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Hushai Elite user St. Louis, Missouri, USA 459 Posts |
What are the best resources for children who would like to learn to do magic? I'm especially interested in recommendations as to Internet sites that teach magic to kids, as well as the best books in this area.
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Wravyn Inner circle 3482 Posts |
Public librarys usually have a good selection of books. Whats nice about library books, if the child isn't interested in the subject, no out of pocket expense up front. If there is a good showing of interest, there are many good books for beginers. Not in any particular order to name a few...
Harry Lorayn's Magic Book Mark Wilson Course in Magic Bill Tarr's Now You See it series. I'm confident that you will get even more suggestions than what I have passed along. |
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
YUP!
That's how I began. It's important to realize that the youngster who has no real interest, will soon quit due to no real interest.
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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Joeni New user Germany 73 Posts |
Magic for Dummies (David Pogue)
Complete Course in Magic (Mark Wilson) Magic - The Complete Course (Joshua Jay) -> with a DVD included The Magic Book (Harry Lorayne) |
funsway Inner circle old things in new ways - new things in old ways 9982 Posts |
You might be able to teach tricks, but magic must be learned.
One key factor is observing what trick they choose from a book and work on to create and effect of magic. Watching others perform on a video will not allow that. Learning tricks on the Internet only prepares one to do tricks on the Internet. Mark Wilson's book has an advantage in illustrating a routine form two perspectives - the performer's and the observer's. .... you say, "children who would like to learn to do magic?" How was the interest expressed? Was it a spontaneous "bubbling up" for youthful imagination, or something plunked in their head by an adult. Did it follow the viewing of a live magic show or watching AGT? Such answers might help you select the best way to encourage their learning. You might try performing a couple of simple effects. Then hand them a book and say, "See if you can learn how I did that - it's in there somewhere." I am biased here from personal experience. When I went to the State Library to check out magic books at age eleven, the librarian asked what tricks I could already perform. I picked up an eraser from his desk in my right hand and nothing in my left. Close fists. When I opened them the eraser was in my left hand. He let me into the reserved section with some very old magic books. No one taught me that trick. I had found it in another book. You will never see that trick performed on a video either. It is great that you wish to help children learn of magic. Please "guide" and not "teach." "you ask why an innocent child can find magic -- and cause magical things to happen? that is an answer, you see -- not a question. the scrolls of Eskiyalı (circa 1360AD)
"the more one pretends at magic, the more awe and wonder will be found in real life." Arnold Furst
eBooks at https://www.lybrary.com/ken-muller-m-579928.html questions at ken@eversway.com |
Hushai Elite user St. Louis, Missouri, USA 459 Posts |
Quote:
On Feb 11, 2019, funsway wrote: This sounds like very good advice (and the other replies above do, too). Thank you. The boy I have in mind is the 9-year old son of some good friends of mine. His parents have mentioned to me repeatedly that he is interested in magic -- and I have begun to wonder whether they are hinting that they would like me to guide him into learning it, since they know I am an amateur magician. I have already begun to work on a plan such as you suggest -- showing him small magic every time I see him -- and suggesting to his parents that they take him to the library to look for books on magic that might be most suitable for him. They say they plan to do that. But, what concerns me about the library idea is that he is not an eager reader, as many children today are not. He has learned an impressive amount from TV and the Internet, however. So, I was wondering whether he might be able to learn some magic, also, that same way? I know of a few websites that feature videos that seem to be aimed at children, as well as some books that include links to video performances of the tricks they teach. I am wondering, just in general, if the day of learning mainly by the printed word, as I did, may be over? All of this is what was behind my original post above. Thanks again. |
jimgerrish Inner circle East Orange, NJ 3209 Posts |
Show him a trick from a book he ought to be able to read at his age. Perform it, don't explain it. Then hand him the book and let him look up the trick and learn how to do it by reading the book. If he is really interested in learning the trick, he will do it. Stay near-by to see if he needs help in reading or in understanding what he is reading, but let him work it out for himself as much as possible. Meanwhile, find another trick in the same book and when he has mastered the first, perform the second trick and let him find the solution in the book. Maybe on the third trick, have him look through the book and find a trick he would like to learn, and that one you read and learn together. More than 100 Wiz Kids have learned both magic and reading that way since I started in 1980.
Jim Gerrish
magicnook@yahoo.com https://www.magicnook.com Home of The Wizards' Journals: https://magicnook.com/wizardsTOC.htm |
funsway Inner circle old things in new ways - new things in old ways 9982 Posts |
An excellent mentoring formula, Jim. Experienced magicians face different challenges today compared with decades ago, and back in the "age of giants" of the twentieth century.
We must teach beginner show to extract knowledge from books and audiences how to appreciate magic over puzzles and "gotcha" and trying to impress people. Somewhere in those books are also Rules of Magic and lessons on Routing and audience engagement. These can be "discovered" or "Assigned." Methinks that later on there is nothing wrong with watching a video together to learn a technique - then link it to the "real secrets of magic" never found on YouTube. At some point introducing them to the Nook may be great also.
"the more one pretends at magic, the more awe and wonder will be found in real life." Arnold Furst
eBooks at https://www.lybrary.com/ken-muller-m-579928.html questions at ken@eversway.com |
A Magic Cafe User New user Princeton, NJ 63 Posts |
It's important that kids have an interest in magic first. Show them a few videos of David Blaine, Penn and Teller etc. and then if they like it library books are a great resource. Inter-library loans are great as they allow you to borrow books on magic not commonly found in most libraries for free.
- Just my humble opinion
The more you know, the more you know - Brainpop |
todsky Inner circle www.magicstore.ca 2354 Posts |
One of my earliest books was Scarne on Cards. Amazing card magic without sleight of hand. Highly recommended for kids 8+.
Todd www.magicstore.ca
Todsky's Magic Shop: over 15,000 tricks, books, DVD s and Card decks. www.magicstore.ca
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George S Whale New user 5 Posts |
The Australian Magician/Escapist Cosentino learnt to read via a magic book, he now has a series of books each with a trick and ideas exposed throughout the story. My 7 year old son was inpired enough to perform at his school talent show. A summer tutorial at our local magic shop with a bit of crafting has inpired him even more. Te best advice I received: teach and learn one trick at a time... The temptation with a book is to learn all of tem at once! You Tube dare I say is a good resource to veiw performances of a trick to see how it can be adapted to his own tastes. https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Myste......EALw_wcB
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Harry Lorayne 1926 - 2023 New York City 8558 Posts |
One of the main reasons I wrote THE MAGIFC BOOK for the public was for young people. Glad to see some here advising it.
[email]harrylorayne@earthlink.net[/email]
http://www.harrylorayne.com http://www.harryloraynemagic.com |
magicianbrady New user 97 Posts |
I think YouTube is a pretty good resource for beginner magic. Provided you find some good channels. I recommend Disturb Reality, 52 Kards, Guide to Street Magic and Free Magic Live.
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Magical Moments Veteran user 338 Posts |
Many begin their journey into magic with a magic set. I did not begin that way. I went to shops and bought beginner tricks which I could afford. Then, a Deland deck.
Books came a little bit later for me and I believe the first one was Magic Tricks and Card Tricks by Wilfred Johnson. I loved that book! If kids get the wrong start such as tricks which are too difficult to learn, they will quickly lose interest. A mentor to assist in the growth can be a very valuable asset if one can be acquired. For me, I knew I loved magic immediately and would want it to be an important part of my journey through life. That is not always the case for some kids. |
kShepher Elite user Washington, DC 470 Posts |
The Magic Book by Mr. Harry Lorayne. It is a slam dunk.
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EndersGame Inner circle Reviewer EndersGame 2196 Posts |
I would highly recommend the Joshua Jay book (Magic: The Complete Course), because it comes with a DVD in which he demonstrates and teaches many of the routines in the book.
The book itself has lots of glossy pictures, and has a fantastic range of tricks for beginners. Really good stuff, and it's ideal for older children to start with. |
EndersGame Inner circle Reviewer EndersGame 2196 Posts |
Quote:
On Feb 9, 2019, Hushai wrote: There are a few links at the end of this article that I can recommend, with several good online videos geared specifically to teach children some basic card tricks: How to Get Started In Card Magic https://playingcarddecks.com/blogs/all-i......rd-magic |
brittany_killgore New user Salt Lake City, Utah 13 Posts |
Plenty of videos in YouTube for kids. Go learn....
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brittany_killgore New user Salt Lake City, Utah 13 Posts |
Magic After Hours, At the Illusionist’s Table, Six Impossible Things by Joshua Jay, The Enigmatist by David Kwong, The Amazing Max by Max Darwin. Those are some great shows. Happy traveling.
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jethro63 New user 27 Posts |
It's very difficult to recommend something owing to the different ways we learn, age level and the nature of the educational material. After nearly 50 years I am just completing (in my mind) my beginning book collection. Today I finally received Hay's AMH and any day now Harry Lorayne's The Magic Book (so I can't say anything about it yet).
I find the approach Magic for Dummies takes to be very good, a lot of good thought went into that book. But that book has to be read, not really skimmed, even though the material is short. If we're talking about a nine year old, I think that might be above their intellectual interest level. I really like Joshua Jay's book, may be too daunting for a 9 year old but the combo book/DVD can't be beat. Incidentally, for me personally, the book I got the most use of early on wasn't Mark Wilson but HH's Learn Magic. Someone mentioned a magic set, I think that might be the best option, I think they are likely geared for a younger age group. I don't know how many magic sets are sold to anybody over 14 years of age. There's the attraction of the props to a younger child. and you can be up and running quickly for the impatient, and once those tricks are exhausted I think a child will realize that this is where the harder work begins. I recall seeing the ubiquitous Marshall Brodien TV Magic set on TV when I was about 12, and going out to the store and getting it myself, later discovering that companies would send you magic catalogs that you saw advertised on the backs of magazines. I can even remember having the gall as a young child asking the magic shop in Florida where I had ordered some stuff to recommend a shop in Eastern Canada closer to home (AND THEY DID!) As a former educator, I am somewhat torn on this but I don't think they should be hand held, throw them in the pool and get out of the way, if they're interested they'll find a way to continue, if not, not much was wasted. |
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