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OK. You want some magic tricks to show kids? We got you. We’re the biggest magic store in the world and obviously carry a huge range of magic for kids you can buy. We’ve also got some free resources where you can learn magic to show kids without spending a penny. Talking of pennies, you can even learn magic tricks with money for free. We always would recommend magic books to learn, and this article shares our thoughts on the best magic books for beginners. For the purposes of this article, we’ll assume you’re a parent or relative of some kids you want to just show some cool magic tricks to, rather than someone trying to become a professional kids’ entertainer. They’ll be no talk of costume or character. Instead we’ll concentrate on hard-hitting advice that will make sure when you show your student/daughter/nephew some magic, it won’t suck. But, all that aside, the most important thing about performing for kids is… well, we’ll get to that right now…
They will call you out. If you flash a move, or expose a magic prop, or otherwise make a mistake, you will get called on it. Kids do not have the social conditioning adults do to just be polite. They will scream that they saw the lemon before you loaded it into your chop cup. So the most important thing to remember when you’re performing for kids is to practise, practise and then practise some more. Sure, the trick you’re doing may well not use complicated sleight of hand, it may just use the card magic basics. But that doesn’t mean you don’t need to work on the routine. Kids will smell fear from 100m, so make sure you know exactly what you are doing, when you are doing it and why you are doing it. Every beat needs to be considered. Kids have short attention spans, so keep everything moving in a sprightly fashion and also leave room for the interactions with the kids. This will, naturally and organically, create some of the funniest moments in your show.
Don’t do long tricks without a very clear effect and narrative. Do things kids can understand and relate to. Drop your gambling dem and ACAAN - no matter how flawless they are. And really importantly, don’t ignore the classics. Yes, to you the coloring book may be old hat. You may be bored of sponge bunnies. But the small humans you will be performing for will never have seen them. So lean into them and make them your own.
We've got a few articles which will teach you some great easy magic tricks for kids. This how to on performing magic tricks is essential reading. For older kids, getting into reading minds is always fun - kids think we can read their minds anyway, now you can prove it. If you want some tricks for kids to learn to do, you can get started free too. If they're old enough to know the different suits and values in playing-cards then here's an article with five easy card tricks you can learn today.
Oh it’s a classic, but it’s so very very good for every age group. You introduce two bunnies made of sponge. You show one in each hand, close your hands, and then one has jumped from one hand to the other. You then repeat this with your spectator’s hand, so the bunny jumps from your hand into your spectator’s hand. Then, as an amazing finale, they hold both bunnies in their hand, open it, and lots of baby bunnies spill out of their hand.
Hot Rod is a very old trick. In this version, Eric LeClerc has taken this classic and updated it to use lego. All you need to do is one very simple move and you too can perform this miracle. It’s something kids will instantly relate to because of the lego, it’s easy to do, colorful and memorable.
Another trick that uses the paddle move like Baffling Blocks. This time, however, it’s something kids not only can relate to, but love even more than Lego. It’s pizza! And you end the trick by producing a big pepperoni pizza!
Every kid has seen a balloon animal. No one has seen one quite like this. After failing to inflate a modeling balloon, you somehow twist and contort one into a tiny little latex animal that your spectator can even keep so they never forget the magical experience you gave them.
This is a bit more of a “trick” than the others, maybe more suitable for a larger family gathering than just to show to your nephew when they visit. It involves a very very funny 5-10 minute comedy game, that ends up with the most incredible prediction your audience will ever have seen. And then there is a kicker gag using animal’s butts. Yup, you read that right.
The best advice we can give you is to watch amazing magicians perform for kids. You’ll notice they all have different approaches. Different material. Different characters. But one thing they all have in common is that they don’t patronize (that means talk down to) their audience. They want to be playful and fun. Kids pick up on what you put out there. If you are playful and fun they will want to be the same. So enjoy watching these few clips we’ve selected. It’s a crash course in how to perform magic tricks for kids.
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