From fairy tales like The Wizard of Oz to fantasy films like Harry Potter, one’s childhood is usually filled with wonder and wizardry. It’s therefore unsurprising that many kids are enthralled by magic, whether they’re performing their own tricks or watching an amazing magic show.
But, did you know research has shown that magic lessons can help children become more sociable, and confident and inspire creative problem-solving? The skills learnt from attending a magic class are highly valuable and can have an extremely positive impact on a young person’s overall development. So, letting your kids unlock their inner wizard is actually way more beneficial for them than you might think.
Learning magic tricks is more than just entertaining friends or impressing strangers. While your child will have a fun and enjoyable time performing magic shows, the art of magic also teaches essential life skills.
A study was conducted by University of Hertfordshire’s Professor Richard Wiseman, Rebecca Godfrey and Dr Sarah Woods on the effects of teaching 50 kids between the ages of 10 and 12 how to perform easy magic tricks. The team set out to study the effect of teaching secondary school students how to perform magical illusions, including the cut and restored rope, and mind reading.
Following a single magic lesson, the children showed massive psychological changes in the areas of confidence and social skills. The results were clinically significant and showed that even just building the study of magic into existing self-esteem lessons can greatly increase results. Professor Wiseman pointed out that, unlike playing computer games, magic encourages children to interact with their friends and family and as a result, develops better sociability and confidence in young adolescents.
From building their confidence and independence to developing good presentation and public speaking skills, learning magic tricks will work wonders for your children’s growth and development. It’ll also keep their mind and body active, unleash their creativity and enable them to be even more imaginative. Here’s how magic lessons can benefit your child:
Most adolescents feel shy at times as they’re still developing a sense of self and building their self-esteem. In teenagers, shyness leads to avoiding new experiences or limiting interactions with new people. When it comes to magic shows, they require an audience and even volunteers to participate. Enrolling your child in magic lessons from a young age will teach them how to conduct themselves in front of groups and help to develop their self-confidence and public speaking skills.
In school, kids are often required to create and present PowerPoint presentations on certain topics. This can be daunting when you’re a mere teen surrounded by your peers. The benefits of learning magic have been proven to reduce social anxiety and develop better social skills among children. Magic is all about presenting tricks and illusions with accuracy and confidence. Performing magic tricks requires excellent verbal and non-verbal communication, voice projection and stage presence. Similarly, school presentations need the same skillset.
Divergent thinking is the ability to create many different solutions to a problem. Several bits of research suggest that such thinking may be enhanced by witnessing magic tricks and learning the secrets behind these tricks. As part of a study, children were asked to watch two short films – one that featured ‘magical’ events such as wizards performing tricks and one that showed non-magical actions and then complete a test. The children who watched the ‘magical’ film clip obtained significantly better divergent thinking scores compared to those who watched the other clip. This indicates that witnessing a magic trick may boost divergent thinking, and discovering the method behind the magic may also have the same result.
If you’re ready to see the benefits of taking magic classes for yourself, chat to international magician Chris Whitelock. Chris will teach magic to anyone age 6+ and offers a highly professional and memorable experience. The classes are tailored and Chris will teach tricks that are suitable for the age group at hand. He often works with everyday objects but props are provided. Group bookings are also available so your kids can learn magic skills with their friends!
The cost of a lesson is subject to distance travelled, duration of the lesson and any other additional changes that may be incurred such as city congestion charge or ULEZ.
Individual rates kick off at just £65 per person, while group bookings of six or more start at an incredible £25 each. Gather your loved ones, and let’s make memories together! For larger groups or corporate inquiries, reach out now and discover exclusive rates tailored just for you. Don’t miss out—seize the moment and fill out the contact form today!
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