The Genii Forum

So I have some kids parties coming up I'm thinking of some give sways for the kiddies. So far I think hacky sacks for final loads would be good. Maybe paper hat tears. Any other ideas?

Chinese handcuffs (the woven paper tubes).

You could explore the dollar store for ideas. They often sell colored glo-bracelets in a multi-pak. You can find them for as many as 5/dollar.

I kind of loathe giving away sweets at a birthday party, although on occasion I have given out Dum-Dums (lollipops), since it was convenient.

Pretty much anything novel and colorful can work as a give-away. The key is figuring out a clever trick to "create" it.

I use a Magic booklet with 12 tricks printed on it. It was made by Ed Harris many years ago, it has all my contact information on it. I don't know where you could find one these days.

If you email me I could sent you a PDF of what it looks like.

How about Balloon Animals?

luigimar

Eric Paul was the man to go to for the Ed Harris Clip Art. Unfortunately, like many before and since, cancer robbed our world of him. I'm not aware of if and where products he was selling might be available.

Brendan

sorry translate google.

Place in a bag trasnparente your personal card, a silhouette of a fish made ​​of cellophane. By placing your hand this fish come to life.
Or to the game of bananas, according to resizing it looks with your name and phone number.

Ed Harris Bunny Copters if you can find them. If you have a child that can't have sweets you have a problem because they are so excited they forget they can't. Had a party child was allergic to latex and didn't tell me on top of that it was the Birthday child. I never produce anything I give away because at that point it's a free for all. Doing this 40+ years and the younger magicians just won't listen.

Paullee magic - I am interested in your idea with the give away books....what is your email address please, i'd be keen to follow that up with you please?

My giveaway for all the kids is a cartoon coloring sheet picture of me and my rabbit that I had done at Kidabra a few years ago. It has my name and website on it. Cheap to print on my own laser printer whenever I need extras.

I also licensed one of the magic books out there for resale, added some background text about me along with a custom cover, and I give it to the birthday child (along with a goodie bag with magic tricks)--both of those are also offered to the parents for the other kids at the time of booking as options.

I don't work at children's parties anymore, only for schools and libraries. I have 3 things I use.

First: I had a logo made with a smiley. But not yellow and round. Mine is blue and a star. From this I had buttons made.
Every child that helps me on stage receives a button as a little present. They all wear it immediately.

Second: the primary color I use in my shows is yellow. When I found a yellow magic wand I ordered them with my website imprinted. At the end of the show I give it to my last assistant.
I tell the kids that you can do a number of tricks with it. Videos of these are placed on my website. So the kids go look them up at my site.

Both of these items can be bought by organisors too if they want go give them to all children.

Third: since not all children get someting (on average there are about 150-200 children in an audience), I have taken the idea of a 'photocard' and took it one step further.

The front is a funny picture of me and some magic act. It has my webaddress too. On the back I tell them they can find tricks on my website and my contact information. Besides that there's a white area with a line saying: "Have an autograph here."

Result: every child gets a little something (which I of course announce during the show) and almost all children afterwards want a signature.

For many years I used the little flat plastic red fish which would curl up in different ways on the palm. Then I had some small ball puzzles--these were enclosed in a plastic cover and the aim was to get the mini balls into various holes. Then I found those small magic Slates wherein you write on them with a small plastic stick, attached,and when you lift the transparent paper you wrote on-the writing disappears. Then for a while I had a display tray of cheap, bright rings..these were originally for the effect by Poz about a witch who steals the child's chosen ring, a fairy (you in a funny wig) appears the ring vanishes and reappears in a nest of barrels, wood dolls, boxes or what you
will, Finally what was very popular at one period was a coloured pencil, or a small put together yourself card aeroplane which flew--via an elastic band.
Allen Tipton UK