Why shouldn’t you feed the kids during a magic show? Because it can ruin the entire experience! I’ve seen it happen too often: parents decide it would be a good idea to give their kids food to eat while watching a magic show, just like they would with TV dinners or popcorn at the movies. But magic shows are very different from these activities. Here are a few reasons why you shouldn’t feed your kids during a magic show:
1. Kids are not very good at multitasking
Especially young kids, they get distracted very easily. They might be watching the show while eating and make a big mess, or they might be eating neatly and miss what’s happening on stage. While this might not be a big deal during casual activities like watching TV or a movie, when you’re paying anywhere from $300-$600 for a magic show on a special day like your child’s birthday, you want everything to go smoothly.
2. They will miss the magic moments
Each magic routine is designed to tell a story, interact with the audience, build up tension, and deliver a magical moment (or multiple magical moments) at the end. The ideal result of any magic routine is to amaze and baffle the audience, and the “oohs” and “ahhs” are important for building up the energy of the show. If the kids are looking at their food during the magical moment, they will miss the most crucial part of the routine. This can result in less “oohs” and “ahhs” and a lower energy level for the show as a whole.
3. Engagement level will go down.
The script that a magician uses in their show is written not only to tell a story or deliver a performance, but also to engage with the audience. If the kids are focusing on their food, they will miss certain cues in the script and their engagement level will go down, resulting in a less impactful show.
4. It gets REALLY messy.
Depending on what food you’re giving them, some foods are easier to clean up than others. But cleaning is not part of a magician’s role, so the mess is clearly not their concern. What makes this a real concern is when the mess becomes a hazard. Some kids might get a bit excited during the show and decide to stand up and walk around, or a child might be called up by the magician to participate and accidentally slip on any food or drink that has been spilled on the floor. Not only is this dangerous, but when parents try to clean up spilled drinks to avoid accidents, it becomes the most distracting thing for a magic show.
Conclusion:
There are a hundred other things that can affect the outcome of a magic show, but if there’s one thing you can do to really help the magician deliver a great show, it’s to organize meals for the party to happen before or after the show. It just takes a bit of simple planning.
