Hocus Focus

Every time I visit my grandkids (ages three and six), they want to take me to one of their favorite places.  I always look forward to going to the favorite places in the world of three- and six-year-olds.  After all, I'm still a kid at heart.

This weekend they treated me to Rich Hill's Magic & Fun Emporium in Nashville, Indiana.  Here's the place to get everything from jokes and pranks to clown and juggling supplies to magic equipment and tricks of all kinds -- for magicians of all ages.

I loved watching little Annabeth (six) take part in the show as one of the resident magicians, Thomas Hastings, demonstrated illusions for shoppers.  Magical.

So, on this visit we each bought some tricks to take home and learn.  The plan is to put on a show for the rest of the family the next time we all get together.  I have to admit, that's a lot of pressure learning a few magic tricks in just a couple short weeks.  But, the show will go on!

Magic has a lot of Carpe diem qualities to teach children and adults alike, including: 

Confidence
Every time a child performs a trick they will feel their confidence grow.

Hocus Focus
Learning a magic trick involves focus on tiny details and the big picture.

Screen-Free Hobby
It's a hobby that is portable and doesn’t rely on an electronic screen.

Acting Skills and Imagination
A magician is an actor playing the part of a magician.

Patience
To perform a trick well you have to practice, practice and then practice some more and when you think you have it perfect the practice it again.  Through practice, we learn that with patience and work, tasks that were impossible can be achieved!

Memory
By repetition of moves and the performing of scripted magic, we will improve and learn how to learn.

Dexterity
In learning Magic, you will become ever more dexterous and ambidextrous!

Communication Skills
In order to perform a baffling trick you have to have clear communication, this is not just words but body language and clarity of information.

So, you could say that "the trick" to making children (and hopefully, older adults like me) more confident and sociable is to teach them magic.

Now, I'd love to say that I'm off to practice my magic tricks, but I see that the grass really does need cutting; as much as I'd love Harry Blackstone to magically appear and magically cut it with the wave of his wand, I'd better get out there and do it the old-fashioned, mortal way.

Carpe diem Life,
David Kuhn