For those of you who do kid shows what effects are best for 4-8 year olds? Or maybe I should ask do kids in this age range appreciate magic? If so what effects have you had success with in this age range?

Hi,
In my opinion as Kids go 4 - 9 is the main kidshow market. kids above this age require a more adult apouach and below 4 a lesser magic more fun things like Run rabbit run, colouring book, 3 little pigs ext or if like me you hate tricks like that. I use a variation of Ron gilberts ribbon fun, rainbow house rabbit production, clatter box/snake can combo routine. but to answer your question 4 - 9 tricks are most of the tricks you hear about on this kids forum

Misers dream
linking rings
Zombie
Blendo
blow tie
linking ropes
silk dye
dukes dye version
plus hunderds more!

You need to use colour and fun and most of all have fun with them
Phillip

4-8 year olds really can be divided into or 3 groups, mentally.

The 4 and 5 year olds are interested in story type effects. Any effect works as long as you weave a story into it.

The 6 and 7 year olds will go for almost anything. They are the perfect age for magicians.

The 8 year olds better fit with the 9 and 10 year olds. They like more adult targeted effects.

Actually, your effects really aren't as important as your presentation. I would suggest you read "Birthday Magician's Handbook" by Dave Fiscus. Also read Silly Billy's (David Kaye) booklet "How to Perform the Perfect Kid Show Trick" They are both great.

anything that appears or dissapears, or visually changing.

-Chris

I agree with Steven there is a age 4-5 is in a group all thier own. Then 6-7/8
then 9-11.
4-5 story puppets lots of balloon magic
6-7/8 basic magic show
9-11 A magic class would work good/or older type effects.
Now I am not saying that this is THE LAW but it is a good guide line. I use a puppet in all my shows and I also do cards and balloons. Here is the bottom line that works for me
4-5 make fun of the magi/magi in trouble
6-7/8 basic amazement/fun show
9-11 fool em then teach em.

Yes, 4-6 yr olds require more colorful effects with stories. Run dragon run, change bag with colored silk blendo, magic tea kettle, Acrobatic silks, hot rod, magic coloring book and magic crayons, strat-o-spheres, etc. The tea kettle and crayons are things that they can identify with. Since very few in this age range play cards, I avoid cards. None of them know foreign coins either so scotch and soda or hopping halves is out too. But I do do a professor's nightmare to explain how some gifts are small, medium, and large, but the thought that goes into each one is the same. I, use the magic of "birthday breath" to convert all of the ropes to the same length. Anyway, use color, and items that young children can identify with. I would generally agree with flourish dude for the age ranges.

Hi,
As an extention to this thread, where I live there are lots of small village schools
where there might only be 25 -50 children in the school also there are many large schools
200 - 500 children that have 3 - 11 year olds
Most schools only want 1 show for the entire school. This is my favourite type of groups I love the big mixes of ages this time of year Christmas parties have similar age ranges. How would you deal with this?
I only ask because youall seem to have so many different effects/shows. I have only 3 kids shows and 99% of the time I perform the same no 1 show and have done for 15 -20 years. My show is basicaly the same for 4 year olds as it is for 10 year olds it is only me that changes.
Phillip

I suppose it depends on the shows...or the routines. I have to same problem thats comiing up in a week. I have two shows with 50 kids each (approx) but i dunno how i'll do them.

normally i have one basic show, but i change the order up constantly to trick kids that may have seen it once before. The only problem is that the majority of kids saw me on tv...and know my routine...what do i do?

Sorry p.b. jones...i dont have an awnser for you...simply a new problem

-Brad

P.B. Jones, You know, I make sure that the front end of the show is rather "general" no cards, but something that kids of all ages can relate to. Then a colorful sucker trick like acrobatic silks or run dragon run, then a blendo/change bag routine - again colorful. Then magic coloring book and crayons. By this time the little ones are at the end of their attention span and the older ones are warmed up and maybe bored. So I then would launch into a pick a card trick, sponge balls or cups and balls section of the show. Something that at least intimates skill... maybe a bill change to a mismade. It draws in the adults with some thing that they identify as having some skill, not just trickery. I love doing the bill change and watching the few adults who are conversing quietly in the back, stop their conversation and whisper "wow". Then finish with an adult or old child and Whit Haydn's four ring linking ring routine. The little one's love it that Mom or Dad can't get those rings apart. With any luck, parents will be around to control the very little ones, and there is enough going on to hold the older ones' interest. I have had some family parties where kids from 2 to 92 are present, and that is what I have done. The customer always seems happy to me!

Could you explain the bill change to a mis made by chance? I'm definetly interested!

-Brad

HI,
I think that I may have been misunderstood/not made my self clear I am not really looking for a solution to a problem as I work like this for big age groups all of the time and I know that my act plays well. My question was really to all those who seem to have so many different acts which they are continually changing. I think that if you do this your show must be Underpolished for my taste. I think it is better to have a good polished act with perhaps just a few changes of effects /gags/ busines for age. Personaly I would not like to use Simage's aprouch of some for the young some for the old. I prefer to have all my effects please all ages. I know it can be done I do It all the time.
Phillip

MagiBrad, You can find the bill change to mismade in the "Hundred dollar bill change". Just use a mismade instead of a $100 bill. You should be able to find this at any magic dealer, Morrisey's, Toronto, or Perfect Magic, Montreal.

Thanks Simage...sadly i live in saskatchewan, so i'll have to do some checking locally first. Shipping charges are a monster to pay recently.

-Brad

Also, in Canada, you might want to work with Morrisey's or Perfect Magic, by phone to get a Canadian mismade.

I love the kid shows!!!
Some of my favorites:
Sponge balls
Strat o Sphere
Spotty bag
Vanishing crayons to silks --I have my own oops I forgot my crayons routine and I use this as an opportunity to introduce my coloring sheets which everyone takes home.
Mark Wilson's comedy cut and restored rope
Miss made flag
A good story with square circle productions.
Circus Wagon Balloon to Bunny
Sketch Book
Axtell Drawing board
Comedy Egg Can
Blow tube
Uncanny silks
There are sooo many, but these popped into my mind first and I have used them all with great success ...well not all of them in one show but over the years.
Hope this helps!

a nice story and very visuall affects

It depends on which ones you can perform best that interest them. One of the kids favorite is the coloring book. Remember, you must be interested in it also. Try performing what you have and the ones people metioned above. If you, the kids and parents feel comfortable with your performance, then those are YOUR best magic tricks for that kid range.

I hope you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

This sums up what kids are fascinated by. I have even used the bent key trick "Hell Bent" in a kid's show and they loved it. Silks, spongeballs, coloring book, mirror glass (I use confetti loads for kids.), and coin work. I also teach the kids a basic trick like the French Drop.

I was going to post some suggestions here, but I must say that Steven said perfectly and exactly what my own thoughts would be. Very well said.

There really is indeed 3 age groups between those ages you mentioned and each can be handled differently. Just remember that for children, it is all about the entertainment factor. Make it funny and fun to watch and get the kids engaged in the magic.

I was given this great bottle of cologne that came in a plastic container shaped like a bomb with a fuse. It came in a cannister that reads Time Bomb.

I use it with a pair of giant scissors, an egg timer, a can of club soda, two silks and a bunch of volunteers. I tell them that I just read about this and that they get the first demonstration that the hand is faster than time. I very, very carefully open the cannister and show them the time bomb. I explain that when the lid goes back on, the timer will start and that we only have until the egg timer runs out to finish.

I give one child the cannister without the lid. For safety reasons, I have them keep their arms stretched out. I give one child the silk, one the scissors, one the can of soda after I open it, one the egg timer.

I explain to the child with the silk that we have to make ours disappear before the timer runs out.

I tell everyone not to worry that if the timer runs out we will still have a few brief seconds to make it stop from being blown up. That the volunteers with the scissors and pop will rush over, open the cannister and try to stop the fuse. Usually someone unvolunteers at this point and after some fun they usually agree to stay.

I turn to my silk partner and ask if he or she has ever done this before. "No? Rats, I was hoping you would tell me how to do it. I guess we just have to make sure it is hidden."

Then we syncronize the timer. And we're off. I make encouraging patter to the silk friend, check the timer, and make sure the failsafe crew is ready. I check to see if the silk friend has succeeded. I show that I haven't had any luck, etc.

Usually the child with the silk will get creative and stuff the silk somewhere. I applaud their ingenuity and wish that I had thought of that. I look at my hand and my silk is gone (TT - everyone is so focussed on the bomb that I could probably stuff my head in the TT and no-one would notice.)

"Hey where did it go? Did you take it... Wow... whew am I glad we did that or the bomb.... the bomb..."

I rush to the cannister and fiddle inside as if disarming. I am actually removing the load and palming it. I thank all the volunteers. Ask for the silk back. Usually I laugh about where they hid it.
I wipe my brow whew... 2 silks. I turn back to the silken child - "How did you do that?"

Then I put everything away in the cannister.

Later, I use the soda as a closer in a paper cup on a child's head.