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jakubr Veteran user 326 Posts |
Hi!
I wanted to ask you, what is your experience in performing metal effects for the small kids? I always find it to be a challenge, small kid often cannot focus, and when it comes to the proper shows, I don't ever use small kids as my participants. But one of my friends did a very interesting effect with a 6 year old kid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5xReevrEXE I think it's a good example that, sometimes small kid can be also a good participant. What are you opinions on that? Do you ever get children involved in your performances? |
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Ba Ba Booey Special user In Denver, I have no less than 548 Posts |
Check out Performing Mentalism for Young Minds (volume 1 or 2). Besides a lot of age-appropriate effects, there are a lot of essays about what kinds of effects fit with various age groups.
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seamagu Special user 885 Posts |
I sometimes do a drawing duplication with my 5 and 3 year old boys and they get a good laugh from it.
I love post its
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david12345 Special user 714 Posts |
I have two routines for family shows to keep the kids excited
one I start by sealing an envelope into an envelop into an envelope and make a big deal about wrapping them all up in Duck Tape and then hang it on the table to be seen by all through out the show (like a master prediction etc...) I have 50 plastic balls from a ball pit that I numbered 1-50 in BIG sharpie black I have the kids toss them into a basket on stage and as they miss I have older people on stage to throw them back until 5 balls have landed in the basket. I display the 5 balls in 5 cups to sit the rest of the show. At the end of the show I open up the envelopes and have someone verify the contents inside accurately predicting the 5 numbers that were selected by the ball toss process The second one for younger kids I have folded up slips of paper selected from a bag as many kids as you wish. One paper slip has a picture of a cookie the rest are blank or something else. I then have the room start singing "who stole the cookie from the cookie jar" - maybe not so know a tune in Israel? - eventually I determine who has the cookie slip. |
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Julie Inner circle 3936 Posts |
Hello jakubr
A veteran performer named Walt Hudson many years ago put out two booklets: one was Bring On The Kids (magic tricks for kids performers); the other was Mentalistrix For Kids. Apparently he was successful performing "mentalism" for the younger set. (At least he sold a few booklets ). For your purposes this second might be worth tracking down at one of the used book resources... Julie |
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seadog93 Inner circle 3200 Posts |
I do mentalism shows as well as kids magic shows.
I don't generally do mentalism within my kids magic shows, but I have and it's gone over very well. It is tricky (but, IMO, not impossible) for the adults not to see it as mental magic, but for the kids it's real. In kids shows and with my own kids I've done things such as: boht e'voque triple prediction (with a mental voyage theme) muscle reading drawing duplications In mind reading shows there are sometimes kids. In those cases I have incorporated kids into 4th dimensional telepathy and Docc's perfect mental club act, I have incorporated readings with them too and they have really liked it. I can think of one time doing 4th dimensional telepathy with a 5 year old, an 8 year old and a 13 or 14 year old (this was at an adults party), and it went over very well. I also remember doing a cold reading on a 7 year old while doing Docc's perfect mental club act and he really seemed to like it.
"Love is the magician who pulls man out of his own hat" - Ben Hecht
"Love says 'I am everything.' Wisdom says 'I am nothing'. Between the two, my life flows." -Nisargadatta Maharaj Seadog=C-Dawg=C.ou.rtn.ey Kol.b |
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seadog93 Inner circle 3200 Posts |
I was just in my office setting up for a show tomorrow and my youngest daughter (3) came in and said, very sweetly, "can we do the one where you have the three cups and I put something under one and you find out which one it is?" (muscle reading and/or Boht). That's her facorite, she also really likes the color cube.
I second "Performing Mentalism for Young Minds," which is now available digitally at lybrary. Both volumes have great stuff and I was honored that some of my stuff was included in the second volume.
"Love is the magician who pulls man out of his own hat" - Ben Hecht
"Love says 'I am everything.' Wisdom says 'I am nothing'. Between the two, my life flows." -Nisargadatta Maharaj Seadog=C-Dawg=C.ou.rtn.ey Kol.b |
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jakubr Veteran user 326 Posts |
I also would do from time to time some mental effect for my small relatives. But in the proper shows, especially those for adults, I was always a bit worried to involve kids. It's good to hear your stories though! Maybe I should try to adapt one of my routines...
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David Thiel Inner circle Western Canada...where all that oil is 4005 Posts |
This is going to sound strange...but I've had great success with effects like Diabolic*s from Tenyo and the Thought Transmitt*r. When they are performed right, kids want to see them over and over again.
Here's another vote for the classic work on this subject: "Performing Mentalism for Young Minds." It's a remarkable book. David
Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Except bears. Bears will kill you.
My books are here: www.magicpendulums.com www.MidnightMagicAndMentalism.com |
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thorin_10 New user Bilbao, Basque Country 58 Posts |
Here is one of my experiences. I have performed many times Max Maven's trick in which you throw a paper ball, a spectator is selected, he says a color and the color appears written in the papaer ball. I performed it ones for kids time ago. This is what happened:
- What color? - Red! - Open the paper ball. What has it written? - Red. Silence. I reacted trying to save the effect. - You could have said any color and you said the same color I wrote in the paper ball!! Silence. - Yeah.... but... the paper was written before you throw it... - But you could have said any color!! - ... yeah... but it was written. Time to go home and re-think everything. |
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seadog93 Inner circle 3200 Posts |
One thing to remember is that "kids" is, generally a useless term. A 3 year old, an 8 year old and a 13 year old are all kids, but performing for them is very different.
There are some great articles in "performing mentalism for young minds." What age kid did you do the paper ball trick with?
"Love is the magician who pulls man out of his own hat" - Ben Hecht
"Love says 'I am everything.' Wisdom says 'I am nothing'. Between the two, my life flows." -Nisargadatta Maharaj Seadog=C-Dawg=C.ou.rtn.ey Kol.b |
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thorin_10 New user Bilbao, Basque Country 58 Posts |
There were from 5 to 10
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seadog93 Inner circle 3200 Posts |
Interesting.
Now I have never done that piece at all, and definitely not with kids, so feel completely free to ignore my ideas. I think of 5 year olds as being young kids (4-7) and 10 year olds as being older (for me teens are their own group, but this is all flexible of course). My two thoughts with five year olds would be: 1) build up the amazingnes of this first. Ask questions like "now I didn't know you we're going to say red right?" "I mean you could have said yellow, or blue or magenta or turquoise or marshmallow or guacamole right?" and build it up by reminding them of the impossibility of this happening. -bonus points if you can make it into something special that THEY did. 2) the way that I like to do it is the classic called "magician in trouble" Basically setting yourself up as a silly person who keeps getting things wrong. In this case you make it clear that you don't want the color the call out to match what was written, and when it does you very (comically/theatrically) grumpy about it. This is hilarious when done well. This is the principle I've used to make an ambitious card routine (usually boring to young kids) be very funny and engaging to kids who don't even know the cards yet. THE book on performing for kids, IMO, is "Seriously Silly" by David Kaye. It's on doing magic for kids, but it goes into the principles and psychology that can be adapted to mentalism as well. David Kaye adapted a great article from his book for the first volume of "performing mentalism for young minds."
"Love is the magician who pulls man out of his own hat" - Ben Hecht
"Love says 'I am everything.' Wisdom says 'I am nothing'. Between the two, my life flows." -Nisargadatta Maharaj Seadog=C-Dawg=C.ou.rtn.ey Kol.b |
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DWRackley Inner circle Chattanooga, TN 1909 Posts |
These are some great ideas. If children come with their parents to your shows, the same kind of emotions apply as to children at a grownup magic show. Doing something with the kids will make the parents love you! And most of the other grownups (unless they’re total asses) will understand that and share the feeling.
I like Seadog’s divisions. Kids can understand more than you think, but it has to framed properly. Most of my audiences are families, and the “tweens” can be some of your best volunteers. Teenagers are often trying too hard to be “cool” but for younger kids, as long as there is color and something iconic to look at, they’ll engage as well as a grownup. I found some “superhero” folders that I use in place of envelopes for one effect. I also use some educational materials from the local school supply store, like a poster with lists of “spelling” words (the adults don’t mind this either!) Bank night can be done using colored gift cards, and kids of all ages are attracted by cash! (This one draws in the teens as well) Some of my initial conceptions about mentalism are changing over time, and one of those ideas is that mentalism is not suitable for children. I’m now starting to believe (still a relative beginner) that the issue is just that there are some PEOPLE who aren’t good with children!
...what if I could read your mind?
Chattanooga's Premier Mentalist Donatelli and Company at ChattanoogaPerformers.com also on FaceBook |
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thorin_10 New user Bilbao, Basque Country 58 Posts |
Seadog, I think that if you could show the paper empty in the beginning they would understood it better. The problem is that this is another effect. Maybe, as you told, enphasizing the fact that you couldn't have known the color before showing it written could gain in impact. Anyway, I don't think this would be a hit for kids.
For example, I have worked with spirit slates with kids and they play big. But, you have to make changes in the presentation. Instead of being the spirit who draws something freely chosen, I make children help the spirit to draw by making them draw the same picture in the air with their fingers. As you said, THEY did the magic also. These kind of things work really well with kids. |
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John C Eternal Order I THINK therefore I wrote 12941 Posts |
Stick with magic on kids under teens. Why fight it?
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seadog93 Inner circle 3200 Posts |
Quote:
On 2013-03-24 12:06, John C wrote: Fight what? Kids like mentalism. Some mentalism doesn't go over well with kids, but some magic doesn't either.
"Love is the magician who pulls man out of his own hat" - Ben Hecht
"Love says 'I am everything.' Wisdom says 'I am nothing'. Between the two, my life flows." -Nisargadatta Maharaj Seadog=C-Dawg=C.ou.rtn.ey Kol.b |
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david12345 Special user 714 Posts |
Another device I have had success with is Boris Wild's mindscanner.
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Julie Inner circle 3936 Posts |
Rachael & Aldo Columbini's Zodiac Code might work well for "kids" old enough to know his/her birthday.
A random helper from the audience is asked the month of her birthday and a large laminated chart is used to reach a color corresponding to her birthday and that leads to a prediction/prize. Julie |
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John C Eternal Order I THINK therefore I wrote 12941 Posts |
Quote:
On 2013-03-24 12:12, seadog93 wrote: under 13. Yes some goes over well but they like magic. Sponger, cards, |
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