Magic tricks for 7-year-olds

Magic at 7

Seven is where the shop opens up: very nearly every shelf has something for a seven-year-old, including the first mind-reading tricks, where maths does all the work and nothing can go wrong. A child who can add and take away can now tell somebody what number they are thinking of.

Seven-year-olds can also learn to talk while they do a trick, which is the real step from doing tricks to performing magic. Every trick page has the words to say. Try the first ones as written, then change them until they sound like your child.

By level, 44 Apprentice (works the first try), 20 Conjurer (a little practice) and 1 Wizard (days of practice). They come off 6 shelves of the shop, most from The Everyday Shelf (16) and The Card Cabinet (14). What you need most often: paper (16), cards (14), a cup or glass (11), and 8 tricks need nothing at all. 5 tricks have a step a grown-up does (something hot or a bright light), and 15 tricks carry the choking note for brothers and sisters under 4. The quickest to learn is The Rubber Pencil (1 minute); the longest is Easy Cups and Balls (3 to 5 days).

Buying a magic set for a 7-year-old? Read which magic kit, honestly first: most tricks on this page need only what is already in the house.