Thursday, January 13, 2011

"If You Knew How a Child's Mind Worked...You Could Create The Greatest Magic Trick Ever!"

Why study children's development? Or why be familiar at least?

As children's entertainers, we have great power, we can get kids into hysterics, why? That's the question. If you know a bit about they why you can get the kids laughing harder. You will also understand how to structure a trick to it's maximum potential.

I'm a real believer in entertainment for children as a means of getting them to become better readers and to be critical thinkers. I also hope kids see what I do and will think beyond the obvious.

Our brains work in images and symbols. We don't dream in words, we don't read a book and get involved in the words, we make everything image.

A trick I've enjoyed forever is to ask if a 4 year old is this old (holding up 4 fingers, hiding the thumb), then saying I thought you were this old (lowering my ring finger holding up the other 4). Kids will insist they are only the first way and scream with laughter as I switch fingers. I can even show them they are the same and they will still insist they are the first.

Why does this work? it's the way kid's are recognizing the world, in pictures. The leap to the different shaped hand has not happened.

Knowing this is a trick of their developing minds, I have used it to maximize comedy. I can do a similar trick with 3 year olds and 5 year olds. They do have it figured out by 5 but not always.

It's a nice switch on something so common, "how old are you?"

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