At what age can someone start learning close-up magic?

Most people, even as young as 8 or 9, can pick up simple card and coin routines. It’s all about patience, practice, and encouragement. Joining a local magic club is far better than relying on YouTube and TikTok videos, which often teach very poor executions and are not 'real world' tested.

How do you adapt a magic trick for a young learner?

I start with a simple 'self-working' trick and break it down into a clear story, teaching one move at a time, then supervise practice until they feel confident to perform it themselves.

What lasting impact can magic have on attendees?

Beyond the momentary surprise, magic sparks curiosity and forges shared memories that last long after the party ends.

When a Curious 10-Year-Old Reminded Me Why Magic Matters

brian storey
Aug 6
2 min read

Brian performing a magic trick for a young boy at a birthday party.

(by Brian Storey, Close-Up Magician for London and Cambridgeshire)

I was performing as a birthday party magician at a 50th celebration in a Wimbledon tennis club recently when a ten-year-old boy began shadowing me from group to group. Every time I finished a trick, vanishing coins, card routines, mind-reading flourishes, there he was, eyes wide, with his older brother watching on, clearly hungry to learn more.

Halfway through the evening, I paused and invited him to chat. He told me he’d caught the magic bug on family travels and showed me the only two tricks he knew, one he learned in Asia and the other in Germany. I asked if he’d like to learn a third, the first card trick I learned. It could be his 'UK trick'. His grin said it all.

We found a quiet corner and I taught him a simple prediction trick, built around a story of a policeman catching three robbers. I sent him off to practice until he could perform it solo. Near the end of the evening, he performed it for his parents and their friends. He shuffled the deck, delivered the tale with confidence, then revealed the finale with a flourish… and his smile lit up the room far more than any illusion I’d performed that night.

Before I packed away my deck, I swapped LinkedIn details with his parents. I knew a friend who is the treasurer of the Netherlands Magic Union who could point them towards a young magicians' club back home. A week later, I heard the good news: the boy had joined a local club in Holland and was already practising new routines.

It’s moments like this that remind me why magic matters. It’s not just about astounding guests with sleight-of-hand; it’s about planting a spark. Whether someone appears on Britain’s Got Talent or simply delights family and friends at the kitchen table, that spark, those shared moments of wonder, is what lasts.

What This Taught Me

Every event holds unexpected magic. Keep an eye out, a shy spectator today could be tomorrow’s rising star.
Magic scales to any audience. From a corporate event in London to a garden birthday party in Cambridge, the power lies in human connection.
Teaching is rewarding. As a family magician and close-up magician for hire in Cambridgeshire, sharing your craft invests in the next generation.

If you’re planning a party, wedding or corporate event and want more than just tricks, let’s connect. I bring close-up magic, mind reading and interactive entertainment that works for all ages.

📩 hello@brianstoreymagic.com

📍 Serving London, Cambridgeshire & surrounding areas

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