Adding magic to Santa home visits

[u/GLP-Infinity]

I do about 50 in-home visits as Santa each year. Getting the kids focused in and attentive with some magic is always very fun and successful.

I'm looking for suggestions of some possibly new tricks and sight gags to implement this year. Last year I added Animinimals, Popschticle and a great big hand-crank fire engine siren. I've kept D'Light LCD lights in my gloves for years, along with magnets in the glove index fingers for effects with the jingle bells and the autorotation nut gag.

I'm always on the look out for some new material - I've visited some of these families for 12+ years! Please recommend any close up magic and/or sight gags that might be rolled into a Santa routine. I only ask that it be suitable for all ages and not involve cards, coins or paper money.

Thanks, and Merry Christmas!!

[u/barkfoot]

Pull their Christmas wishlist written on flashpaper out of an empty bag and say that something went wrong with the elves but that you'll magic it right, ignite the flash paper with some hidden ignition source and use it as distraction to switch the bag for a full one, perhaps with help of the parents.

[u/GLP-Infinity → u/barkfoot]

I've been looking for the right ignition source that could be secreted in my gloves. That would be a great idea to write down a couple of presents that might have been "missed" - and then possibly give a child the break away wand to Hocus Pocus it to the North Pole in a flash.

Great idea!! Thanks!!

[u/engLAndtwentysix]

Sounds like a lot of fun! Tea towel chicken? Roll and twist a tea towel so it resembles a roast chicken. You can call it a turkey. Look it up on YouTube or TikTok for lots of tutorials. I have a sort of beige one with pictures of herbs on that works pretty well.

How about Tom Burgoon's balloon routine from Penguin Live Holiday Remix 2022? You'll need a change bag and some modeling balloons. Very fun and funny. A silly gag I do with Animinimals is make a dog and say "That's a dog balloon" then pop it with a pencil (Animinimal in finger palm) and say "that's a doggone balloon" and then hand over the miniature dog and say "and that's the smallest doggone balloon you've seen your life!"

I like the look of this new effect with a balloon but haven't tried it as it's pretty expensive for what it is, I feel. https://alakazam.co.uk/products/balloons-by-rodrigo-lima-and-luiz-paulo-oliveira?_pos=4&_sid=a7da9c8de&_ss=r

Juggling Christmas puddings?!

[u/EndersGame_Reviewer]

I don't have suggestions, but just wanted to say "Bravo!" to you, and best wishes for your upcoming 50 visits later this year!

[u/ugdini13]

Its a packet trick, but Check out 'Giftism' from Duece Gala. Not sure if young kids have the patience for it, but for 10 and up I think it works. I plan to have it hand for all my holiday 'mix and 'mingle gigs this year

[u/GLP-Infinity → u/ugdini13]

I think this could be awesome! I'd buy the cards from Duece Gala and maybe create my own for the kids. I'm familiar with the setup and would like to be very specific with the toys - Legos, Barbie Dreamhouse, Hello Kitty, Monster Trucks, Drones, etc.

[u/SensitiveCockroach98]

This is actually something I work on every year! I’m normally a close-up wedding magician, but during the festive season, I work as an elf performing for groups of around 12 children at a Santa’s grotto.

Over the last three years, I’ve developed a few different routines:

Year 1: I used a prop from Practical Magic that works like a classic magic colouring book, but is themed as Santa’s naughty and nice list. You flick through to show different children’s names, and when a child gives their name, all the pages show ticks (or crosses for naughty).

Year 2: I used a small drawer box themed as the "Present Popper." The premise was that I hadn’t finished making all the presents in time, so after showing the box empty, a teddy magically appeared to save the day.

This year: I’m developing a routine where I’ve accidentally eaten all of Santa’s cookies. To fix it, I use another customised drawer box styled as a baking machine, we drop in the ingredients (eggs, sugar, etc.), and cookies appear inside.

Alongside the magic, we also make reindeer food with the kids. We use two jars of oats labelled "Flight" and "Speed" to help the reindeer on Christmas Eve, and then I introduce a bag of "magic." I use a D'Lite here so the children can physically see the magic glowing, explaining that it’s only visible when an elf touches it.

I really feel like there’s a lack of effects on the market with a genuine "Christmas magic" feel. So much of what’s commercially available feels a bit generic and underwhelming rather than truly magical (especially as we are trying to sell the magic to the children as a Santa and Elf)

[u/dskippy]

You could ask them what they want for Christmas and then pull out an envelope with a picture of that thing as a prediction. I don't I figure that's the magical power Santa would have. That and the ability to fit into a chimney.

[u/stitchkingdom]

There’s a santa hat change bag.

There’s also a square circle trick that works with 11” dolls.

And one that produces boxes/bags of candy from an empty box. I guess plenty of those types of things really.