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I have been a magic fan since I as soon as I saw paul daniels on tv in the 70's, I think there should be another show like it.

I have been asked to do a kids show, I wrote down how many tricks I have and can do - ten in total before I get to the card stuff, I surprized myself when I wrote them all down.

Can someone give me any ideas on how to structure the show, I'm looking at 20 mins, I used to do a small cooper routine 12 years ago when I was in the army with a lot less tricks mostly just the gags around the few tricks I had, but now I have not performed as such in just as many years.

is there a good dvd or book I should get to help me??

I guess it depends alot on what tricks you've got. I've got a few general rules that I tend to follow when I'm putting a routine together but I've not really got any experience when working with children so they might not really apply.

My first trick always is something very visual, this is the one that I need to grab their attention with. If it's close up then I'll also try to make this as interactive as possible. This allows me and the spectators to get to know each other and also has them handling any props or equipment I might be using and gets them used to the equipment.

After that first trick you can let the strength of the tricks fall slightly if you want to. I've found that if the first trick is very strong then the others seem to appear stonger than they are.

The last trick is the one that they're going to remember when they go away. This needs to be very strong, I like to use something quite suprising and unexpected for this. This is why the final suprise load in cups and balls works well or the production of a giant bunny rabbit at the end of my sponge bunnies routine.

Most inportantly I think is that you have some kind of logical flow or linkage between your different tricks.

Pretty much as Lady of Mystery has written above.

First trick - fast and visual - establish yourself as a competent magician

Next few tricks - get your specs involved, have a laugh

Grand Finale - Your strongest effect. And always leave them wanting more

This is double posted so I will put my reply in this thread as well

I start off my kids show routine with cut n restored rope and double cut. Then I move to professors nightmare (with a kids theme of course). Then I do some silk vanishes and blendos. Move on to cups and balls followed by a sponge ball routine and finish off with the 3-way coloring book and crayons. This easily fills up 30 minutes.

I havent had much luck with cards while doing a kids show, other than sticking around afterwards for the adults and making some extra cash and a couple of free drinks.

Good luck hope this helps.

Big D

Thank you all I popped down to covent garden to ask advice from some one down there and he said the same things, think I will get the sponge rabbits and the colouring book definilty I have the 'egg bag' of course being a life long fan.

I have large chinese sticks, the rope stuff, just learnt ring on rope which is going down very well with friends and i took it out with me on sat night and went down a storm,

thank you again