How to Introduce a Child to Magic
How do you help children learn social skills, gain perseverance, and surprise their friends at school dining tables? Magic. In particular, teach them some tricks. But you can’t just hand them the Magic 101 guide and expect them to be young Houdini — how you introduce the art matters. According to the magicians, here are some good ways to do it.
Start with a French blob
The French Blob is a classic coin trick that gives kids a basic foundation for misdirection and sleight of hand. A former professional magician who racked up 8 million on Reddit recommends introducing it early as it doesn’t require special props (you can use any small object) and adds value to the practice. The trick is easy to learn, but it takes time to master. 8million say that when kids get used to dexterity, they can create their own routines. They will quickly learn that great magicians do much more than just master a rigid series of steps – they tell stories in their own unique style and improvise for different audiences.
This is how it works:
Learn cups and balls
The goblet and ball treatments involve the basics of magic: the balls disappear, reappear, and jump from one place to another. 8million invites kids to start with a homemade kit (plastic cups and three balls) and practice simple exercises. There are tons of DVDs and online videos teaching magic tricks, but 8million believes that learning from books is the best option. “While videos can better ‘show’ you how to perform the effects, the main drawback is that they don’t leave a lot of room for creative presentation – I’ve found that kids mostly copy what they’re shown verbatim,” writes 8million.
Add more everyday props
Jeremy the wizard from New York tells me that in order for viewers to appreciate a good trick, they must “understand the principles of reality that this trick supposedly violates.” This is why when performing for adults, magicians often use common everyday objects such as dollar bills, business cards, and pens. So for a 6-7 year old child, a magic coloring book or magic traffic light cards can be a good trick. For older kids, you can start typing in other props, such as magic pens that can poke through dollar bills or tricky decks of cards .
Move on to simple card tricks
“At about 9 years old, kids can learn simple math card tricks,” says Anthony Orchiwoli, a magician based in Santa Clara, California. He told me that the 21 card trick is a good starting point. “A lot of seasoned magicians hate it because it is abused, but it’s pretty easy to do and doesn’t require manual dexterity,” he explains.
The Chicago Opening is another simple tournament that always gets a great reaction from the public, Orciuoli says.
Other tips to keep your child interested in magic:
- Orchiwoli recommends DreamWorksTV’s Junk Drawer Magic . “It has some really cool and fun tricks that kids of all ages can do.”
- Magic for Dummies by David Pogue is a good beginner’s guide. It includes many tricks that kids can do with everyday objects. There is a section on how to turn a restaurant into a stage with crockery, mug, and food tricks. (Warning: your kids will love this, but your servers won’t.)
- Invite your child to attend local magic shows. Talk to them about what they liked and what they didn’t like about stunts and performance.