Why Learn Magic During an After School Program?

The Past

Revealing a secret to a magic trick has always been a taboo subject amongst magicians. In the early days of becoming a magician it was like a trade job. Meaning you had to know a magician to learn how to do a magic trick. Only once the aspiring magician showed promise, would more magic be taught. Also magicians would gather in secret clubs and meetings to trade secrets with one another. It was also primarily a mans trade, with very few women or POC in magic. With the rise of media like TV and the internet, magic has never been more popular, but also magic has never been more revealed. Now that most anyone can google most things, its our job as magicians to properly teach the next generation the skills needed to not just have the knowledge for the craft, but to also provide the information on how to be a successful performer, entertainer and sleight of hand artist.

Why Learn Magic After School?

Learning magic tricks can leave a big impact on your students in a variety of ways. Some benefits of learning magic include:

Developing problem-solving skills: Magic tricks often involve understanding a problem and finding a solution, which can help students develop their problem-solving skills. For example, a student may need to figure out how to make an object disappear or how to predict a chosen card. This requires critical thinking and creativity, which can be useful skills in other areas of life as well.
Improving fine motor skills: Many magic tricks involve manual dexterity, such as card tricks or coin tricks. This type of magic is known as sleight of hand. These types of tricks and moves can help students improve their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Often times these skills are only taught in schools in relation to sports, so by learning magic it is giving students another avenue to build upon this skill set.
Building on social skills: Magic tricks can be a great ice breaker and a way to engage with others. Students who learn magic tricks can use them as a conversation starter and a way to connect with other children and adults. As students practice and perform magic, they learn how to read an audience and adjust their performance accordingly, which can be a valuable skill in social settings.
Encouraging creativity and imagination: Magic tricks instill a sense of disbelief and can help create a sense of wonder and escapism. Students who learn magic tend to be more creative and imaginative because they look at the world through the lens of "what is impossible and how can I make it possible?" This out of the box thinking encourages students to create their own variations of magic tricks. But translate to the classroom in the form of problem solving and creativity.
Building self-confidence: Performing magic tricks in front of others can be a challenging experience, but it can also be a great way for students to build self-confidence. As they learn new tricks and practice performing them, students will become more comfortable and confident in front of an audience. This can also help with public speaking and presentation skills.