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Hi there. I have recently been asked to help in a sort of educational event for year 4 students (=6-7 yr olds I think).

It is all themed around the children learning a bit about magic (tied into that Hocus Pocus Junior book I posted a while ago: http://gallery.nen.gov.uk/gallery1390-e2bn.html )

The idea is that I will have 30 mins with a group of ten children to do some magic for them and then teach them a trick. I have plenty of ideas and things I can perform for them, but was wondering if anyone had some good ideas for beginners magic I could teach them.

Thanks for your help.

Having taught several courses on magic, I can strongly recommend your local library's juvenile section. There should be many books there, with many tricks (simple) in each -- more than enough to keep you going.

Thank you for that. I guess I have a fair few ideas from just such books that I remember with pleasure from my childhood, but am keen to get any feedback on things which others may have found worked well.

Some ideas I considered were:

Linking paper-clips

Instant knot

Stepping through a postcard (not really magic, and worried about using scissors with this age-group!)

Floating pencil & bending pencil

Another consideration is the need for inexpensive or free (or no!) props.

How about some elastic band magic - nice and cheap. Alternatively, how about cutting off the tops of 'crimp' sealed sandwich bags and using them as 'mesmerised' objects i.e. by gripping them between the thumb and index finger and moving the thumb up and down? This is surprisingly effective - I thought this was a great idea when a friend showed it to me!

Thank you. I had wondered about some rubber band magic.

Was also wondering about doing a 'cutting a lady in half' utilising a playing card and a pay envelope - but not sure about scissors with the age group!

One of the tricks in the first Magic Set I received over 50 years ago contained a 'Cutting The Lady in Half' effect and consisted of the Queen of Hearts and a gaffed band made from coloured paper. Thoughtfully, the Magic Set suppliers had included some nice safe round ended scissors exactly like the ones in use in schools at the time so you might be OK if you get some safety scissors - plastic ones are quite good enough for cutting one or two sheets of paper.

Hi Philipsw,

I run a magic school. I certainly have some experience in this field, if you will indulge me for a few moments.

Firstly, 30 minutes is no time at all.
Secondly, 6- to 7-year-olds is going to be very very difficult.

I have taken classes of all ages, but the youngest class I have ever taken and taught was a class of 10 and 11 year olds, and I had them for an hour. They were the top 5% of kids from the local schools and were all very very bright, and the hour was just about enough.

There are simply too many things to take in.

First of all (and I'm sure you'll be aware of this), keep it utterly simple. I cannot stress this enough. It has to be devoid of any skill whatsoever. Please, if only one of the kids cannot understand then you will be tied up. Do not overestimate their abilities! Keep it to the level of the slowest youngster. And since you will be using impromptu objects for the demonstration, this really means self-working card tricks or absolutley basic (really really basic!) things like jumping band or that awful pencil behind the ear one.
Personally, I have always avoided elastic bands and stuck to cards.

Remember, 'pick a card, any card, is this your card?' type of tricks don't necessarily require a knowledge of what the cards actually are, as long as you can recognise the card again. But then of course there is the handling to learn, and of course the key card will have to be remembered and then the patter.... It all gets very complicated.

Anyhow, try this routine if you like... It has been tried and tested over time and it works:

Get yourself at least one adult helper. You need to pick two tricks that you will be teaching them (yes, two. This will make things much easier- all will become clear). Your patter needs to be very simple and word perfect for these two tricks - again there is a reason for this.
Now then. Perform your magic to the kids, but NOT the tricks that you will be teaching them. Not yet.

Then divide the group into two smaller groups. The two groups will have to be kept seperate with a little distance between them. One group will be taught the first trick, the other will be taught the second trick. This is where your helper comes in: You will take one half, your helper the other.
Obviously your helper needs to learn his/her trick several days beforehand.
Now that the little groups are seperate, they get to see their trick being performed for the first time. You will be performing one trick, your helper the other. After this, the two little groups will then learn the handling of their trick, and nothing else. Do not try to teach them any patter as such - They will naturally copy your patter without thinking about it (well, most of them will). This takes much less effort on their part and will free up a little brain power. This is why your patter needs to be word perfect and identical each time.
This part in total takes me about 15 minutes.

Once the tricks have been taught, the kids have to choose a partner within their own little group. Then they take turns to practice performing the trick to their partner.
This takes me another five to ten minutes.

The two groups now mix for the first time. Each kid now gets a partner from the other group and they each perform their own trick. The fun here is that they will be performing to someone who neither knows the trick nor the secret.
This part is another five to ten minutes.

There you are. The routine has a very natural rhythm to it and takes about 30 minutes, not including your performance time.

If you do choose cards, then buy a brick of bikes and hand them out to each kid to take home. Oh aye, and charge them on expenses.

Keep us informed!

Mark.

Bloody brilliant post by Marvo Marky there!
If you go to international magic store in Chancery Lane, they sell Bicyle "seconds" and its £12 for 12 packs. That should be perfect for your class if you follow Marvo Marky's advice!

Thank you Marvo Marky. That was a REALLY helpful post and I appreciate you taking the time. I like the idea of splitting the group like that a lot and I will see if I can persuade my wife to help...

I start devoting some proper head space to this project next week so I really value everyone's advice at this stage...

You're very welcome Philip.

If there's anything else I can help with, give me a shout.

Mark.

Well, in an unexpected turn of events, I am now no longer doing this gig There was some kind of mix up with another magician being asked by someone else and so I am having to bow out which is a shame.

However, I would like to thank you all for your advice which was very helpful.

Secondly, here is an idea I had for a trick to teach which someone may like to take up and use in their show. I thought of using the old 'magic compass' routine, and tying it in to the very popular Golden Compass movie at the moment. So I was going to make a compass in yellow card and then tell a story that vaguely tied in. I thought it might work quite well...

Thanks again for your help.