling routine where I drop all the eggs and they smash all over the floor. The kids find that just about the funniest thing, but obviously only do it if you can get away with it at the venue.

mc donalds egh well that lends itself to several tricks easily learnt let me see:-

cut and restored straw.
straw through knapkin.
indestructable straw.
shrinking straw.
mutiplying straws.
colour changing straw.
growing straw.

cups and balls.
coin cup +jumbo ending.
napkin matrix.
coke to coin's cup.
haunted macdolnalds knapkin.
card to burger.
multiplying cups.
vanishing fries.

most can be prepared instore before your act but better to get them to suply you a pack of cups, knapkins and staws before the show.

You should try "Shake it up" from the "Kids birthsday show" from the DVD series "packs small plays big" by Dan Harlan. I had the opportunity to meet many great magicians face to face over a dinner or in other situations. When I had a chat with Dan Harlan he came accross maybe slightly arrogant, however he is astonisingly creative and I will never forget how he performed "man in the moon" at a convension a few years ago!

In "shake it up" he is making a milkshake on top of the head of a child and "apparently" putting a lot of different liquids (Milk, icecream, sennep, ketchup ) plus salt and peber into a cup the child is having on the head on top of a big piece of cardboard with the recipie.

At some stage the cup (that was shown empty at the beginning) is turned over and placed with the opening down on top of the card board on top of the childs head. And shortly after, the magician is difficulties reading the recipie (since the cup is partly covering the recipie). He then slowly pullout the cardboard!! The child is now - to great laughter of the kids - standing with a top-down cup full of liquids directly on top of the head.

Well, it all turns out alright and in the end the cup - to great surprise - contains a huge parcel ( or is full of sweets). The size of the load roughly the same size as the cup they earlier saw empty! This is a big magical moment, and the load can imidiatly be shared and eaten by the kids.

I intend to include this effect on my repoitoire, but so far I have been reluctant to do children parties since I get more than enough adult bookings and want to keep (payed) Magic as a parttime job.

I am performing two shows in front of 30 children each time tomorrow. I have gone more for the gimmick tricks as they are only 6/7.

I have still to finalise my running order but I am going to start with a silk vanish, I have the Magic Colouring book, Egg Can, Spot change can (forgotten the name), Silver Sceptre and a Foo can.

I intend to close with the egg can and a D Lite show.

Jay Sankey published his lecture notes free on his website earlier this year and there was one routine where you get a spec to select a wrapped drinking straw, remove the straw, use part of the wrapper to draw a stick man human/cannon ball, roll him up, insert him in the straw which is held like a cannon across your body, get someone to light the end and see him 'flash' out of the cannon whereupon you reach out and catch him in mid air. Unroll the caught wrapper to reveal the man as drawn. Easy peasy, once switch for appropriate paper, a small bit of palming and hey presto job's a good 'un. Just don't let the kids get too near the end of the straw!

wow I'd forgotten about that trick. I think it is on one of his DVD's too. I just cant remember which one. It is a nice simple fun gag trick

greedoniz its on the Bar and resturant DVD.