Young magicians in kindergarten: Skill development through performing magic tricks

ABSTRACT

Magic has been a very popular form of entertainment for thousands of years and the learning and developmental processes that take place during the process of practicing and performing the trick—are a precious phenomenon from an educational point of view. The MiniMagic kindergarten program was launched in September 2021 in a kindergarten in Józsefváros, Budapest (Hungary), in a district with a very diverse population that calls for an inclusive attitude and pedagogical methods to educate all the children successfully. The innovative program aims to develop skills and build community by integrating magic tricks into the curriculum. A well-known Hungarian magician teaches magic tricks appropriate for 4 to 6-year-old children with unanimous success. The program does not simply introduce tricks; he embeds them in storytelling sessions. This article presents how the theory about the educational values of magical tricks is turned into practice in a kindergarten showing the educational values and developmental results. I complement the analysis of the theory and practice with recommendations for practitioners, explaining the ideal context and methods of implementation.

KEYWORDS:

• Magic tricks in education
• early childhood education
• inclusive developmental programs
• magic program in kindergarten
• MiniMagic program

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional Resources

1. Ogren, K. (1995). Why magic is an effective teaching strategy. University of Victoria. http://dspace.library.uvic.ca:8080/bitstream/handle/1828/5280/Kevin_Ogren_MEd_2014.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

The paper gives a rich presentation of the benefits of using magic as a teaching strategy. Following a literature review, the reader can get deeper into the topic through a very detailed description of a professional development workshop developed for teachers planning to use magic tricks in their teaching practice. The workshop material is based on the author’s 20 years of experience in integrating magic tricks into the classroom curriculum.

2. The Hocus Focus Education website. https://hocusfocuseducation.com/

The Hocus Focus creative instructional approach’s website provides training programs and workshops for professionals interested in integrating magical content into their teaching practice. The research material on the evaluation of the program can also be read on the page containing plenty of information about the features and effectiveness of the program. The benefits of the program in teaching special needs children are also highlighted.

3. The Magic Tricks for Kids website. http://magictricksforkids.org/

The website is a great collection of magic tricks for children, with detailed instructions and resources ready to learn and use in the classroom. The tricks are presented by magicians recorded on videos giving exhaustive explanations and many tips for a successful performance. On the homepage, readers can also find a Magicians Dictionary containing words and phrases used by magicians and a massive collection of famous magicians from around the world with short biographies and videos.

4. Wiseman, R. & Kaye, D. (2020). Positive magic for children. European Journal of Applied Positive Psychology, 4, Article 17, 1-4. https://www.nationalwellbeingservice.org/volumes/volume-4-2020/volume-4-article-17/

The article highlights the importance and significance of positive psychology in shaping children’s thinking, emotional wellbeing, and behavior and the idea of incorporating positive psychology into magic shows developed for kids. The innovative approach is presented with examples, and also results of best practices are included.

Notes

1. The “Magic Kids” educational program was launched in 1984. It was developed for behaviorally and emotionally handicapped children in grades 3 to 6 with the aim of skill development, including building self-esteem, teaching cooperation, and improving organizational skills.

2. The “Inclusive Kindergartens” program was funded by the European Union’s Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme (2014–2020).

3. Botond Kelle, a 5-time Hungarian champion with many Hungarian and international professional awards.

4. Valéria Tóth, a kindergarten teacher with many years of teaching experience and tale-therapy qualification, developed the program in which magic tricks are an integral part of the carefully chosen tales.