Advanced Birthday Party Details
Bob Miller goes in depth on the tricks and techniques he uses in his standard children's birthday party show.
My basic birthday party show is designed for children 5 to 8 years old. I don't try to perform magic for children under 5 because they can't appreciate it. They'd be just as happy with balloon animals. For children 8 and older, I include more close-up sleight of hand tricks.
But 5 to 7 years old is that golden range when the children still believe in magic. They are enthusiastic and responsive. Here is the show I perform for that age and the reasons I've included the tricks in it.
The magic only happens when the children say the magic birthday words, "Happy Birthday [name]." The purpose is to make the birthday child feel special.
All the tricks, and the balloons fit into a soft-sided briefcase. I've numbered each trick in the order I perform them in the show.
1) Needled Balloon - (Trick type: Penetration) I do a lot of by-play blowing up and the balloon and having the air accidentally leak out. I ask the children to help blow up the balloon from their seats (on the floor.) They willingly participate. For the final joke of this part, I let the fully inflated balloon fly through the air (just once.) It gets a tremendous laugh. Then I do some more jokes when I try to tie a knot on the end of the balloon and it gets tied around my finger. More laughs. Then, finally, after milking every laugh possible, I perform the needle through the balloon trick.
If there are very young children in the audience, I warn them that I'm going to pop the balloon and they may cover their ears if they're scared of the big noise. (No sense having someone frightened and crying during your show.)
2) Mis-made Flag - (Trick type: Transformation) Taking some lessons from David Ginn, when I set the scarves on the top of the case, they repeatedly slip off to the floor. After that gag runs its course, I complete the trick.
3) Rocky Raccoon - (Trick type: Puppet Animation) This is the first routine where I let the children touch the puppet. I will hold it down near each child that wants to pet the raccoon.
4) Run Alien Run - (Trick type: Animation, Transportation) Like the Mis-made Flag trick, this is an occasion where something happens that I don't see (the alien sliding across to the other spaceship) and the children must yell out to tell me about it. Very fun!
5) Deep Dark Cave - (20th Century Silks) (Trick type: Transportation) - It's the first routine with a child (two children) volunteers. I don't invite the birthday child to help until the last two routines. But all the children are involved by saying some phrases which are repeated throughout the routine.
6) Knot a Chance! - (Trick type: Coincidence) The routine was originally designed to NOT allow the volunteer to win the $100 bill tied in the knot. But, since I'm performing for children, I turn it around so the volunteer always wins by leaving the rope with the knot as the last one in my hand. I treat it like a game show and ask the members of the audience to tell the volunteer which color rope they think should be selected next.
As I present the Million Dollar bill to the winner, I discover that it's fake, so I suggest that we could all change it to real money by saying the birthday words. Then I perform the dollar bill switch trick and present a real $1 bill to the child.
Note: I usually only perform this trick with the birthday child, since they should be the one winning the prize that day. But I don't always perform this trick due to time constraints. (It's always good to know which tricks can be removed to shorten the show.)
These last two tricks are always performed with the assistance of the birthday child.
7) The Torn & Restored Napkin - (Trick type: Restoration) The volunteers copies my actions of tearing the napkin. But in the end, my napkin doesn't restore but theirs does. And then I have the child magically produce a paper stream from the napkin. It's a big fun finish to the trick.
8) The Rising Rabbit (using Martin Lewis's Signature Sketchpad prop) (Trick type: Animation) - I use this trick as a selling point to the parent: After the show, this is like a giant birthday card that all the children can sign. It makes a great souvenir that can be hung on the wall.
9) Balloon Animals - I always use the Majiloon Balloon pump to make my job easier and faster.
Note: I always keep a few extra tricks in the case, just in case! In case, I forgot to pack a trick or the parents ask me at the last minute to do a longer show, or some other reason. The three tricks are:
• Coloring Book (with magic coloring want and vanishing crayons)
• Change Bag with chain links
• Rope set for the rope routine by Daryl.
Plus, I always bring two close-up tricks I could perform for the group, if needed. Sometimes, you arrive at a show and discover the audience is older than you anticipated, or larger, or there are no children. Then what?
I always have Hundy 500 and The Relentless Ring & String Routine, which can be performed for children or adults.
In my next post, I'll explain how I market this show to the parents.
