Kids Show Masterplan by Danny Orleans

The Kid Show Masterplan
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THE KID SHOW

MASTERPLAN
Creating Incredible Magic for Children
By Danny Orleans
Designed by Andi Gladwin
Copyright © 2014 by Danny Orleans and AmazeKids

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission of the copyright holder.
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Photo: Linsell Imaging 4

The Chapter before

the First
“Kids are the hardest audiences to perform for
because they have such short attention spans.”
I bet you’ve heard that before! And it’s

true – if you don’t have the tools to
capture children’s attention. It’s true, if
your persona is not appealing to them. It’s
true, if you don’t pick the correct material
and present it on their level. It’s true, if
you don’t configure the show setting so
that children are psychologically and
physically comfortable and free from
distraction.
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If you’ve never done a kid show, or if you’ve done some performances, but really want to improve
the quality as well as your comfort level when you perform for audiences of children, this book
will help you. If you are a part-time or full-time professional who is looking for some tricks and
tips to take your performance to the next level, this book will take you there. Solutions, strategies,
and nuggets of wisdom are everywhere, and you’ll be able to immediately incorporate many of
them into your show. By understanding, creating and executing The Kid Show Masterplan, you’ll
be taking the first steps to improving your performance skills, the quality of your show and your
audience’s experience.
If you are comfortable with children, and if you enjoy the expression of pure wonder that shines
from their faces when they watch you perform magic, doing kid shows can be a very gratifying
way to build a part-time or full-time career. I can show you how.
On any given day, worldwide, there are more magic shows being performed for audiences of
children than adults. Many more. This is especially true in English-speaking countries, where a
magician performing a kid show is a popular entertainment choice at birthday parties, school
assemblies, camps, weddings, as well as organizations such as scouts, PTA evening events,
libraries, churches, synagogues, community centers and day care centers. These magic programs
are, in many cases, a child’s first interaction with a live magician. Today’s youth audiences will
grow into fans of adult magic. Remember, when you perform for children, these are the adult
audiences of tomorrow. My Masterplan will give you a foundation to make their experience
positive and memorable.
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The objective of this Masterplan is to help you build and perform a children’s
magic show that will do the following:
1. Contain a variety of age-appropriate routines that appeal to kids, aged four to seven years;
it will include tricks that appeal to their sense of humor and the way they view the world
around them.
2. Capture and hold kids’ attention by including a diverse selection of tricks, creative audience
management strategies and effective attention-getting techniques in your show.
Appropriately promote you and your performance to adults and kids as they watch you in
3. action. The goal? Make them remember you so you get more business.
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I developed my first show for children when I was a

young teenager. Looking back, I realize that I used a trial
and error technique. My laboratories were children’s
birthday parties. The experiments I conducted were
different tricks and routines. I inserted them in and out of
my show to see which ones appealed to the enthusiastic,
young partygoers. My results varied depending upon
a variety of factors including age range, environment,
time of day, number of children and how much sugar Photo: Julian Orleans
the children had eaten before the performance!
When I was eleven-years old, I did
Over time, I observed what worked and what didn’t. The my first magic show at my brother’s
birthday party.
successful jokes, audience interactions, and routines
became part of the show. The elements that were not
successful were jettisoned. As my show for children evolved, and as I created other types of
shows for children, teens and even adults, I realized that shows were successful because I had
incorporated techniques gleaned from my experience as an elementary school teacher. I had
taken strategies from the world of education and used them to build a children’s magic show.
This book contains my plan – a Masterplan, if you’ll indulge the term -- and you will be able to use
it to choose tricks and routines and combine them with audience management techniques that
will make you and your performance a success.
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Here’s the masterplan:
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Photo: SMC Photo Promotions
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Character
So, let’s start with our first section
of the Masterplan: CHARACTER.
Before you open your wallet to
buy tricks and props, you should
give some thought to who you are,
how children perceive you, and
what type of character (if any) you
are comfortable playing in your
show. My character is really just an
extension of my own personality.
Children see me as the friendly
neighborhood magician. I’m a Photo: Jonathan Cohon
mixture of a patient kindergarten
teacher, confused jester, and smiling magic-maker. Currently, my “costume”
is a very colorful version of what their father might wear to the office if he’s
a banker, lawyer, or businessman. During my presentation, my character is
“challenged” by the props, and I get frustrated as they get the better of me. But,
using magic, and the help of my audience, we solve those challenges magically,
and the kid helpers are often the heroes.
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Most children’s entertainers that I have met, like me, do not have a full-blown character. Most
just exaggerate their own personality traits when they perform and let those traits shine through
their talents. Those that do have a full-blown character select a very specific costume to enhance
their “personality.” Some are wizards or magic pirates. Others let their names define them. David
Kaye, a well-known New York City performer and expert on children’s magic, goes by “Silly Billy.”
His costume, complete with oversized glasses complements his name and performing style. A
popular Chicago area kids’ entertainer is “Mary Macaroni.” Her yellow hair and colorful skirt give
her great kids appeal and are right in line with her kids magic and singing style.
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In southern California, one of the best

balloon twisters is “Buster Balloon.” His
stage character during his all-balloon
show is very consistent. His zoot suit
costume choices and bald head reflect the
nature of the very props he manipulates
– always to great acclaim.
In the United Kingdom, costumes are near

mandatory for children’s performers.
British performer Jolly Roger continues
that tradition while living and performing
in Arizona. He goes all out and performs,
wearing a full-length multicolored cape
and enormous matching magic hat. I’m
sure that children love the colors.
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Eric Knauss, better known as “The Great

Zucchini,” is currently the most famous
kids entertainer in the Washington, D.C.
area. He takes another path to costumes,
wearing simple t-shirts to his performances.
This anti-costume approach is in line with
his confused adult character that is well
developed. Young children adore him and
his schedule proves it.
Some performers let their skills build their

character, and mix their magical skill with
musical talents, making part of their show a sing-along as they play the guitar, harmonica or
portable keyboard. Others are wonderful storytellers; they tell stories – either original or gleaned
from children’s literature -- and use magic props as a strong visual aid to enhance the tales they
tell.
The persona that you convey, the clothing or costume you wear, and your skill set (magic, singing,
juggling, acting, balloon twisting, puppetry, storytelling, perhaps even contortion) all combine to
determine how children will perceive and remember you. As you select magic props, be sure
that the trick, and the routine you build around it, fit your persona. Being sure that the sections
of your Masterplan complement each other is a foundation for a good show.
Over time, as you perform show after show, your character – like the list of tricks that you
perform – will evolve. Trust yourself and your own ability. It is not always easy to get started. The
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old adage, “Sometimes you just have to jump into the pool to see what the water is like,” applies
to your first kid shows. Sometimes you just have to get up in front of some children, with tricks in
hand wearing a funny hat, (or not!) and see how comfortable you are, letting your performer-self
take the stage, while your critical-self observes how the children respond.
MAGICAL
in the backyard, outdoors. The sun was shining;
the wind was gentle. I was ready to entertain.
As I neared the home, I saw an ambulance pull
HEALING
away.
“That can’t be good,” I thought.
I parked my car and wheeled my gear down the sidewalk,

very cautiously, to where there were a few people chatting
Shortly after I began doing magic full-time, I with very serious expressions on their faces. I quickly
found myself performing on the 4th of July, a learned that a nine-year-old girl named Sally had been
major holiday filled with fireworks and outdoor taken to the hospital after having an epileptic seizure. No
barbeque in neighborhoods throughout the one was sure of a prognosis, but it was apparent to me that
United States. When I was about ten blocks her life was in jeopardy. I didn’t ask too many questions
away from my next gig, I stopped at a traffic because it felt intrusive.
light and pulled the contract out of my pocket

I entered the backyard in my red blazer and starry tie,
to check the address. It was a backyard picnic
feeling like a costumed character who had walked into a
for a neighborhood block party. Fifty people.
wake instead of a celebration. It was very quiet. People
Kids and adults. I was going to be doing a show were very still. There were lots of somber conversations
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going on between parents and their children as folks were where people were focused on the wonder in the eyes of
trying to reassure themselves and each other that Sally a child as a blank coloring book she held suddenly filled
would be okay. itself with a burst of color. My magic brought life back into
the party and an appreciation for the life of every child
I waited. Then I began to slowly set up my tables. I opened there that day. After the show, my contact walked me to
my prop case. My contact finally came out of the house the car and thanked me for staying, for my sensitivity and
wiping tears from her eyes and greeted me. I offered to she let me know how valuable my presence had been that
leave, thinking that maybe a magic show wasn’t appropriate day. I learned that my work could have more impact than
given the circumstances. Too trivial. Too superficial. She I typically give myself credit for, and I left the party feeling
told me to wait a few extra minutes but to continue to set that my show had really united a group of neighbors
up. through a shared experience.
Slowly, the children at the event began to gather around I also received a call from her that night, letting me know
me, and I had them sit down behind a piece of rope that I that Sally was going to make a full recovery. She also
had laid on the ground. Parents discreetly pulled up lawn laughed as she told me that Sally told her parents that she
chairs arcing behind the kids. A couple of strong men was upset that the ambulance took her away before she
picked up a heavy picnic table and moved it closer for a saw the magic show.
better view. Some kids climbed into their parents’ laps.
Never underestimate the power of what your magic
I realized that instead of my magic being inappropriate, it show can do for a group of people. The memory of an
was just what this neighborhood gathering needed now. extraordinary experience can bond people together
I started talking to the children as I finished setting up unexpectedly, and in the right circumstances provide
and segued slowly into the show, avoiding some of the emotional healing.
slapstick that I usually do to capture attention. It wasn’t
necessary. I put the focus on the children rather than me
by going directly to my first audience participation piece
where I ask some of the youngest children to help me. The
backyard was suddenly transformed into a celebration,
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Set List
Your Set List is the list of routines you’re planning to perform, arranged in
consecutive order. In this chapter, I’ll give you the strategy that I have personally
used to create mine. It will help you think about which routines should be part of
your show, and the order in which you’ll be performing those routines.
The three main considerations that I think about when determining which tricks I perform and
their order are:
a. The amount of audience participation in each trick
b. The classification of the trick
c. The type of prop I’m using.
Let’s examine each of these areas separately.
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AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
It may seem obvious, but the main difference between a live magic show in someone’s home,
and just having the children watch a video, is that you can offer audience participation. This is a
BIG differentiator. And although the parent may not realize it, this is one of the reasons they are
hiring you. Because your show is interactive in nature, you can bring a unique experience to the
party that, unlike a video, can’t be repeated again, in exactly the same way, ever!
Audience Participation gives you a chance to let the children do the magic. Audience Participation
allows children to hold the props. Audience Participation gives children an opportunity to shout
out magic words. Audience Participation is what can make your show memorable. Because
Audience Participation is so important, and because so many magic routines require it, we can
use it as a deciding factor whether or not to include a routine in a show – and what position in
the set list to place it. I do this by analyzing how much Audience Participation is embedded in
the routine.
To do this, I’ve created the Audience Participation Purple Pyramid. It will help you visualize the
amount of audience participation in a routine, as one of five levels. Let’s take a look at the layers
of the pyramid to see how you can use them to vary your show, reward good audience behavior,
and hold audience attention. They are on the next page:
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Audience Participation Pyramid
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SAP: Stage Audience Participation

SAP is an acronym for Stage Audience Participation. SAP routines utilize a child, or small group of
children, standing next to you, in the performance space, facing the audience. Usually they help
you do a trick. Typical activities are holding a hat or another prop. Often, some physical comedy
is involved, using a prop such as Break-away Wand, Wilting Flower, Jumbo Breakaway Crayon or
other prop that falls apart in the child’s hand.
Other SAP tricks involve the child mimicking your actions such as tearing tissue paper. After
many pieces have been torn, they are crumpled and transformed into a paper hat, or a colorful
streamer which can be pulled from the child’s sleeve, collar, or from your mouth.
Photo: Linsell Imaging
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One of my favorite SAP tricks is Miser’s Dream. In my family show, I ask three children to join me
on stage. I find coins behind their ears, noses and pigtails.
I believe there is a special psychological reason that SAP tricks are so effective. Not only do they
give you the opportunity to make your helpers the stars of the show, but they also give the
audience a vicarious experience, as they enjoy the magic through the actions and reactions of
your onstage volunteers.
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GAP: Group Audience Participation

These are routines in which the entire audience participates verbally and/or physically, in unison,
while seated. Typical activities include everyone shouting out a magic word, reciting a magical
poem, completing your sentences, counting, clapping their hands, or reaching up into the air for
magic dust.
Eugene Burger, in his early writings, stated, “If you want to misdirect a person, give them something
to do.” The same is true for holding attention. Including a Group Audience Participation activity
or routine at the beginning of your show is a wonderful way to capture attention. Another benefit
is that it unifies an audience. Getting everyone to do the same action at the same time creates, in
each member of your audience, the feeling of a shared experience. This is empowering to each
child as they feel a sense of belonging to something bigger than themselves. Another benefit – to
you as the performer – is that it encourages uniformity of behavior and increases an audience’s
attention span. So look for GAP routines to include in your Set List, or find a way to include these
moments in your show.
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LAP: Laughter Audience

Participation
As we climb up the Audience
Participation Pyramid you will notice
that each level has less audience
participation than the level beneath
it. LAP tricks are routines in which the
only participation is the reaction that
your performance generates from the
audience – laughter being the most
likely response. Perhaps you are telling
a funny story as your present a classic
trick such as Linking Rings, Linking Ropes, Professor’s Nightmare. Or maybe you’re presenting
“The Giant and the Dwarf” or “Forgetful Freddie” which are story-telling tricks in which you have
colorful wooden props which go through transformations or transpositions as you begin a “Once
Upon a Time” story.
LAP Tricks, by design, have less attention-getting techniques because you are not directing the
audience to engage in verbal or physical activities. However they are a great alternative to GAP
and SAP tricks, and I think important to include in your Set List. Why? By alternating the more
intense audience participation routines with those that require less audience participation, you
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begin to create texture in your show. By “texture,” I mean different theatrical experiences. One
way to deliver these is by varying the level of audience participation. Also, by not making every
trick a SAP trick, it naturally makes the SAP tricks more special. I use SAP tricks and the onstage
audience participation experience as an opportunity to reward children who are behaving
correctly.
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QAP Tricks: Question / Answer

Participation
QAP routines are near the top of the Audience Participation Purple Pyramid because there is
minimal participation that does exist is limited to one child at a time. This type of participation
resembles a teacher/student classroom interaction where you, as a performer, ask a question.
Children respond by raising their hand. You call on one, who answers. An example from my
show would be a dialogue like this:
Danny: Raise your hand if you know what magicians use to do magic?
Child raises her hand.
Danny: (pointing to child) You’re raising your hand perfectly, yes?
Child: A magic wand!
Danny: That’s right, and you’ll be seeing lots of wands in the show today. Raise your hand if you
can think of some other things that magicians use?
Kids raise their hands again.
Danny: (pointing to child) I like the way you’re raising your hand. Yes!
Child: A magic hat!
Danny: That’s right – and I have one of those, right here…
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You can actually see this brief interaction from my live show if you click HERE. Though a question/
answer participation technique is nothing revolutionary, it is very effective – especially at home
parties with small audiences. Why? Because the dialogue echoes the teacher/student relationship
that young children learn at pre-school. Best of all, without referring directly to it, you’ve now
established a simple four-step communication format:
1. Ask a question.
2. Children raise hands.
3. Call upon one child.
4. Child answers.
Children love structure! As long

as you’re consistent in the way
you use it, this type of structure
will help you maintain order and
prevent everyone from calling
out different answers at the
same time!
Speaking of structure, notice, if

you reread the above dialogue,
I’m arranging my sentence
structure specifically so the
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children know that their hands have to be raised in order for me to call upon them to answer
the question. Then, just before I call on them, I compliment them on their hand-raising behavior.
This is a nice way to simultaneously let the other children know how they should behave to get
compliments from me. They also learn that this is the way to earn the privilege to participate.
Educators and psychologists call this technique Positive Reinforcement – and we will revisit it, in
more detail, later in the book.
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NAP Tricks: No Audience

Participation
These are routines that are on the top end of the Audience Participation Purple Pyramid. NAP
Tricks purposely exclude audience participation. Ideally there is no laughter, and no magic –
until the end of the trick. They are typically shorter routines – under two minutes, and have a
repetitive process that is non-magical until the end of the trick, when there is a magical payoff.
NAP Tricks are best positioned in your show after a rip-roaring funny routine in which you and
the children have been very active and very loud. These routines give kids a chance to sit quietly
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for a moment, catch their breath, and restore themselves as they wonder, “How’s this trick going
to end.” I find that inserting a NAP trick into a show is a great way to maintain control of your
audience’s behavior and to demonstrate, to adults who are evaluating your performance, that
you are able to control children’s behavior as you take them on a roller coaster ride from crazy
excitement, to attentive quietness. Good examples of NAP tricks that are short, to the point, with
an amazing final magical moment are, Gypsy Thread, Aqua-Cups, Torn and Restored Newspaper,
and Paper Hat Tear. You can see me performing part of my Gypsy Thread routine to some very
attentive youngsters if you click HERE.
My experience as an elementary school teacher taught me these two points about young
children’s attention spans:
• Attention span lasts longer if you are constantly changing the communication techniques that
you use to teach a concept.
• Attention span lasts longer if you are constantly changing the types of activities that you use to
keep the children engaged.
So, by incorporating different levels of Audience Participation in your show and remembering to
vary them as your create your Set List, you’ll be able to use them to help maintain control and
keep the attention of your young audiences.
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TRICK CLASS
The second area to keep in mind as you build your Set List is trick classification,
or “Trick Class.” Many trick classification systems exist, but we’ll use a simplified
version of the trick classification system as created by magic consultant, author
and magic historian, Charles Reynolds. Here they are with my descriptions and
comments made from a children’s magician’s point of view.
A Dozen Trick Classes

Production: Making an object appear, such as a scarf from an empty fist or an empty box.
What would kids say if you asked, “Name a magic trick that a magician does”? Probably, “A bunny
from a hat.” In general, producing items from empty containers or “out of thin air” is a good
choice for the kids magician. The Appearing Wand or Cane is a great example and, if deceptively
done, creates surprise and wonder. Making silks appear from “empty” fists, boxes or tubes is
also a good choice because they are colorful. The production of money, both coins and bills, also
gets a strong response because children learn, at a very early age, the value of money.
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Vanish: The disappearance of an object, such as making a coin vanish at the tips of your
fingers or putting a ketchup bottle into a paper bag and crumpling the bag into a small ball.
There are many utility props that can be used for vanishing different sorts of small objects such
as a Devil’s Hank, or a Change Bag. Another favorite vanish of mine is the Vanishing Cane, which
disappears after you’ve rolled it up in a newspaper.
Keep in mind that vanishing an object causes children (of age four and older) to start wondering
where it went. In psychological terms, the disappearance can actually create anxiety, especially if
you’ve vanished something that the children have attached themselves to, such as a live animal
or cute puppet. This anxiety will manifest itself in distracted behavior, such as asking, “Where
did the bird go?” Or, the children may start searching for it or guessing aloud where it is. I highly
recommend that you either make the vanished article reappear, or reassure the children that
you will help them find it in a few minutes.
Transposition: Making an object switch places, travel

from one place to another, or change orientation.
A simple example of a transposition is to make a coin
disappear in your hand and then pull it out of your
pocket. Another example is to make crayons vanish
and reappear inside a previously shown, blank coloring
book. A classic transposition trick is The Die Box in which
a large die disappears from a box and is found in a hat.
Transposition effects are great for children.
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When performing, instead of saying the word

“transpose,” try saying that the object “disappears and
invisibly travels through the air, and then reappears…”
These words are much easier (and much more magical)
for children to understand. Another great transposition
effect is Topsy-Turvy Bottles done with soda pop bottles
or its cousin with crayons created especially for the kids
magician called Confusing Crayons.
Transformation: Making an object change into

something else. Children’s fairy tales are filled with
transformations, an example being a frog turning into a prince. Color transformations, often
called Color Changes in the magic community are great tricks for children because they are visually
powerful. Consider including a Color Change with a scarves, balls, cards or another object in
your show. The Double-Color Changing Scarf is a really easy-to-do color change. There is also a
version requiring sleights and a Die Tube that has a wonderful false explanation section that is
great for older children and tweens. Transformation tricks in which an object changes shape or
size are also part of this class. One of my favorites for young children is The Giant and the Dwarf
in which a fairytale is told using placards that get smaller and bigger.
Restoration: Making the pieces of an object that has been torn, cut, or destroyed magically
come back together. The idea that an object can be broken and then fixed magically is very
satisfying for children who are constantly dealing with broken toys, jacket zippers, crayons, and
other objects in their life that don’t work. Classic examples of restoration tricks include Paper
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Hat Tear, Cut and Restored Necktie, Torn & Restored Newspaper, Gypsy Thread, and Clippo.
George Sands’s RopeSational and Sandsational Rope have multiple moments where the rope is
cut and magically restored. Consider creating presentations where you appear to break, tear or
cut the prop accidentally and then magic to fix it. This strategy is especially appealing to children.
Animation: Making an inanimate object, such as a

ball or handkerchief, move by itself. These types of
tricks are great choices because they are highly visual
and exciting for children – especially if the magician
feigns surprise or the lack of ability to control the
animated object. It is well worth your time to add some
animation to your show, even if it’s just momentary. An
excellent booklet to read (also available in DVD format)
on this is Five Minutes with a Pocket Handkerchief by
Quentin Reynolds.
Mr. Reynolds provides complete instruction on a trick

that uses something as simple as a cloth handkerchief,
tying it to look like a little mouse, and making it scurry up and down his arms and leap unexpectedly
out into the audience. Delightful fun!
Penetration: Making one solid object magically pass through another. An example of this
is a wooden block going through a plate of glass, or pushing a sword through a spectator’s neck
(a poor choice in a program for young children.) Most penetration effects, which are usually
performed where the actual point of penetration is hidden, can be difficult for very young
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children to comprehend, so I usually do not include

one in a show. Two exceptions are Linking Rings
and Needle Thru Balloon that can be very magical
for young children because the point of penetration
is revealed, not concealed. The former trick is good
because there are many moments of magic as the
rings are repeatedly linked and unlinked during the
routine, and the charming clinking sound of the rings
is a real attention-getter. The latter trick is especially
magical because you are doing the trick with an object that they know should break when poked
with a long sharp needle.
Anti-gravity: Making an object or person defy gravity by floating in mid-air. Defying gravity
is a classic effect that is strongly associated by kids (and adults!) with magicians. Zombie and
Chair Suspension are great examples
of effective tricks for a kid show that
are part of this class of tricks. They also
present great photo opportunities for
capturing a magical moment.
Sympathetic Reaction: This class of

tricks refers to routines in which
there are usually two identical
objects that magically behave
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identically. When one is physically altered, such as tying a silk into a knot, the other one is
shown to have magically changed “in sympathy.” Related to this class of tricks is a class in which
there are two identical objects that act opposite to each other. The Chinese Sticks do this. This
“opposite” behavior can easily be played for laughs if the kids magician makes it appear as
though the trick is “disobeying” commands. It’s a good LAP Trick that also has some exciting
animation in it.
Escapes: The magician is placed in a restraining device such as handcuffs, rope or a

straitjacket and escapes to safety. Harry Houdini made this class of tricks famous in the
early 1900s. However, freeing oneself from handcuffs, straitjackets, rope or large locked boxes,
as part of a show exclusively for young children, is probably not a good choice. So be sure to
consider a parent’s point-of-view if you’re thinking of including an escape trick in your show.
After all, we don’t want to hear about kids imitating our tricks as they tie each other up in rope!
However, when I’m performing a Family Show, where children are there with their parents, the
tenor changes and makes it possible to include an escape trick. I ask a Dad and his children to
perform Ropes Thru Dad, which I frame as an escape trick. A Dad is tied up in fifty feet of rope
and, with the help of his children, (and the magician) makes a comedic escape!
Mentalism: To create the illusion of telepathy or a mindreading experience. Generally

speaking, this class of tricks is not appropriate for young children because they do not yet have an
appreciation for probability and statistics, which must be understood, intuitively, to appreciate
the impossibility of a mindreading trick. Mentalism tricks, for young children, just appear to be
guessing games that a magician just happens to “get right.” I avoid Mentalism tricks for this age
group because they usually lack a strong visual component. Besides there are so many other
better choices for kids.
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Invulnerability to Physical Laws: Tricks testing human invulnerability. These are very
poor choices to perform for children – especially young children – because they are inherently
terrifying, and we certainly don’t want kids “trying this at home.” But for the sake of completeness
of our list of trick classifications, this class includes routines such as swallowing razor blades or
eating fire. This category also brings to mind Hand Choppers and Guillotine Tricks that also fit
into the Penetration Category, but are cousins of Invulnerability. These, too, can be frightening
for very young children, even if performed in a silly, comic style. However, I have included them
in shows when my audience is made up of older children such as nine and ten-year-olds, who
know that magicians don’t really have special powers, and their props are “tricky.”
Can you see what’s developing? We’ve discussed the benefits of varying the amount of audience
participation as we segue from routine to routine. We’ve also talked about selecting routines
from a wide variety of Trick Classes. This is only the beginning. Keep reading to see how our
Masterplan grows to create a show with texture, variety and dramatic arc. Building a show based
on these principles will give you a presentation that will help you keep the attention of your
young audience. Keep this in mind as you read about My Personal Set List as we continue to
explore the plan for creating incredible kid shows.
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Prop Type
The final consideration as you build your Set List is the type of props you will
use. In the previous chapter, we’ve talked about considering your character
when creating your routines. In this chapter on how to build your Set List, up to
this point, we’ve discussed the importance in choosing material that has varying
amounts of Audience Participation in each routine as well as a differentiation
in Trick Class. The final section on building your Set List is a discussion on the
types of props that are available to the kids magician. It almost goes without
saying that you’ll want to vary the types of props that you include in your show.
Using an assortment of objects to make magic is a third component in building
your set list.
You’ll find, as you visit brick and mortar as well as online magic shops, that there are lots of tricks
to choose from. Even I get overwhelmed with the number of trick possibilities. There are so
many! While it’s a good idea to take advantage of the variety of props that exist as you build your
show, it can be confusing and overwhelming. There are coin tricks and card tricks. You’ll find
colorful tricks with big and small silk scarves, balloons, balls and paper. There are lots of shiny
metallic bowls, tubes and buckets. Supreme Magic, in England, made a variety of props beginning
in the 1950s that were designed to accompany a magician’s story-telling ability. Stenciled onto
beaverboard, were images of castles, giants, dwarves, boys, clowns, ducks, rabbits and more.
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Many props are more organic in nature – objects with which kids are familiar and would find at
home or school. This includes coloring books, crayons, pencils, paper bags and napkins. Tricks
with familiar foods such as fruit, eggs and milk are also good choices. I think a good kid show
has a variety of props. Varying the props, like varying the amount of audience participation
within each routine is just another way to help keep kids’ attention and make your show fun and
memorable.
Danny Orleans’ Top 30

The amount of guidance I can give you is limited. Why? Because I don’t know your personality or
the type of character you are going to play in front of your young audience. However, in an effort
to help narrow down the possibilities, here are my favorite thirty tricks for children aged four
to seven years old. I have not arranged them in any particular order because my preferences
have changed over the years. Besides, I don’t have a #1 favorite all-time trick. Your performing
situation, which includes the size of your audience, their age range, the physical setting you’re
performing in as well as a slew of other factors, all contribute to the decisions on what tricks
should make up your Set List in any given performance location.
However, I have performed all of the tricks on the list below many times, for both family audiences
as well as all-kid audiences. If you have the technical skill to properly present the trick, I can tell
you that the plots and magic in each one will be a sure-fire hit with young children in most
performing situations. I give each one a hearty stamp of approval.
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1. Paper Hat Tear 17. AquaCups
2. Mouth Coil 18. Vanish of Liquid (Slush Powder)
3. Forgetful Freddie 19. Lota Bowl
4. Giant and Dwarf 20. Comedy Funnel Routine which produces

water from a child’s elbow
5. Professor’s Nightmare
21. Blend-O Routine with a message on the
6. The Coloring Book
final silk
7. Miser’s Dream
22. Gypsy Thread
8. Zombie (performed in a comic style)
23. Ropes Thru Dad (Presented as an escape
9. Snake Can Routine by David Ginn trick with a volunteer Dad)
10. Break away Fan 24. Tom Ogden’s Banana/Bandana
11. Breakaway Crayon 25. Stratosphere
12. Breakaway Wand 26. Barry Mitchell’s Smile Maker
13. Multiplying Wands by Bev Bergeron 27. Peanut Butter and Jelly
14. Silly Wands by Silly Billy 28. Needle Thru Balloon
15. Torn and Restored Newspaper 29. Appearing Cane from black and white silk
16. Sucker Routine (Die Box, Run Rabbit Run, 30. Confusing Crayons
Hippit-Hop Rabbits, etc)
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MY PERSONAL SET LIST

So, now, after having shared with you my approach to constructing a Set List based on the
amount of audience participation, prop category and prop type, may I share with you my own
current set list for young children? Of course, what works for one magician, may not work for
another. Each of us has his or her strengths and weaknesses as a performer. Each of us injects
his or her own personality into our performance. Each of us has his or her own style. However, by
examining my set list – the list of routines, in sequential order that I currently do in my 45-minute
show for four to seven-year-olds – you may be able to take some of my reasoning and apply it
to your own decision-making when creating your own set list. It will also give you a chance to
think about the character that I play, and how I choose routines for my set list based on how the
children perceive me. You’ll see how the routines fit my persona.
For those who have never done a kid show before, remember, your Set List doesn’t have to be
this long. A Set List can be just a few tricks. For that matter, it can be just one trick. If you’re a
beginner, by all means start with a very short list. Perform it at every opportunity and, when
you’re ready, add another routine. You’ll learn from every performing opportunity and be able
to improve your show.
As you study this list, you’ll have a chance to click on some links that will show you short video
clips – portions of my routines – to give you a flavor of what the routine is all about and how the
children react to it.
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Introduction. I introduce myself at small events such as birthday parties. I have a teacher or
principal introduce me at school shows, providing them with a written introduction.
Get acquainted with Magic Wands, Magic Hats, and Magic Words. This beginning section of
the show lets the children get to know me, see that I’m friendly, lots of fun and funny too. Before
they know it, something goes amiss, catching them off-guard in a moment of simple humor, as I
can’t seem to put my hat on my head correctly. Next, they learn a great magic word, which they
shout out, really loud.
Zombie. (GAP TRICK; ANTI-GRAVITY/ANIMATION CLASS)
This is the name of the trick in which a silver ball floats under and around a cloth held by the
corners. It was invented in the 1940s, by Joe Karson, who probably had a serious, slightly spooky
presentation for it. My presentation is comical, with moments of slapstick as the floating ball
disobeys me. Kids think this is hilarious because the ball is mimicking the interactions they have
with their own parents! You can see part of this routine by clicking HERE. I perform this trick
as a GAP trick. It fits into both the Animation as well as the Anti-Gravity Trick Classes. The kids
participate as a group, grabbing imagination dust out of the air, and counting out loud as the
silver ball solves a math problem. The routine also establishes my persona as one who is not
always in control of my props. This relationship leads to hysterical results.
The Colossal Coloring Book: (SAP TRICK: VANISH/TRANSPOSITION/TRANSFORMATION/BROKEN

& RESTORE)
Once the children have seen that I’m a lot of fun, they are ready, willing and quite eager to help
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“on stage.” So, now I incorporate a SAP trick – a chance for two volunteers to participate “on
stage.” To see part of the ten-minute routine, click here, and enjoy some of the funny things that
you can do with child volunteers – from hand shaking gags, to props that “accidentally” break
and are magically repaired. I do think that it’s important, when performing a kid show, that your
onstage helpers experience success. So consider constructing your first SAP routine with a trick
that allows the children to not just hold some props, but become the heroes of the routine which
is constructed to give them the credit for making magic.
Gypsy Thread: (NAP TRICK/BROKEN & RESTORE) After fifteen

minutes of lots of laugh-out-loud routines, I believe it’s time for
a short, calm-down period for the children. That’s why I present
a NAP trick at this point in my show. I give the children a chance
to quiet themselves as I perform a ninety-second short story,
illustrated with a five-foot length of thread. You can see a partial
clip of it HERE and you’ll note how focused and attentive the
children are, and how they applaud on cue at its conclusion. The
method to The Gypsy Thread was created by Eugene Burger. I
teach it on my DVD set, The Art of Presenting Magic to Children.
Another great NAP trick, which I sometimes substitute in its
place, is AquaCups. Click HERE to see the presentation.
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Miser’s Dream: (SAP TRICK: MULTIPLE APPEARANCES)

Now it’s time for another SAP trick as the children get
involved in the magic-making. For my first SAP trick,
Colossal Coloring Book, I performed a transposition
trick in which the crayons magically travelled from the
box, through the air, and into the coloring book, creating
a scribble-scrabble pattern on all the pages. The Miser’s
Dream, named by T. Nelson Downs, is a Production
routine in which multiple coins appear. It was originally
a routine in which the mage plucked coins from thin
air. For children, it can be incredibly entertaining to use
volunteers on stage, finding coins in their ears, noses,
pigtails and pockets. Jeff McBride and Robert Baxt
feature this trick in their family program using one volunteer. Years ago, magicians Dick Oslund
and Billy Bishop used three or more children in a row. For this spot in the show, consider a SAP
trick, but be sure that the trick’s class is different from your previous SAP trick.
Surprise Vanish of the Silver Ball: (GAP TRICK; Vanish) As the children are returning to their
seat after Miser’s Dream, I sneakily steal the silver ball off the table on stage left and hide it in the
Coin Pail as I walk across the stage. Then I stand to the extreme stage right and use a “call and
response” technique in which the children, as a group, raise their hands to questions I ask about
how they are enjoying the show. Then I ask them about the silver ball. Their eyes shift from me
standing stage right, to where the ball was resting, stage left, and they see it’s vanished. Usually
there are some gasps. This is a lovely thirty-second moment of magic that is very surprising. I do
44
assure them that the disappearance is just temporary and

that we will find it after the next routine. This statement
prevents them from being preoccupied while I perform
the next trick.
Stratosphere: (GAP TRICK; TRANSPOSITION) This trick

was named by its inventor, U.F. Grant, who created it in
the late 1960s. It’s a great prop for a story-telling trick, a
GAP trick, in which the children participate by calling out
the colors of the spheres as they complete your sentences.
It can be performed as a mystery, in which the magic red
ball mysteriously travels through the other balls in the
tube. However, I give my audiences an opportunity to
laugh out loud as the red sphere misbehaves in a magical way. Click HERE to see this moment.
This is a callback to the comedic disobedience of the Zombie ball from earlier in the show. The
goal of the trick is to arrange three colored balls, simulating the color pattern of a red, yellow and
green traffic light. When the balls somehow magically rearrange themselves, I become a victim of
my prop’s disobedience and the children laugh twice: once as they are surprised by the colorful
rearrangement, and again as they see me, an adult, struggle with something that should be so
simple.
Reappearance of the Silver Ball (LAP TRICK; APPEARANCE) At this point, I find the silver ball in the
bucket behind my table and give a preposterous explanation for how it travelled there which the
children find amusing as they laugh out loud. This sequence is quick, lasting just a minute.
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The End: (SAP TRICK; TRANSFORMATION/APPEARANCE)
My final trick involves the magical blending of five small

scarves into a giant 36” square scarf that says THE
END on it. Along the way, there is onstage audience
participation, some Silly Wands, and sometimes an
unexpected appearance of a live bird – a white dove
from a Dove Bag. This SAP trick gets a child involved
on stage again and nicely concludes the show as the
message on the scarf makes it very clear for my young
audience that the show is over.
If you go back and examine my choices, you’ll see

that I use many classes of tricks, and also alternate
the amount of audience participation as I segue from
routine to routine. This variation gives my program
highs and lows, moments of hilarity followed by
moments of quiet, simple and short routines positioned between longer, multi-layered routines,
comedic tricks separated by serious tricks. As you build your set list, look to make distinctions
like these in the flow of your show. These changes will give your show texture and a variety of
ways to share your magic with your audience as it keeps them riveted to your presentation.
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Be Careful What you

My mind started spinning trying to find the right words.
She had really caught me off-guard as there was no hint
Wish For
of an illness during the party. I finally said, “I’m so honored
that her mother chose me to entertain your family and her
friends. You will all be in my thoughts.”
It started out as a typical Saturday with two birthday parties
scheduled on Chicago’s North Shore. The first party, for a And you can be assured that they were as I drove to my
five-year-old named Laura, went incredibly well. Her twenty next party. I tried to collect myself to become that happy,
classmates, as well as a surprising number of aunts, uncles smiling Mr. Magic again for my next client. Ten minutes
and grandparents were invited, and everyone was doting later, I pulled into the driveway. I took a deep breath and
on her. As I collected my fee and politely refused a slice of got out of my car only to be face-to-face with an excited
chocolate cake, her Grandma walked me to the door. “You father running toward me, his four-year-old son chasing
were wonderful, but we won’t be having you back next after him asking him to carry him piggy-back. “Can you
year,” she said, disheartened. I looked at her, confused make my son disappear? He’s driving me nuts,” yelled the
that she’d make such an odd comment. Then my thoughts Dad, with a twinkle in his eye.
reeled as she continued, “Laura was just diagnosed with

All I could think was, “Be careful what you wish for,” as I
leukemia and she won’t live long enough to turn six. This
had an immediate and new-found appreciation for the
was her last birthday.”
gifts that life has given me.
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 Emergency Kit
Over the years, I’ve needed each of these items while going to, at, or coming
home from a performance. Now I always carry a kit with the following items, as
I keep in mind that old show biz adage, “The show must go on.” Having these
items with you will really come in handy at the moment you least expect it.
First-Aid and Medicine

1. Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen
2. Stomach Medicine such as Rolaids, Pepto-Bismol or Pepcid
3. Throat Lozenges and Throat Coat® brand Tea Bags
4. Cold Medicine such as Cold-Eeze® zinc drops or Tylenol® Cold Daytime
5. Band-Aids® – especially the ones designed for knuckles and finger tips
Adhesives
1. Scotch® Tape and Double Stick Tape
2. Masking Tape and Duct tape
3. Glue Stick
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Tools
1. Flashlight
2. Pen knife and/or all-purpose tool
3. Eyeglass screwdriver, Microfiber eyeglass cloth
Grooming Items
1. Nail file/manicure tool
2. Comb/Brush
3. Disposable toothbrushes for multi-show days
4. Hand sanitizer
Utilities
1. Pen, pencil, markers
2. Needle and thread. Extra shirt/coat buttons if you might need them for your costume
3. Microphone Holder: Get either the Gim-Crack Mic Holder or Nick Lewin’s The Ultimate
Microphone Holder.
4. Batteries (if you use anything that relies on them)
5. Cash
Identification
If I’m traveling on a plane, I always carry two forms of ID, in separate places. If I lose one, I can
still get through domestic airport security. Along with a driver’s license, consider carrying your
passport or, if you live in the U.S., a state ID.
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Audience Management
I think we can all agree that if you don’t have the attention of the children in
your audience, then your show becomes like a tree falling in the forest with no
one there to hear it. There is no impact. This is why it’s crucial that you learn
how to manage an audience filled with children – from ages two through ten
years old. Even though this Masterplan is designed to help you build a show
for children aged four through seven years, often, at a party, you’ll find older
and younger siblings as party guests. You must be
prepared to hold everyone’s attention and manage
any misbehavior that distracts them from enjoying
your performance.
Following is a brief article I wrote for magicians on how to

control children’s behavior. It’s geared specifically for dealing
with audiences of children and addresses both individual, as
well as group behavior. It was published in Genii Magazine in
2000, but I believe the mastery of the techniques I discussed
are even more essential today, because kids are living in a
faster-paced, internet-driven, on-demand world that is filled
with distractions. It’s an excellent read for anyone who wants
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to do a kid show because, in just a few short pages, you’ll learn how to get kids to sit quietly for
your entire show by using particular words directed to a specific type of child (and that child is
not the one misbehaving!) To see this audience management strategy in action on a live audience
of children, see the second DVD of my 3-DVD set, The Art of Presenting Magic to Children, filmed
at a Chicago-area library. Following the article below, I’ll introduce ten specific attention-getting
techniques that work during a magic show for kids.
Remote Control
In any performance you do for children, being able to control their behavior during your show –
getting them to listen and sit still – is all too often the key to your overall success. Unfortunately it
is also the barometer by which the rest of your performance is judged by teachers and parents. I
am frequently complimented on my ability to elicit good behavior from my audience. But I didn’t
realize I was so good at it until I started taking my four-year-old daughter, Leah, to her friends’
birthday parties and watching a variety of performers – singers, puppeteers, magicians – who
couldn’t keep an audience’s attention. Their problem wasn’t uninteresting content or lack of
talent. They made no effort to control the behavior of their audience.
They left the behavior management up to the parents of the kids. Why? Because they considered
themselves artists, not disciplinarians. Well, I can understand their thinking. However, if they
knew some simple communication strategies to manage children’s behavior, they wouldn’t
have to leave it to the parents, who mostly ignored the situation anyway! More important, their
performances would be ten times better!
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If you can learn how to manage group behavior, you won’t need a mother to jump into the
middle of your show to remind her child to sit down or stop talking. If you can handle any
behavior situation that arises, you will get credit as someone who is “great with kids.” This is
good for business and a skill set that you want to have if you’re going to be doing kid shows.
Personally, I take a proactive approach to eliminating unwanted behavior. I anticipate it; I’m
prepared to deal with it; and I prevent most of it from happening in the first place. The result? I
produce a show that is watched by a well-behaved, attentive audience that has a wonderful time.
My technique is not difficult to learn. However it is counter-intuitive. It is entrenched in what

educators call behavior modification. It is rooted in the now-classic experiments of the Russian
psychologist Ivan Pavlov who trained hungry dogs to salivate at the sound of a bell which was
previously associated with the sight of food.
Fast-forward to the 1970s and we find many educators

using a behavior modification technique called positive
reinforcement. It is based on the experiments of B. F.
Skinner (photographed), who did research in operant
conditioning. In short, children’s behavior can be
changed – or modified – by reinforcing correct behavior
and ignoring negative behavior. Since most of us,
especially children, are motivated by praise, rewards
and attention, it is really quite easy to control behavior
using this technique.
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Positive reinforcement is especially effective during brief interactions with children. So it’s a
great solution for a children’s entertainer who spends less than an hour with an audience. Here
are a few examples of how I’ve incorporated positive reinforcement into my performances over
the past thirty years.
Once, I was performing Zombie in an intimate hotel banquet room with no stage. Fifty children
were seated on the floor. As the ball floated toward the audience, a six-year-old boy stood up and
began walking toward me, eager to grab the scarf. I couldn’t stop him with my hands because
they needed to hold the scarf to hide the gimmick. I didn’t want to turn into a bossy, demanding
adult and yell, “Sit down!” So, what did I do? I ignored him.
But I looked at the little girl sitting next to him and said praised her intensely, “Jennifer, I like
the way you are sitting. Your legs are perfectly crossed, your hands are in your lap and you are
really enjoying the show.” The praise worked. The little boy, wanting the attention I had just
given the girl, imitated her correct behavior. He sat down, crossed his legs and put his hands in
his lap. Adults watching the show looked at each other knowingly and nodded as if to say, “Wow,
that magician really knows how to handle those kids.” Luckily for me, the cloth that was covering
the Zombie gimmick remained untouched. But more importantly, a potentially embarrassing
situation was avoided without reprimanding the child.
I have also used positive reinforcement to solve a problem we all have regarding the involvement
of young, on-stage participants in our show. They tend to wander around the stage during a
routine. This not only can be distracting to an audience and interrupt the rhythm of the show,
but also can be disastrous as they can accidentally knock over my table and props. By placing
squares of brightly colored tape on the stage – one for each foot of my two helpers – I give them
54
each their own special place to stand during the routine. If one wanders, I simply praise the
other, “Tracy, you’re standing perfectly – right on your yellow squares!” I don’t even look at the
transgressor until he or she has corrected his incorrect behavior. Alternatively, I might say to the
transgressor, “Are you standing on your squares?” which is a question, not a reprimand.
The use of behavior modification also allows me to remotely control children who hold gimmicked
props. I instruct them how to hold a prop, and then reinforce their cooperation by praising
their correct behavior. Can you guess what gimmicked prop or routine I’m doing when I say the
following?
1. “Darlene, you are holding that coloring book perfectly, both hands on top so everyone can see.”
2. “Good listening, Dwayne. You’re holding that bag with one hand gripping tightly on the rainbow
scarf inside. Nice job. You got it?”
3. “OK Sean, you’re holding your arm straight out in front of you. Great job following directions. Hold
still and the bird will fly through the air and land on your arm. Ready?”
The formula is just two steps: First, you restate what they are doing correctly. Then you praise
them for doing it.
You can reward them in different ways. You can attribute the magic to their ability to follow
directions. You can also reward them by giving them an opportunity to help in your show. I
frequently use the latter reward to control a large audience like this: Early in the show, I always
make the following statement. “Remember, I always select people to help me who are sitting flat
with their legs crossed in front of them. That way, the person behind them can see. (Pointing to a
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Positive Reinforcement in Action: Danny Orleans uses his “Remote Control” technique to keep children seated,
even during the very exciting parts of his program.
few individuals) “Like you’re sitting, or you or you.” The reward – getting to help the magician – is
available only to children who exhibit correct behavior. It is not uncommon for me to repeat
this statement three or four times during my show, especially if the venue lacks a stage and clear
sightlines for the children, causing them to kneel and block other audience members’ views.
I usually begin my Remote Control statements as the children are walking into the room. I
compliment the children who are sitting calmly and correctly with a sentence like this. “Wow,
Terry, you are sitting perfectly, legs crossed in front of you, nice and flat, waiting quietly for the show.
56
We’re going to start really soon.” Immediately I witness bunches of children rearrange their legs,
imitating Terry, who is beaming proudly. I then repeat the same sentence to another child sitting
on the other side of the room. Like magic, within seconds, everyone is sitting flat waiting quietly
for the show. Why is it magic? Because I did it without scolding or negatively criticizing, or even
gently correcting children who were sitting incorrectly. I did it without singling out a child who
was exhibiting an undesirable behavior. I did it without uttering a demonstrative sentence such
as “Sit still.” “Don’t talk.” or “Be quiet.” I was able to modify their behavior with upbeat positive
statements that praised the correct behavior, rather than admonishing incorrect behavior.
Later in the show I remind the children of the correct way to be a good audience by restating the
correct behavior before I select audience helpers for a routine. “Let’s see, I need someone to help
me with another magic trick. Someone who is sitting down, sitting quietly, someone with one-hand
politely raised. Hmmmm?”
There are dozens of ways to use behavior modification in your show to help the children control
their excitement, pay attention, cooperate onstage and be great audiences. Look for opportunities
in your show to use positive reinforcement to control audience enthusiasm. Experiment with the
words and praise technique until you find the structure that works for you and your audiences.
I think you’ll be amazed with the results.
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TOP TEN
ATTENTION-GETTING
TECHNIQUES FOR
CHILDREN’S MAGICIANS
Part of knowing how to manage your young audience is being able to capture
and hold their attention. It is a common misconception that children don’t have
long attention spans. This is far from being true. Want proof? Just put a five-
year-old child in front of a monitor playing a Disney animated movie. He or
she will sit there for hours, transfixed. Why? Because his or her senses and
emotions are being stimulated non-stop with color, action and sound. It’s no
easy task to compete with a well-made video made by a top movie studio with a
multi-million dollar budget. But we can learn from them – and we can leverage
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the advantage that we have over them when performing for a live audience. We
have the ability to create an interactive environment.
Here are ten attention-getting techniques that you can use in a live interactive magic show. As
you perform for children, you’ll discover more. These are an important part of the Audience
Management Strategy you should be utilizing. Pick and choose the ones that work for your
persona and routines.
Do a silent, easy to imitate, Do-As-I-Do interaction. This can be a series of hand or head
1. movements that children can follow and mimic while they are seated. This works great as a
warm-up. The silent warm-up that I use is detailed in my Lecture Notes.
2. Make children active onstage participants in your show. This goes without saying, but
understanding why this is an effective attention-getting strategy can be helpful. Audiences like
to watch their friends on stage because they now enjoy the routine vicariously, that is, through
the eyes and reactions of the onstage volunteer. Using this technique makes your magic more
personal and exciting because you are creating the potential for anything to happen.
3. Use positive reinforcement. Compliment good behavior. Ignore negative behavior. This
summation of the Behavior Modification technique discussed in detail in the preceding article is
the single best technique to maintain audience control and get attention. It’s incredibly powerful.
Study it. Try it. Master it. You will be rewarded every time you do a kid show.
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4. Encourage non-verbal group audience participation. I was once told by a teacher, “If you
want to capture a group of children’s attention, give them something to do; engage them in a
group behavior.” As children’s performers, there are many ways to do this that are brief, and that
they can done without talking. Here are a bunch:
You can have your audience…
• Wave their hands

• Snap their fingers
• Clap
• Grab invisible dust from the air and
toss it towards you or a prop.
• Grab colors off their clothing and toss
them toward an object such as a tube
of white scarves, a blank coloring book
or torn tissue paper, to create color.
• Solve a math problem mentally and
show the answer, without talking, on their fingers.
• Point to parts of their body that are responsible for their five senses or other body functions.
This is especially good for three, four and five-year-old children.
1. “Point to the part of your body that helps you see.”
2. “Point to the part of your body that helps you think.”
3. “Point to the part of your body that does the smelling.”
4. “Point to the part of your body that helps you run really fast.”
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5. Encourage verbal group responses during your show. Children love to react verbally to magic.
Structuring their responses, so they are not random, is not only a great way to get and keep
attention, but it also manages their behavior by giving them an outlet to talk at the “right time.”
Here are eight ways to create situations where kids say the same thing at the same time.
1. Ask children to repeat a specific magic word out loud.

2. Have children complete your sentences. The unspoken word should be so obvious that
everyone says the same word.
3. Ask children to tell you where something is, such as a misplaced top hat.
4. Ask children to identify colors of props, such as silks, that you are holding.
5. Ask children to call out the correct number of objects that you are holding.
6. Have children count (forwards or backwards) out loud.
7. Ask children to say the name of the birthday child out loud.
8. Have a verbal running gag in your show, where an event repeats itself and the children
respond the same way to it every time.
6. Promise children a reward of audience participation. Make a statement near the beginning
of the show letting the children know what behavior they need to display in order to get to
help in the show. My statement is something like, “Let’s see, I need someone to help. I always pick
children who are sitting down, sitting quietly, with one hand politely raised. Let’s see…. Hmmmm…”
You can see a clip of how this is delivered by clicking HERE.
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7. Slowly decrease the volume of your voice to a whisper. When I want my young audience to
pay attention, I have them focus on an upcoming sound such as a coin dropping into a bucket.
I’ll repeat the word listen a few times, each time decreasing my volume until I’m speaking in a
stage whisper.
Vary the speed at which you talk or move. Performing a routine – or part of a routine – in
8. which you talk really quickly, or move in slow motion is a great attention-getting device because
you are changing up the way you are delivering information to them.
9. Use Hydraulics. This is technique named by child

communication expert Michael Brandwein. By bending
at the knee and stooping down, especially when talking
to a child onstage, you get kids’ attention. Try using this
in combination with a decrease in your volume level to
really captivate them.
10. Give your audience two things to watch at the same

time. Asking kids to keep track of more than one object
is very appealing. A good example is keeping an eye on
a Lota Bowl positioned on one side of the stage, while
watching the rest of your show. How does it magically
refill itself even though you continue to pour all the water
out of it? Is there someone filling it up when the kids aren’t
looking?
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I’m late, I’m late…

from the air as I had them all captivated with my magic.
The adults drifted downstairs to watch the fun, all of
them with big smiles on their faces as they watched the
When I was a student majoring in elementary education at children giggling in delight. All were smiling, except for
Northwestern University, I performed magic at kids’ parties one -- wearing a fancy white hat. The sunglasses, of course
on the weekends. My first car was a speedy little electric- were removed, which of course made her scowl at me
blue Dodge. Every weekend, I’d have two or three shows even more penetrating. The show was 45-minutes of pure
in an upscale grouping of communities called Chicago’s embarrassment for me. She had this little secret about me,
North Shore. I liked to drive on Sheridan Road with its and I had no idea who, or if, she was going to tell.
curves showcasing million dollar homes and their posh
front lawns. And I liked to drive fast. She spared me further embarrassment and kept it between
us. When I finally had a chance to apologize after the show,
Once, I was running late for a party and I cut off a new it was too little, and way too late. It was clear that she was
Mercedes. The driver, a lady wearing a fancy white hat and one person that would never call me for her child’s birthday.
sunglasses honked her horn angrily. I honked right back The life lesson I learned is obvious. Drive carefully on your
as I whizzed by her. I arrived at the party with just enough way to events. Not just for your own safety, and the safety
time to set up before I was scheduled to start my show. I of others, but for the safety of your business. After all, you
carried my suitcase and table down to the basement and never know who you’re going to “run into,” on the way to
fifteen minutes later the kids were grabbing rainbow dust (or for that matter, from) a performance.
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Photo: SMC Photo Promotions
64
SHOW SETTING
An often overlooked fundamental in the magic literature, which can make or
break the success of your show, is the location of your show, your proximity to
the audience, and the potential visual and audible distractions in the performing
space.
Wouldn’t it be nice, if every show could be in a small theater? With excellent acoustics, good
sightlines, and perfect lighting focused on you? For the average kid show magician, that rarely
happens. So, what can we do to control the Show Setting to maximize our potential for success?
Here are some general guidelines that you should try to achieve when performing at a party in
a client’s home.
1. Get the children to sit close to the action and pack them in tightly. This reduces potential
distractions and unifies your audience.
2. Control the exact area where kids sit so your angles are not compromised. Do this by laying
masking tape on the floor to mark an area where kids should sit. Use tape that has minimal
tackiness like Painter’s Tape, available at most hardware stores, so it won’t leave residue on your
client’s floor or carpet.
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3. Set up your show opposite, or at least away from the entrance to the room, so that distraction
by late-comers, early-leavers, and bathroom-goers will be minimized.
If you’re performing at a home party, ask if they have dogs or cats. A pet walking into your
4. performance space during a show can be incredibly distracting to the children. If it does happen,
roll with it good-naturedly. Remember, the host and the children care more about the pet than
they do about you or your magic. Before the show, request, politely, that the pet be put outside
or locked in a room so that the children won’t be distracted.
5. Arrange your start time, if possible, so that you’ll start within fifteen minutes after the party
starts. This gives you the opportunity to get there early, select the best location in the home for
your show, and if necessary rearrange furniture. Let’s look at the following room schematic.
Let’s say there are twenty six-year-old kids and four adults expected as guests. Where would you
set up your show? Where would the kids sit? The adults? Would you bother marking off the room
with tape? Would you move any of the furniture?
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Upon walking into this room, the first

thing we notice is that there are two
entrances. The location of the couch
and chairs really gives us just one place
to put our magic table, right? So, I’d set
up in front of the fireplace with my show
facing the big couch.
I notice that big chair to my left is at a

bad angle. I wouldn’t want a kid to sit
there. Yikes! He or she would practically
be “on stage” with me! I also consider the
number of expected guests. I remember
the mom told me twenty kids and some
adults. I visualize four or five kids on the
couch, plus two kids in the pair of chairs. That leaves about fourteen to sit on the floor in a two
rows of seven. I realize that coffee table is taking up valuable floor space. So I need to rearrange
the room? How? And where do the adults sit?
My room rearrangement strategy would be as follows: First I’d ask the host if we can rearrange
a couple of pieces of furniture, “so the kids will be more comfortable and be able to see well.”
When asking a host, always phrase the request so that the benefit is for the children’s comfort
rather than for your convenience. In other words, don’t say, “I need the furniture moved so there’s
more room for my show.” Don’t make it about you!
67
So, in this situation I’d slide the

overstuffed chair toward the door so
it’d be aligned with the couch. I’d also
put the coffee table off to the wall
on my right, freeing up more seating
space. Where do the adults sit? I bring
in four more chairs from the kitchen!
Always have seating for the adults.
A seated adult is less likely to chat
during your show, than if he or she is
standing (with a drink in their hand).
Here’s how I’d rearrange the room

to maximize attention, unify my
audience, and minimize distractions.
The red circles are the seated children. The purple shapes are the chairs for the adults. The
striped strip on the floor is the tape behind which the children sit. The two gray rectangles are
my magic tables and the yellow smiley face is, me, one happy magician!
See how nicely these kids are arranged? Some are on the floor; some are in chairs. No one
is on the sides, so my angles are covered. Everyone is facing the magician. They can’t see the
doorways, so a latecomer can slip in without disturbing the in-progress show. No barriers are
in between them and the entertainer. The backdrop is an opaque fireplace. You want to try to
avoid setting up with a window behind you. The backlight silhouettes you in the eyes of the
audience and they don’t see as much detail.
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69
MARKETING YOUR SHOW

Although you may not consider the importance of marketing your magic show
to be an important part of creating a magic show, consider this: If you use some
of the marketing suggestions below and if you get more gigs, you’ll do more
shows. When you do more shows, you’ll get more experience. More experience
will make you a better magician!
If you’re wondering how you’re going to get your first few gigs, then you’re already thinking
about marketing. The truth is there is no better teacher than experience when it comes to
learning magic. The feedback that you get from an audience watching and interacting with you
is incredibly valuable in honing your act.
So, how do you get your first gigs? You volunteer your services. Here are ten types of events at
which people will be thrilled to watch you work. Find as many ways as you can to get performing
opportunities so you can improve your kid show.
• Friends’ kids’ birthday parties • Your child’s kindergarten class

• Senior citizen’s retirement homes • A company holiday party
• Hospitals • Day care centers
• Shelters • Local police or fire department kids’ holiday party
• Local libraries • Neighborhood block party
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I do recommend, however, that you be careful not to take away work from a local professional
magician by undercutting him or her on price because you’re doing it for free. So be sure to ask
the venue’s organizer if they’ve ever had a magic show before. If they have, find out who and
when, and let that information guide you in making an ethical decision.
For some of you, magic will always be a hobby. You’ll perform for the sheer delight that it brings
you and the children. Hopefully this book has provided the essential fundamentals to make your
show even better. For others, you’ll want to perform magic as a part-time or full-time occupation.
If that’s the case, then you’ll need to learn and implement some strategies to help the kids in
your audience, their parents, as well as current clients remember your name. You want to make
it easy for them to remember you when thinking about kids entertainment for a party or event.
Working professionals, who have performed their shows hundreds of times, have learned that
the “work” isn’t doing the show; it’s getting the show! So let’s talk about how to get more shows.
There are many ways to market your services to your community: Websites, YouTube videos,
email blasts, Google ad words, newspaper ads, mailing postcards, brochures or flyers to local
libraries, pre-schools and community centers, brochures, flyers and more. These are sophisticated
marketing strategies. Employing them properly can be very expensive and may yield a very small
percentage of responses and even fewer bookings – especially if you are just starting out in the
business.
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If you ask professional children’s entertainers, they will probably agree that they get most of their
bookings from three sources:
1. Repeat clients
2. People who have seen their show
3. Word of mouth. Specifically, people who are referred to them by someone who has seen
their show.
If this is the case, and I personally have found this to be true as well, then the question is, “How
and when do you best market to the first two sources which are made up of your existing clients
and their party guests?”
I believe that the answer to this question is to develop an Onsite Promotion Campaign – a way
to help people who have seen you perform remember your name. If they can remember your
name, then finding you is easy -- thanks to the Internet and a simple website. So how can you
reinforce your name, and your brand at the event, “onsite”? Here is a list of no-cost, low-cost and
moderate cost “Onsite Promotion Campaign” ideas that, when used during a live performance,
will maximize your exposure and help people remember you.
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ONSITE PROMOTION CAMPAIGN IDEAS

YOUR NAME: We are not all lucky enough to have names that are easy to pronounce and
remember. If this is the case with your name, consider (seriously) choosing a name for yourself or
your act that is memorable. Hollywood stars know how important it is that fans (and producers!)
remember their name. That’s why many changed their name early in their career. About half of
the most famous names in magic have changed their names, too. Here is a list of famous and
not so famous performers that have made their names more memorable by shortening it, using
alliteration, or by choosing a name with strong imagery.
• Actor Marion Morrison changed his name to John Wayne.

• Actress Norma Jeane Mortenson changed her name to Marilyn Monroe.
• Magic enthusiast Allan Konigsberg changed his name to Woody Allen.
• Eric Marlon Bishop became movie star Jamie Foxx.
• Singer Stefani Germanotta uses the stage name Lady Gaga.
• Music writer Reginald Dwight uses the name Elton John.
• Tara Leigh Patrick became TV star Carmen Electra.
• Erich Weiss changed his name to Harry Houdini.
• Tobias Bamberg performed under the name Okito.
• David Kotkin changed his name to David Copperfield.
• Siegfried Fischbacher shortened his name to just Siegfried.
• Claude Douglas Yarbrough changed his name to Jonathan Pendragon.
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• Raymond Joseph Teller uses just his last name Teller.

• Philip Goldstein changed his name to Max Gonif before settling on Max Maven.
• Christopher Sarantakos changed his name to Criss Angel.
• Chicago area magician Bill Koch made it easier to remember and pronounce his last name by
changing his name to Bill Cook.
• David Kaye uses Silly Billy as a professional name for kids entertainment.
• Karen Burris uses Mary Macaroni as a professional name for kids entertainment.
• Eric Knauss uses The Great Zucchini as a professional name for kids entertainment.
• Donald Caldwell renamed himself after his props:
Buster Balloon.
• Cruise ship entertainer, Eric Bedard calls himself
Cool Magic Dude.
Why have I listed so many examples? Because this is

very, very important, especially if you want to make
it a career. You don’t have to change your name
legally. Just create a name for your business persona
that fits your persona and is easy to remember.
VERBAL SELF-PROMOTION: Have you made your

name easy to remember and pronounce? Now think
about creating a verbal phrase that you, as well as
your audience will repeat out loud during your show.
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Think of one that makes children (and adults) remember your name. This is a theatrical device
that two very well-known performers in the industry include (for adults!) at every show. Mac King,
who currently has the longest running daytime show in Las Vegas, encourages his audience to
chant his name. He divides the audience in half having one half say “Mac,” and then the other
half say, “King,” alternating back and forth, faster and faster. He also repeats the phrase, “Howdy,
I’m Mac King!” many times in his show as a running gag.
Sleight-of-hand, comedy magician, Bill Malone, gets audiences to repeat his name after each
successful trick, as he comically beats his chest and puts his fist in the air.
Another example of a performer who has created an original way to help people remember his
name is Scott Hitchcock. He uses a literary device that justifies him repeating his name dozens
of times in a cleverly written comedy routine.
Eric Knaus aka “The Great Zucchini,” refers to himself in the third person during his show for very
young audiences. “Can you help The Great Zucchini find the hat? He doesn’t know where it is.”
Here are a couple of ways that this could be implemented for other performers: If your name
were José, then after each feat of impossibility, you could have your audience say a rhyming
phrase, “There’s just no way, Magic José!”
If you went by the name “The Amazing Gwen,” you could teach the importance of never giving
up. After pretending to fail doing a magic trick, you tell the children to encourage you by saying,
“Try again, Amazing Gwen.”
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Using a verbal self-promotion campaign, where your spectators hear and/or repeat your name
will take some careful thought, creativity and planning. If you like this idea, choose a character
name and a phrase that kids would enjoy saying aloud, and try using it as a running gag in your
show. From the reaction you get from children and their parents, you’ll know right away if it’s a
good fit for you.
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VISUAL SELF-PROMOTION
A common and accepted way to promote yourself
during a performance is by including your logo
and/or website on your magician’s table, standing
banner or your backdrop. Since Facebook became
popular in the first decade of this century, smart
magicians have realized that hundreds of photos of
them with young helpers have been posted online.
If their name, logo, or website “just happens” to be
in the background, then the parents of the birthday
child’s friends now know the name and contact
information of the delightful children’s entertainer
that their child was talking about at the dinner table
on party day.
There is an ongoing debate within the magic

community attempting to define exactly where the
line should be drawn to separate blatant advertising
from more subtle promotion. The “artists” among us
may feel that such obvious promotion as a website
is inappropriate when performing their “art” at an
event. Some feel that a logo is more appropriate.
77
This becomes a personal decision for you as an artist/performer who is also running a business. I
suggest trying different graphics and gauging the feedback you get from clients to find a solution
that fits your performing style as well as your promotional needs.
78
PROMOTIONAL GIVEAWAYS
Another way to help your audience members remember you is to give away a magical souvenir
that reminds them of you. Giveaways at a party can be imprinted with your name, contact
information, logo and/or picture. Here are a few approaches currently being used by magicians
who do kids’ parties.
GIANT DOLLAR BILLS: Many American performers have giant U. S. dollar bills printed with their
photo replacing George Washington’s. They look like something like this:
You can have them printed through this website with your own image and contact information
in place of the serial number. Check out current pricing and learn more at www.professorqb.
com/million
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SOUVENIR POSTCARDS, with high quality color images are great giveaways because they are
quality keepsakes. Usually contact information and a few benefit statements are printed on the
back. Here is how I have used that strategy in the past few years:
Plan in advance to get the best possible pricing. I highly recommend requesting samples from
printers before ordering. The quality of the paper stock on which you print your images is
important as it reflects the quality of you as an entertainer. Consider the quality of the paper
stock, as well as the print quality as you contemplate the cost. Here are a few suggestions of
printers that you can order from online:
• www.moo.com
• www.modernpostcard.com
• www.postcardmania.com
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BIRTHDAY BADGE: Magician Adam Flowers has created a fabulous idea that overcomes the
challenge of making sure that the giveaway actually makes it all the way home with the birthday
party guests. He and Scott Dorfman produce “Official Magician’s Assistant” plastic badges that can
be clipped to kids’ clothing and worn during the party. They are fun to hand out, make children
feel proud of themselves and are a sure-fire souvenir that will generate conversation around
the dinner table as they tell their family what fun they had at the party. Working your name and
contact info into the art is not difficult. Scott will customize these for you at a reasonable price.
He can be contacted at scott.dorfman@gmail.com
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INFLATABLE WANDS: David Kaye aka “Silly

Billy” has created a 24” long, inflatable wand
that makes a great giveaway for kids’ parties.
They pack flat and blow up big! Silly Billy has a
funny slapstick routine that he performs with
it before giving it away. He teaches it on his
site.
You can put your contact information on the

wand and give it away (or sell it to your client
for them to give away) at parties. David Kaye
has a variety of ways to get your information
on the wands, from handwriting, to labels, to
professional imprinting. These are terrific for
kids, their parents and party guests.
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Customized Car or Truck Wrap

Here is another Onsite Promotion
Campaign idea that you can do simply or
take a full-blown approach. Eric Bedard,
of Victoria, British Columbia calls himself
the Cool Magic Dude. He owns the URL
and has simple decals on his very hip
Jeep. He told me the cost, after the logo
design, was less than $200. Though not
a kid show magician, his approach is in
line with his performing style and his
audiences’ sophistication. This is how this
successful, full-time pro uses his vehicle
for advertising. The black and white logo
really pops off the white Jeep and promotes his brand effectively as he drives about town and
parks at the upscale gigs he does in Canada.
The full-blown approach, a complete car wrap, although more costly, will certainly create a can’t-
be-missed visual impression and position you as a professional source for kids entertainment.
Designed correctly it will be noted by hundreds of eyeballs as you drive from gig to gig. Some
full-time performers are having their vehicle “wrapped” with their names, phone, website and
advertising images. This not only gives you a tax deduction of all your vehicle expenses, it also
83
gives you exposure and notoriety every

time you drive around town. When
parked in the driveway of your client,
every parent will know that something
special is happening at the party.
The accompanying photos are of Gaia

Germani of Padua, Italy who performs
in Northern Italy. Her Daihatsu Materia,
was made in Japan and wrapped in her
hometown. She markets herself as “Maga
Gaia.” The wrapping cost her about 1500
Euros (US$2000). Within the first two
weeks, she received several inquiries
from people who had just seen the car
around town. Comments from birthday
party parents include the professionalism
it conveys. I agree. She’s very pleased
with her business decision and views it as
a long term marketing strategy that will
pay off in time.
84
Show the Card to

your Mother
I was hired to perform a show and strolling close-up magic
at a law firm picnic. The families of the staff and partners
were enjoying the fine weather and a catered BBQ. During
the first hour of the event, I approached a very attractive
couple eating with two young children who were extremely
well spoken. This was clearly a family where one of the
adults had a high-ranking position with the firm. They were
delighted I had approached them and I quickly learned The father suggested I come back later.
they were fans of magic.
I left and swore to myself that this would never happen
After having the eight-year-old girl pick and write her name to me, or to a family I was entertaining, again. Here’s the
on a card, I said, “And show the card to your mother.” The solution that I figured out to avoid another embarrassment.
young girl stared at me angrily and said, “That’s not my
mother, that’s my father’s girlfriend. My mother doesn’t When I approach a group of people in which there are
live with us anymore.” adults and children, I assume they are not related to each
other until I learn otherwise. One way that I learn about
Well, the excitement of the interaction with a real live their relationships is in the process of a trick, by making
magician went from a ten to … well, it felt like a negative the following little joke.
number to me. The girl was practically in tears, the woman
was embarrassed. The father gritted his teeth. And the After having the card signed by the child, I gesture toward
younger brother was looking at his Dad trying to figure out the adult woman as I say to the child, “Now show it to your
what was going on. older sister.” Three reactions, all different, happen at the
same time.
85
The woman smiles, really big, complimented that I think Again she’ll correct me. Sometimes, if there are a lot of
she looks young enough to pass for the child’s older sister. adults and children, I’ll have the child introduce me to
Even though the woman knows I’m obviously joking, she everyone. Everyone laughs as I feign confusion and as the
finds it amusing and complimentary, sometimes verbally child recounts everyone’s name and their relationship. I
thanking me or even playing along. listen carefully. If the child points to an adult and uses a
first name as opposed to “Grandma,” “Aunt” or “Cousin,”
The adult male smiles too, thinking how clever I am, and I take special note. It’s a cue that person may not be a
enjoys the compliment, as well. If he does have a romantic relative.
relationship with the woman, he’s not threatened because
it’s not a flirtatious statement. In fact it reveals me to be a In today’s society, where divorce and blended families
bit silly for a moment, which has great child appeal. occur frequently, this strategy has come to my rescue
many times. Depending upon your age, appearance and
Speaking of the child, she almost always corrects me. sense of humor, it may or may not work for you and your
“That’s not my sister! That’s my Mom!” And just like that, clients’ guests. But take my experience as a creative way to
the relationship is confirmed. Still acting confused, with solve a typical problem that we all have when dealing with
a smile at the woman, I’ll say to the child. “Your Mom? families. Use it, if you feel comfortable with it. Or use it as a
Really, well is that your (gesturing to the adult male) older source of inspiration to create your own way to determine
brother?” who is who in a crowd of people.
86
Photo: Linsell Imaging 87

The Chapter After

the Last
Now that you’ve learned the five sections of The Kid Show Masterplan, you need
to apply this knowledge to the real world. If you’ve read this book in one sitting,
you’ve received a lot of information in a short period of time. It wouldn’t surprise
me that you could be overwhelmed. Please
feel free to reread this book in sections, and
spend some time thinking about achieving
individual goals of defining your character,
selecting your set list based on trick class,
amount of audience participation, and prop
type, understanding show settings, and how
to manage an audience of children.
Remember, too, the words of Walt Disney: The way to get

started is to quit talking and begin doing. After a certain
amount of studying, planning, and contemplation, you
88
just have to try it. If you’ve never entertained kids before, I highly recommend performing a
very short set list at a friend’s home – perhaps just doing a few tricks. This experience will give
you some direction. You’ll know (especially if you video it and review it critically) what routines
worked and what could be improved upon. I highly recommend attempting to write a script
for your routines and rehearsing your actions along with saying the words. It is only with this
smooth combination of the two, that your performance will improve.
89
Practicing and Rehearsing

A word about practicing and rehearsing: “Practicing” refers to the physical manipulation of your
props so you can handle them naturally without revealing the secret or creating suspicion about
the prop itself. You will first need to practice the trick with prop in hand. Practice so that you can
perform the trick without thinking about it, so that your hands are on “automatic,” so you don’t
have to think about the next step. Then add the spoken words to the handling. You “rehearse”
the words as you manipulate the prop. Eventually the two will merge seamlessly. When this
happens, wait a couple of more days as you continue to practice and rehearse. Then, you’ll be
ready to perform.
Find as many performing opportunities as you can. The more shows you do, the better and more
confident you will become. Holiday celebrations, office parties, gatherings of friends with their
children are all opportunities when you can ask permission to do a short magic show for the
children. How will you know when you are really getting good? When people start asking you for
your business card or to check your availability to appear at a kid’s party, then you’ll know.
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Self-Critique
Improvement comes with time. Be patient with your progress. Do a post-show evaluation after
every show. Create a report card like the one below and grade yourself on a scale of one to ten
on the individual fundamentals:
Performance Report Card

Client name: Date:
Amount of kids: Average age of kids:
Amount of adults: Name of birthday child:
Address: Phone/Email:
Set list:
1. 6.
2. 7.
3. 8.
4. 9.
5. 10.
Fundamentals Grade Comment
Audience Management: Overall
Kids sat still when I used positive reinforcement
Kids sat quietly when I used positive reinforcement
Kids participated onstage appropriately
Character
Audience appeal of my character
Was my character consistent from routine to routine
Functionality/Appearance of costume
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Audience Participation
Appropriate amount of SAP, GAP, LAP and NAP
tricks
Set List
Length of routines was appropriate
Amount of audience participation was balanced
Variety of props was used
Tricks were from different classes
Setting
How good was the setting?
How did I modify the setting?
Attention-Getting Techniques Used:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Show was amazing and deceptive
Show was as funny as I wanted it to be
Parent feedback was positive
Children were happy
How many requests for business cards did I receive?
When should I contact about another event?
Then make some notes on how each routine played. Pay special attention to thinking about
rearranging the order of your routines. If your show is short, consider doing a couple of quicker
routines in the beginning of the show, a longer routine with lots of magical moments in the middle,
and then something really amazing to close the show. As your show lengthens, experiment with
a different order for the routines to see how your show flows. In between your performances,
study the techniques and advice of other successful kids magicians and see if it’s applicable to
your show.
92
Real Secrets
The secret to the success of many professional entertainers is planning, strategizing, practicing
and rehearsing. If your first experience as a kid show magician has any degree of success, then
you’ll be encouraged to alter your tricks, improve your performance techniques as well as your
audience management strategy, and try again.
Performing magic for children has been a wonderful profession for me. It has opened doors to
allow me to travel to nearly every state in the U.S., Canada and the Virgin Islands. I have performed
at exclusive birthday parties for the children of Chicago’s rich and famous, in theatres in-the-
round which sat 3000 elementary school children, and in the basements of buildings (under
one light bulb!) in some of the United States’ poorest school systems. Because of performing
opportunities, I met my wife who was an integral part of my touring theater show in the 1980s.
Being part of the magic community has given me the opportunity to befriend other performers
all over the world. Best of all, I get to spread smiles wherever I perform. At whatever level you
choose to participate in the performance of magic for young children, I hope that you too, can
experience this same joy.
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The Kid Show Masterplan

THE KID SHOW

Copyright © 2014 by Danny Orleans and AmazeKids

Your source for kid show magic

Photo: Linsell Imaging 4

The Chapter before

I bet you’ve heard that before! And it’s

I developed my first show for children when I was a

Here’s the masterplan:

In southern California, one of the best

In the United Kingdom, costumes are near

Eric Knauss, better known as “The Great

Some performers let their skills build their

“That can’t be good,” I thought.

I parked my car and wheeled my gear down the sidewalk,

light and pulled the contract out of my pocket

a. The amount of audience participation in each trick

b. The classification of the trick

c. The type of prop I’m using.

Let’s examine each of these areas separately.

Audience Participation Pyramid

SAP: Stage Audience Participation

Photo: Linsell Imaging

Photo: Linsell Imaging

GAP: Group Audience Participation

LAP: Laughter Audience

QAP Tricks: Question / Answer

Child raises her hand.

Danny: (pointing to child) You’re raising your hand perfectly, yes?

Child: A magic wand!

Kids raise their hands again.

Child: A magic hat!

Danny: That’s right – and I have one of those, right here…

2. Children raise hands.

3. Call upon one child.

Children love structure! As long

Speaking of structure, notice, if

NAP Tricks: No Audience

Photo: Linsell Imaging

A Dozen Trick Classes

Transposition: Making an object switch places, travel

When performing, instead of saying the word

Transformation: Making an object change into

Animation: Making an inanimate object, such as a

Mr. Reynolds provides complete instruction on a trick

children to comprehend, so I usually do not include

Sympathetic Reaction: This class of

Escapes: The magician is placed in a restraining device such as handcuffs, rope or a

Mentalism: To create the illusion of telepathy or a mindreading experience. Generally

Danny Orleans’ Top 30

1. Paper Hat Tear 17. AquaCups

2. Mouth Coil 18. Vanish of Liquid (Slush Powder)

3. Forgetful Freddie 19. Lota Bowl

4. Giant and Dwarf 20. Comedy Funnel Routine which produces

MY PERSONAL SET LIST

Zombie. (GAP TRICK; ANTI-GRAVITY/ANIMATION CLASS)

The Colossal Coloring Book: (SAP TRICK: VANISH/TRANSPOSITION/TRANSFORMATION/BROKEN

Gypsy Thread: (NAP TRICK/BROKEN & RESTORE) After fifteen

Miser’s Dream: (SAP TRICK: MULTIPLE APPEARANCES)

assure them that the disappearance is just temporary and

Stratosphere: (GAP TRICK; TRANSPOSITION) This trick

The End: (SAP TRICK; TRANSFORMATION/APPEARANCE)

My final trick involves the magical blending of five small

If you go back and examine my choices, you’ll see