How to Learn Magic Tricks

Solid Advice for the Parents of Budding Magicians

The obvious place to start finding how to learn magic tricks is the Internet. Of course that is where you are now. As good as it is, it only gives relatively few secrets out, and a lot of them are the same material reworked over and over. The big problem with the internet is most YouTube clips show someone's hands doing a trick then showing you the moves. What is missing is how to perform them for real people. Even young kids want to know what to say before, during and after the trick. There are some terrific sites that teach tricks but also give the material you need to be able to confidently perform them. Some of these are just as valuable for adults. You can learn an easy trick then share a valuable parent and child moment by teaching the trick yourself.

Many kids go through their "magic" phase never to return once they have reached adolesence. That is primarily because their curiosity is satisfied by finding out "how" in how to learn magic tricks. They are too young to start asking the more important "why" which is far more interesting. Knowing that, I have included many of my online tricks as sort of "party pieces" that once they have learn't them they can carry these around as sort of tools in their toolbags of life. Remember that I teach magic tricks that can be done with household items so 'tooling up' will never be a problem. This is the sort of practical confidence boosting information that I am so keen to impart to children.

Here's my big tip for you. Many secrets of how to learn magic tricks can be found at a place no one seems to go anymore - The Library.

I'll tell you how I know this. I have been lucky enough to travel to many places around the world and one of my favourite things to do was find a library and hit the magic section. The number to look for is 793.8. There are lots of kids magic books there BUT quite often you find a really advanced magic book with tricks and ideas that few other people will have seen. And here's the thing, in the hundred's of libraries I've been to, the best books were found in the smallest libraries. I don't know why. A lot of these books had been out of print for a long time so it was like I had special access to magic knowledge that others didn't and it was all FREE.

There's something else you should know. There is a big argument in the world of magic over what is the best way to learn, DVD or Books. Magicians write pages arguing for both sides. It's a silly argument because the answer is obvious - You use BOTH. It's like trying to argue a knife is better than a fork. By themselves they they have limited use but together, what a useful team. So buy magic books and buy magic DVDs and enjoy them both.

A word of warning. Your child will eventually end up on commercial magic retailing sites. Magic retailers come a close second behind Real Estate agents when it comes to creative license in advertising. Rarely, and I stress rarely do any of the tricks live up to the marketing.

There is a terrific resource available to you called the Magic Cafe. It's a huge on line magician's forum. Type the name of the latest wonder trick you're child wants YOU to pay for into the search window and you'll generally find out whether it's worth paying your hard earned cash for.(...but like most forum threads the pearls lie in a sea of muck that you might have to sift through first)

Another way is to simply drop me a line via my ChatterBox and I'll be happy to give you my view.

There are two excellent beginners magic books if your child shows an interest in wanting to know how to learn magic tricks with substance more than just having some cool tricks to impress his / her friends with:

The first is "A Dummies Guide To Magic" from the yellow coloured Dummies How To series of books. The name belies the content. It is truly jam packed with usable, easy to master material.

The second is from the 1970s. "Mark Wilson's Complete Course In Magic" Everything from card tricks, coin tricks, rope tricks right through to effective illusions you can make at home for your school plays or Scout Shows.

Good luck and I can highly recommend the magician's world as having a lot that's positive to offer your child.

For more practical advice on how to learn magic tricks go to Julian's Magician School

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