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What effects would people recommend teaching to children? Have relatives aged 7 and 15 that want to learn a couple of things to impress their friends

Cards and coins I'm thinking and maybe something with a TT, maybe a Svengali deck?

Any input much appreciated

Hi there. You can never go wrong with cards and coins.. As long as the tricks are easy to learn in a short time for beginners at magic.... Svengali decks are always a favourite as are sponge balls for the kids. Garry.

Self workers are always good, if you've not got it already why not grab a copy of Karl Fulves' Self Working Card Magic. There's plenty in there that they'd be able to pick up quickly.

Hi Alfred, check your PM's mate.

I my be wrong but I can't imagine youngsters being very interested in cards these days. I think I'd go for rubber bands, coins, and fire.
Disclaimer: I'm joking about the fire

From recent experience.. let them watch loads of different magic performances,and let them find their own area of interest.Because of this aproach, My 9 year old Nephew finds coins facinating.
the first thing he showed me ( he wanted to show, not be shown) was a simple matrix.
I then worked on making improvements on his presentation.
I suspect that had i tried to teach him from scratch, we would of both found it frustrating.

Surely self working card tricks are the best option for youngsters who are eager to lean and display a few tricks to their friends, because there is no need for sleight of hand or misdirection, you can just perfom the trick, putting all your effort into the presentation. Your mates can burn holes in your hands, but they'll see nothing, which generally makes the performer look like they have amazing sleight of hand skills even though no slieghts are performed.

Whereas with coins, ropes, bands, etc....some amount of practise and study will be required before you perfom the trick half decently. Whereas with self working card routines, all you need do is memorize it, and away you go.

It was a stupidly simple, but effective, self working card trick that made me decide to get serious about magic and take it up as a proper hobby.

I would suggest cards and coins to youngsters, and for those that want to learn good tricks in a short amount of time, and they aren't really super serious about magic, but still want a nice effect.....definitely self working cards.

Hi guys, thanks for all the replies, I think I'm going down the road of cards for the older one anyway...

I do indeed own the Karl Fulves book, the strength of Gemini Twins is often underestimated!

Liam, thanks for the PM.

I would buy "A Book of Magic for Young Magicians - The Secrets of Alkazar" and go through that with him. There is a review of the book in the reviews section, it is a brilliant book and teaches much more than magic tricks, it teaches how magic should be performed.

Actually I would recommend this book to new and old magicians aliike.

In general youngsters have a short attention span. yet longer than mine. At the very beginning they need instant gratification. Short, simple and too the point. Penetration frame is great, Svengali deck, nickles to dimes, all excellent.

Ages 7 and 15 are very different.

The 7-year-old will want instant gratification. Very easy self-workers that don't need practice or dexterity, just knowledge of a simple secret. Tricks have to give a fairly showy, obvious result. "Pocket money" ready-to-work gimmicks are the biggest attraction. (The one I loved showing off to friends at this age was a plastic coin penetration.) Doing tricks means showing off -- don't expect any feel for showmanship.

The 15-year-old will be much more willing to put in the practice in order to acquire actual skill. Card and coin tricks will be much more appealing to him than to the 7-year-old, and he'll understand the concept of learning the basics and extending this knowledge to a range of effects. He'll also be more willing to consider the audience's point of view and the idea of showmanship.