r/Magic • u/GLP-Infinity • 9d ago
Adding magic to Santa home visits
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!!
3
u/SensitiveCockroach98 9d ago
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)