Yesterday I did a school assembly for a crowd of 500 children, teachers, and administrative staff at Evergreen Elementary School in Shelton, WA. It was a RIOT! I love big crowds and they were just a blast!

Now, even though I do several different “educational” assembly programs, this one was specifically targeted to be JUST FUN! – they wanted to have a really fun event for the kids.

And it was. Love doing these kinds of magic shows.

If you ask anyone on the street to name a magician, odds are that you would almost certainly hear them say: “Houdini!”

Well, Harry didn’t do too many birthday party shows in his day – he was focused on escapes of all shapes, kinds, and sizes.  He was an amazing man – not only famous as a magician, he was actually one of the world’s first aviators!

So happy birthday Harry Houdini!

Here’s a quick sample of some “PB&J” for you:

Now — where do you put that entertainment in the schedule to make everything work best?

For example, if your party starts at 1PM, my recommendation is to allow 30 minutes or so for the all of the guests to arrive. People tend to straggle in and you don’t want anyone to miss out of the fun of the magic show.

So for the first half hour just do a few games, maybe some crafts, and a some other low stress activities as everyone shows up.

Then, have the entertainment begin at 1:30 and go for about an hour. That way all the birthday party guests get to enjoy the fun of the magic show, and you finish up the party afterwards with cake, presents and ice cream.

This makes for a great birthday party structure.

But did you know… he was an awesome juggler!?

That’s right – he spent years in vaudeville performing amazing feats of juggling.

Now, given his famous reticence for working with kids, it’s likely you wouldn’t have gotten WC to help you out with your next birthday party.  But he was pretty fun nonetheless.

Here’s a video clip that demonstrates how good he was:

Just follow these tips and you are guaranteed to perform magic tricks that will amaze your audience.

Be Natural

The secret in being great at sleight of hand magic is learning to be totally natural.  You should work naturally, deliberately, and slowly. If you master this, balls, coins, rings, cards, and coins will begin reappearing and disappearing at the tips of your fingers.

Practice your magical skills wherever you go

Any chance you get you should practice your magic.  For example, you can practice hiding something in your hand (like a ball or a coin) while eating, watching TV, walking around, or doing other activities.  I used to practice hiding coins in my hand during school – during lunch and at recess … (but don’t tell anyone!).  Keep practicing and over time, what you are now doing self-consciously would s0on become natural to you.

Work on your Magical Presentations

It’s all about the show – not the trick.  A simple little trick that’s presented well will work wonders on an audience.   Keep your presentations straightforward, simple, and understood easily so your audience can enjoy the show without any trouble at all.

Never Never Never Repeat a Magic Trick

Do not repeat the same trick for the same audience. That is one of the basic rules of magic. When you repeat a trick, your audience would immediately know what you are going to do next. What may have been a miracle for you when you did your trick for the first time may not be quite satisfying or dazzling the next time around.

There you go… a few simple rules that will help YOU become the best magician you can be!