talkmagic.co.uk

My show varies very little between the age ranges, the odd trick or two might change, but it's the attitude that changes more. They want fun, but they are also older, so don't 'baby' them or talk down to them. You shouldn't talk down to a four year either, but with the older age range, you can give them more responsibilities in helping you out with the magic. Ask them lots of questions, that they can answer easily.
For example, for the younger group, I ask them for the colours of the rainbow, and if they struggle, I show them some colours, and they just say what they see. For the older group, I start with that, and then someone might know the order, or know the rhyme, or know the colours indigo and violet - so they feel more clever because they get to tell me something and show off their knowledge.

I don't do the colouring book for the older groups, as it's really common and they might have seen it before, but I do perform it for mixed age groups and it seems to go down fine.

My advice, is to get a change bag and some silks and create a routine yourself. Go to poundland (it's a magic shop, honest) and see what props you can come up with to make the routine more funny. Eg. fake plastic mobile phone, so midway through the routine you have to phone you mum and remind her to wash your socks, 'what do you mean you can't find them?!' etc... little later, you look in the change bag, find a dirty sock, where's the silks gone, etc etc? You get the idea, right?

Good God! Is the colouring book well known in the UK too? All the bloody kids in Canada have seen it too! Mind you, I still do it. Here is the solution if the kids yell out (for any trick) "We've seen it before!"

Resist the temptation to bang a dove pan over the offending brat's head and simply pretend to put the prop away saying, "Oh well, you don't want to see it again, then". All the other kids and even the kid who said the dreaded words will all yell out, "But we want to see it!" Problem solved.

Jing wrote:My show varies very little between the age ranges, the odd trick or two might change, but it's the attitude that changes more. They want fun, but they are also older, so don't 'baby' them or talk down to them. You shouldn't talk down to a four year either, but with the older age range, you can give them more responsibilities in helping you out with the magic. Ask them lots of questions, that they can answer easily.
For example, for the younger group, I ask them for the colours of the rainbow, and if they struggle, I show them some colours, and they just say what they see. For the older group, I start with that, and then someone might know the order, or know the rhyme, or know the colours indigo and violet - so they feel more clever because they get to tell me something and show off their knowledge.

I don't do the colouring book for the older groups, as it's really common and they might have seen it before, but I do perform it for mixed age groups and it seems to go down fine.

My advice, is to get a change bag and some silks and create a routine yourself. Go to poundland (it's a magic shop, honest) and see what props you can come up with to make the routine more funny. Eg. fake plastic mobile phone, so midway through the routine you have to phone you mum and remind her to wash your socks, 'what do you mean you can't find them?!' etc... little later, you look in the change bag, find a dirty sock, where's the silks gone, etc etc? You get the idea, right?

Brilliant! Poundland in Twickenham is getting raided tomorrow now. Some lively ideas there, thanks for posting!

mark lewis wrote:Good God! Is the colouring book well known in the UK too? All the bloody kids in Canada have seen it too! Mind you, I still do it. Here is the solution if the kids yell out (for any trick) "We've seen it before!"

Resist the temptation to bang a dove pan over the offending brat's head and simply pretend to put the prop away saying, "Oh well, you don't want to see it again, then". All the other kids and even the kid who said the dreaded words will all yell out, "But we want to see it!" Problem solved.

Friend of mine suggested a nice idea for the colouring book, you have a spare, with the same cover, all blank, smart kid shouts "I've seen it before/know how its done"

"Thank you kind Sir, please could you show everyone how to do the trick"

The Mrs started getting creative and told me to do an ID routine, but one whereby a soft ball is thrown around, one child picks red/black, the next the suit and so on and so forth, I said to her that 8-year-olds wouldn't be interested in card tricks...so she had to prove me wrong, in the child cafe today, one of her friends is there with her 9 year old daughter, my wife starts talking to them and I do an ID routine - went down a storm
So much so her 13 year old brother got to see signed card to pocket which they both loved! Turns out they are both massive Dynamo fans and love magic

jomarchan wrote:I don't think you will ever regret buying a palmo. It should pretty much last a lifetime
I fell in love with it after seeing colour changing silks by Duane Laflin. Its on you tube somewhere now. I then purchased all sorts of silks from Laflin in America and practised hard to perfect things. There is a lot of religious stuff on their site which is not really me but there is also a lot of reputation making stuff on there also. Either way Dean I would really consider purchasing a few silk routines and play around with them.

Best wishes

Every UK online shop is out of stock of plamo's!

Any ideas?!

Amazing! Take a look at laflin magic in the US unless anybody else has any other ideas. I have always gone through David there and he is very helpful. You will wait no more than 10 days for delivery and the conversion rate is good at the moment so items can be cheaper than the UK. In the meantime a D#e T##e may be more readily available here. This is how i started with silks and still use so this may get you going with silks whist you wait.

Good luck

Did I really say whist you wait??? I hate so called smartphones. Give me a real keypad any day.

Alfred Borden wrote:Every UK online shop is out of stock of plamo's!

Any ideas?!

A couple. Sent by PM.

Thanks for the help guys - I have actually placed an order with Nevins Magic tonight, but thanks anyway

Think I'm going to go with this as my set, can I have peoples thoughts please?

Introduction - appearing, then vanishing/reappearing silk. - Should get them going and whet the appetite
Letter Routine (if this isn't going well will cut short), get the birthday girls on stage then...
Linking rope rings, get the girls to throw to one another
Silk Tubes
Crown Jewel (die box routine)
Colouring book (?)
Multiplying wands/breakaway wand...into appearing flower boxes
Snake in basket card trick (?)
ID routine - big audience participation with foam brick
Comedy Egg Can to finish

This means leaving out, Jumbo 6 card repeat, D-Lites, Mouth coil, birthday silks,

Your thoughts?

I'd leave in mouth coil and d'lites.

My nine year old son is impressed with both.

For me Dean I would say it looks a bit busy. I am not familiar with the Snake in the basket card trick but then I don't do card routines and I am not entirely convinced children would appreciate them either. D-lites are always good and showy so I would put them in, perhaps with Birthday silks? Still a good mix of routines though Dean. I hope you do well with the silks and it would be great for some feedback after.

The routine sounds good! I'd be tempted to add the lebanon circles "From Hell! and you're welcome to borrow my "Luna 1936" as well... (Strangely, and inexplicably, my career in childrens magic was very short lived!)

Dean, whatever you decide to go with, it's going to be great! I've seen you do magic, and I know that they'll love what you do It's not just about the tricks, it's about the magician, and you have a passion for this that'll shine through and the kids will love! (And you're good at it too!) You can't go wrong! Just be yourself and have fun.

Part of me wants to say that your wasted just doing childrens magic, but I know that is incorrect! Childrens magic is the best! You have the most appreciative of audiences, and you can give them memories that'll be with them forever! (I saw two street magicians in the states when I was about 11 and from then on, magic was in my blood!)

Anyway, if you're along on Wednesday and want to run through any tricks, we'll all be happy to watch... (I want to se the snake in the basket card trick!)

And I won't say best of luck with it, because you just don't need it! It's going to be a fantastic gig

Ste - cheers for the input fella

Mark - the snake is a soft toy which rises from a box with cards in its mouth, I planned to use a red and blue deck, and force a card from each onto each girl, then already have a HAPPY BIRTHDAY message on same card when the snake pops out with the cards. I have been toying with the silks by the way and have been toying with some colour changing silks, but haven't worked out the patter yet. Didn't really want to leave the D-Lites out, but couldn't work out a way to corporate them into the act, I own a change bag as well, so could do something with that?

Chris - thanks so much for the kind words, you've earnt yourself a drink if I'm able to make Wednesday - . You can do my funeral speech if you like

Interesting routine with the snake then Dean. I would be interested to hear how it goes. I have found that children don't really go for card tricks so I have left them out which suits me as I don't perform a lot of them. Things may have changed though and what with all the latest Magic on TV, it should really ignite their interest in all things magical. The change bag is something I only use for the younger children, I haven't used them for children aged 8 -9 years. For this age I have made my own 'Utility Change device' which works really well and is cloaked. I am sure you will be able to make one up yourself if you ever feel the urge.

Best of luck Dean but I am sure you won't need it.

I'm still no expert, but that sounds like quite a good range of tricks. I think the snake trick will be great. I am not sure eight year old kids would go for a "straight" card trick, but that one should be fun.

The only comments I have are whether you've considered adding something like vanishing crayons to the colouring book routine, which might help jazz it up if they've seen something similar at another party. The other things is whether you should be doing two tricks with silks, but not having them following each other. It might be a bit "and now let's go back to these beautiful handkerchiefs that I put away twenty minutes ago..." In some respects, I don't think it will matter, but it might flow a bit better if you either went from the opener into the Silk Tubes (but perhaps this isn't possible - I don't know the exact effects), or perhaps started with something like vanishing and producing a sponge ball, which then turns into a sponge rabbit. Similar to your planned opening, but with a surprise finish and the kids get to see a magician produce a rabbit. Kind of.