Magic Camp, More Than Tricks

For fourth grader Connor Wood, there is something very addicting about the art of juggling.

Wood excitedly made this assertion to his friend as the two were practicing the circus tricks they had learned. They devised a game to see who could juggle the longest without dropping the balls.

“You just don’t want to stop,” Wood said of juggling. “You just wanna keep on trying until you get it right cause it is so fun.”

Juggling is just one of the many "fun" tricks that Simon Clark and his team of magic instructors are teaching kids ages 6-12 as part of Abra-Kid-Abra Magic and More at the . The summer camp runs in two sessions from Aug. 1-12.

During the week, students learn magic tricks like Digital Ruler and Finger Spies. They also gain hands on experience to circus tricks like using the Chinese YoYo, riding a unicycle, juggling, balancing on a Rolla Bolla and walking on stilts.

The purpose of the camp, according to Clark, is to get the kids out of their shells, become more social and most importantly, to “bring out the stars in kids” using the intriguing art of magic. This is further accomplished through interactive activities where the kids are always the center of attention.

Clark said magic sparks people’s intrigue and consequently helps them learn more about the magician.

“Magic is cool!" Clark said. “People are interested in magic. When you are a little kid and you don’t understand something you want to learn more about it and consequently learn more about other kids through magic tricks by asking, 'Wait, how did you do that?’”

The camp also serves as an outlet for children to explore their hobbies and have fun.

Second grader Trevor Kates, who said he knew some magic tricks coming into the camp loves to learn magic tricks because simply, they are “really fun.” Kates favorite trick that he has learned thus far is “how to turn a chicken into a goat/dragon”.

On Tuesday, Kates' and a dozen other adolescents' energy, excitement and overall intrigue with magic was busting at the seams as they circled around the room practicing and refining their circus tricks.  Clark and his team observed the student’s progress and offered helpful tips and encouragement to brave youngsters like Jordan Hoffman who pushed fear aside and adamantly attempted to increase his time walking on stilts.

“Stand up taller and keep your legs closer together as you are walking,” an instructor advised as he paid close attention to Hoffman’s posture.

Some of the students were attempting a trick on the Rolla Bolla, a trick that requires students to balance themselves on a piece of wood about the size of a skateboard that sits atop a piece of circular tubing.

While tricks like the Rolla Bolla, the stilts and the unicycle require students to wage a constant war with gravity, the circus trick that prompted a noticeable amount of questions and instruction was juggling.

While juggling can be very fun, it can also be, according to Kates, “kinda hard.”  Fortunately for the group, Clark circled the room many times pinpointing problem areas. One of the tidbits of advice he gives students is to throw the ball straight up to eye-level and to start with the ball in the right hand.

Clark also noted that it is very important to keep a watchful eye on your brain.

“Your brain wants to cheat,” Clark said. “When you juggle, your brain wants to take the ball from your one hand and just move it over to your left hand really quickly.”

Nonetheless, students like Wood have become inspired to keep practicing so that he can juggle for a “real long time.”