Fun For Preschools and Child Care Centers!
Day Care Centers and Pre-schools are a joy to visit! The girls and boys are so excited to see “the Magic Man” they can hardly sit still!
For a lot of them, this is their first introduction to live entertainment… and I mean to make it a good one!
Shows for young children need a special touch
While they’re excited, some may be a bit scared. “Who’s that big man and what’s he going to do? Is it going to be noisy? Is he going to make me disappear?!”
You wouldn’t believe what some of those poor kids have heard about magicians. I’d be scared, too!
So I do what I’d like someone to do for me if I were that young. I smile. I talk to them gently as I set things up (they can watch!) and say my usual funny things.
“Some of you can sit on the floor, some on the ceiling. The ceiling?! I don’t believe I said that!”
Fun and silly, without acting stupid.
By the time I’m set up and ready to go (less than four minutes!) they’ve been smiling and laughing and, without doing a single trick yet, we’re all friends now and ready to have a good time.
Is it magic or is it fun?
Here again, I differ from other magicians. For this age, I say the fun is more important than the magic. Grown-ups do things that the children can’t do all the time. Why should doing magic be any different?
I understand that, so I stress the fun over the fooling. “Hmm… something’s not working here… maybe I need a helper.” Then, my helpers are the ones who get it right and make it happen!
But I do enjoy the looks of surprise, especially on the teacher’s faces, when the unexpected happens… as it always does!
Short attention spans? Not for me!
My preschool program runs from 30 to 45 minutes, depending on your needs. I’ve built my shows by putting together several short, fast-paced magic routines. Each one is so different from the one before that it seems to “re-set” their attention spans.
That’s about the best way I can put it.
For whatever reason, I have no trouble keeping three-year-olds (and even most toddlers!) happy and having fun throughout the show! Never mind the magic, this is what amazes the teachers!
Day Cares aren’t just for little kids!
Of course, we also have our school-age crowd! For the smaller centers, we can get the whole group together and I can easily do a show for all ages.
Other centers have me do two (or more) shows, each just right for the age group.
Then I can do some things our younger friends aren’t quite ready for yet. Like mind-reading, maybe a card prediction, or even the “dangerous” trick!
Other times, instead of a show, I can do my hands-on Magic Workshop for the older kids, ages 8 and up, where they learn the Secrets of Magic and go home with their own magic kits!
You could even do a show for the little ones and the workshop for the older ones. Back-to-back programs always get a discount!
What gets back to the parents?
“We had so much fun today!” It’s the special programs like this, which preschools and day cares don’t really have to do, that grow a wonderful reputation in the community.
Even if it’s just a holiday special or an end-of-the-year picnic, parents recognize and appreciate the extra value. And they do talk.
Word of mouth is the strongest business-builder there is and I see it in action, from school to school and center to center, every day!
Why me?
I’ve told you a bit of my philosophy, my attitude, and my programs. If you need a little more, and have another minute, I invite you to read a special thank you letter that I received from a school many years ago.
I often ask for letters of reference so people who haven’t seen my show can feel confident about inviting me to their school. I’m most proud of this letter because it describes what I try to do at every show. It hangs in my office and I’ve used it ever since to keep my standards high.
This will open a pdf file for my Susanna Wesley School letter.
Book your date early
My busiest preschool months are June with end of year picnics, October (Halloween shows,) and the December Holidays.
A last-minute call is always worth a try, especially on that rainy day or last-minute cancellation of another program, but it’s best to plan ahead. Give me a call at 860-868-2542 and then we can go over show details, always with no obligation.
If you’d like, click Contact to e-mail me with any questions right now. Be sure to include what town you’re in and, if you need someone soon, include the approximate date. I’ll get right back to you!
I look forward to the smiles and laughter of your children!