Often the question is asked about good resources for beginners. I'd like to thank Mr. Sankey for an excellent resource that he produced which has helped my children get into magic. I'm an amateur myself, so naturally my kids get encouragement and tips from me too, but here's a great way to teach your children magic: get Jay Sankey's Amazing Magic & Mentalism Anyone Can Do Vol. 1 & Vol. 2 DVDs. (Penguin Magic currently has a great price on Volume 1 and Volume 2.) Mr. Sankey teaches some easy-to-learn impromptu magic with everyday objects, and some simple but great effects with cards. My kids love these DVDs, and have picked up some great ideas and concepts to get them started in having fun with magic. I'd say that around age 6 or 7 is a realistic age for them to start learning and enjoying some simple effects from teaching tools like this. Come to think of it, these videos are a great place for a novice of any age to learn a variety of basic tricks, and quickly have fun performing magic. From one Canadian to another: Jay, thanks very much for this great introductory material!
I'd love to hear from others who have benefited from these videos - comments anyone?

I've posted a more extensive review of these videos in this thread here.