What is the perfect age for a magic show?

I generally recommend hiring a magician for a birthday party when the children are aged 5 to 9 years old. However I have performed for all age groups.

Just as there is different music for different age groups, there are different magic tricks and routines that suit different age groups.

Children respond differently as they grow up.

One and two year olds: the whole world is magic. They are absorbing information at a very fast rate, learning all about the world we live in. Their interest in things they see will be determined by colour, sound, smell, taste, and will not be longer than a minute or two. They love seeing the bunny rabbit, and some of the more visual tricks with colourful props. However I recommend waiting a few years before having a magic show for this age group.

Three and four year olds: These children’s characters are starting to take shape. At this age children have a high level of understanding of social customs and acceptable behavior, but still learning. Performers who perform for this age group should not be absurdly loud or over the top. At least not at the beginning. The words have to be easy to understand, and the more entertaining tricks may not be the ones that are technically amazing. Three and 4 year olds get a kick out of seeing the performer getting startled by a sound coming out of the box of tricks. Another favourite for this age group is a misbehaving wand, that either falls apart, jumps around, or even melts whenever the magician looks away.

Five to eight year olds: This is the age when children are already gertting “worldly-wise” and are right into the type of humour and entertainment that you get in a magic show. They’ll be able to follow even more intricately constructed routines. Children at this age are very adept at reading intent, so this makes for great interaction as they play the game of wits against the performer. A seasoned birthday party performer will be aware of the game and will not attempt to argue with this audience but works the retorts into the routine to get production value out of it.

 

What about a mixed audience comprised of adults and children?

If you don’t want such a little kiddy show perhaps the “Tom Stevens Magic Show” is more what you’re after. See Tom’s other website about his magic shows at www.tomstevens.com.au