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Hi all!

I didn't have time earlier to post this so I'll post it now.
Last week I did a kids-show for a class of 12 kids at elementry school. They were like 9-11 years old.
I wanted to let you know what I did and how it went, so maybe you guys (and girls) could give me some hints and tips on this thing. Even if it's not easy to do that from reading the 'report'.

Anyways, here was how it went down:

I started off with an introduction, introducing myself and asking those kids if they've seen a magician before. Some of them had, but it was like the 'big' thing with doves and exploding fireworks. I told them that was not what we were going to do today.
I explained that I started doing magic at like their age, and most of what I did, and still do, are card-tricks so they might see a lot of cards today.

I told them last night and was in my room, and found something out. Since they also had a red door in the classroom I thought I'd try if it would work here too. And just like that I pulled a bit of red color from the door and held it in my hand, off course using the D-lites.
Just doing a simple routine with the D-lites. When I swallowed it and made it come out of my ..uhm.. 'derriere' the kids laughed their 'derrieres' off

It was time for a cut & restored rope, a little bit of modification from the version thought on Kidology DVD by Sammy Smith.
Went very well.

The next trick was up and I let one kid take a card, made her fold the card and tear it to pieces. Than let her put all the pieces in an envelope, hold one piece behind, and I burnt the envelope.
Next I was holding up three balloons and she could pick one. When blowing it up I held it to my ear and said nothing. Just shook the thing and everybody heard the card bouncing against the sides of the balloon. Man you should have seen their big eyes haha
Popped the balloon and there was the card. Off course the held piece fitted in perfectly. This was something like the torn-and-restored trick I guess...

Than I did a simple 'knock-on-the-deck-and-your-card-will-be-in-face-up'-trick.

After that some modified 'chase the ace'-trick with a queen. The kids could guess where it was but all the times the queen changed to a Joker twice. The third time I put a paperclip on the queen and showed them. Than put the jokers in my pocket and put the paperclipped queen on the table. Off course when they turned it around it changed to a joker again.

Another card trick performed, I know this one as Cleopatra's needle, where one kid takes a card, it goes in the middle and I fold a piece of paper around it. Than a big needle goes right into the wrapped pack. Let 2 kids hold the ends and I tore off the paper. All the cards fell on the ground. Except one, off course the chosen one.

Up next was the last trick, the big bad card-on-ceiling. I picked another 'helper' and she signed her name big on the card. I did the stuff with the rubberbands and threw the card to the ceiling. That was where it went wrong
The card came out and stuck, but that was on the floor, not on the ceiling. Somehow those kids knew what I was trying to do and told me to throw again and again with a new card. But offcourse that didn't work.
Too bad, but I let the helper keep the card, with which she was happy, and quickly improvised another card trick.

Than some closing words and they applauded like crazy.
I still remember every time I asked for a volunteer they all put up their hands

Pfuu, that was long. So anybody could give me some tips and hints, based on this?

I myself think next time I'll try to put in some other tricks than just a lot of cards.

Well done.

Its odd, I would usually avoid card tricks in large kids shows just because its too small but it sounds like you grabbed thier attention and they had fun.

In a kids show, thats all that matters. As long as they have fun. FAB!

Well done.

MagicTom wrote:...Its odd, I would usually avoid card tricks in large kids shows just because its too small but it sounds like you grabbed thier attention and they had fun. ...

Thanks Tom.
Yes you might be right but there were like 12 kids, and they could all see the closeup pad because I put it on a table just below their eye-level and have them sit around it in a half circle.

But yeah some other thing besides card tricks would be nice, I'll browse the forums because I know there are a lot of topics about tricks for kids. That's also one reason for me to get the D-lites, they're approved very well here for kids.

ah gdgd.

Doesnt matter - they enjoyed the show so you did your job well.

Have a look though for things like dream bag, peanut butter and jelly illusion, change bag. Self working stuff.

Keep with sleights and cards and stuff though.

Sounds very cool..
I already wrote on an other thread that my only 2 card tricks that I do in my act are stealing a card and making it appear on an instant appearing card castle (the best fudging 10$ I ever spent!), with a nice "you will try and find your card in the deck while I try to build a card castle and we see who is done first" comedy routine, and another one that I wrote about more specifically on the other thread so I won't again^^.
Any way I don't know how it's in your place (and by place I mean, country, zone, etc.), but here in Israel, from my experience with the kids here you need balls of brass to do a kid show mainly on cards (kids can really get mean when they have the right amount of sugar, spice and everything s**t). But hay, if they liked you that mean you did a good job, and that you have your way with kids no matter what the trick is, and on the same level, your way with cards.
But any way, if you want to spice your show with some non card magic tricks I'd say go for "light flight", I think that's how it's called, any way, it will go extremely well with your d'lite (its like a small floating ball with a d'lite led in it.. very cool), if you have more space then go for a dreamers bag (I think that's how its called, maybe I'm confusing it with something else) but instead of producing coins into the bucket produce chocolate coins (best as a finale so you will be long gone when the sugar rush kicks in).

But any way, really don't go too far buying expansive gear, especially if your thing is close-up magic because your show is already good, all you can do is improve it with some "color", simple cheap stuff like an appearing wand (wand not cane) are cool because they are small and can go well with any close up trick, but can give the kids a small "wow" that is different. Add some flash paper to one of the tricks (with a "don't do this at home" before ofc) that will really make kids jump from their seats.
If you want hole routines you can go for cups and balls, but only if you have the skill, and more importantly, a way to present it to the kids in an interesting (or maybe challenging) way. For the rope trick you can add Sankey's "melting knot" from his DVD ( I think it's "no card tricks"), kids love it if done with a funny story.
If you are looking for interesting card tricks or close up magic that has cool presentation, or you can build your own on them, go for sankey's work, most of his stuff (the less mentalisem stuff) are very visual and are just asking for a script to be added to them. For instance he has a trick in "Fire starters" that make a sketch on the back of a card, pretty visually change (in his case it's two separate hearts that link together, but it can go for any thing more appealing to kids) and it is so visually amazing that kids will go wild for it, yet it's so simple to do it leaves you about 80% for presentation.

Hope you find some valuable info in all the c*** (not the best) I wrote,
Good luck.

It sounds like you did a great job, I have been looking into more tricks for entertaining children and I have began using sponge ball routines they are colourfull and fun, also why not get a TT and some silks it is an old and trusted gimick that works every time! you could appear and dissapear the silks and balls from this, also they like it when I pour salt into my clenched fist and open my hand to show it is all gone, then with a wave of the hand and clench my fist I proceed to pour the salt back out of my hand again, that gets a WOW!

I like the look of the comedy funnel too. Magicdiscoman might be the best person to give advice on childrens magic, as I believe he used to perform these type of tricks.

ah yes well ok then or in best sankey fashion alrighty then.

if you can upsize any of your card tricks then your on a bonus but mostly big bold and colourfull win the day.

clocking device / tt and steamers cloaking device is great as you seem to pull the streamers from the hole made by your ok hand, realy deceptive and you can show both sides wile producing, eery.

a misers dream with a bucket, one coin repeat and a jumbo finisher goes down well especialy if tiped into the kids hand and then you prove that the coin,s melted into the big one by snaping one or two off the big one.

cut and restored rope / professors nightmare work well.

purse frame and sponge balls, recently added bill abbots sponge snack as an opener try to include atleast one colour change and a surprise ending like rabbit or number four, if you have good dexterity to normal then go for nun / nothing.

ok thats the cheepies now for the pricy / self build.
sliding die box , smarty / scittle ending pm me for this one.
mirror box i prefer the hand sized ones.
bag to cape / shirt / silk, i have a whole routine involving a rabbit and some poo.
coluring book with colour changing streamer / crayons / tricks for truths painting palate.
comedy egg can.
tea kettle, selling one.
uncupled, selling one.
coin wand, oh look selling one.
open up die tube, i belive flashy's getting some in soon.
flash silk production.
jason's all purpose butterfly prediction.
change bag, see above.

silly priced kids magic.
head twister.
boloon stab head chest.
bucket head.
umbrela card stab.
tip trunk lady assistant production or man in drag, egual opertunities you know.
kiddie warp.
victory cubes.
4ft die box.
large mirror box.
animal production / vanish boxes.
flying carpet, rwaly nice very expensive.

As for your problem with the card to ceiling, try putting the elastic band onto the opposite two corners, or throw with the other hand, the 'direction of the deck' has to be the right way depending on how the elastic band is put on.

Hope this helps, PM me if it doesn't make sense...

Thank you all for your replies.

And also thanks Blumunky but the rubber bands weren't the problem.
The ceiling I threw the deck consisted off several squares which jumped up when I tossed the deck. Too bad.

But hey, there will be more shows.

At kids shows, instead of doing the card on the ceiling, I do the card on the dad . I ask the father of one of the kids to come up, instruct the kid to select a card, do the rubber band thing, tell the dad to turn around and I through the deck at the father so the selected card sticks to his back. Not only are the kids amazed, they also laugh a lot at this effect.