I recently received the following email:
Hi,
I am looking for something for my 9 year old boy. He wanted a magic kit for Christmas. I was hesitant since we are Christians and I believe magic can be "dark".
What do you recommend?
Thanks,
Lisa


Dear Lisa,
Yeah, magic can be "dark." I once watched 5 minutes of Cris Angel before I turned him off because of his wicked appearance. He looks like a deranged rock musician (I know, that's redundant). He was just creepy.

But magic itself is just a performance art. The creating of illusions. What your son is talking about is not the conjuring of spirits or deceiving people into believing he has paranormal power. He's talking about learning how the mind works, and entertaining others.

You will discover that as a hobby magic uses mathematics, physics, communication skills and imagination. It is a great tool to get your son to study and improve his skills in these areas.

I grew up watching Mark Wilson perfom magic on TV. His performances were always wholesome. No witchcraft, no evil overtones. He had the Pillsbury magic specials on prime time and a Saturday morning children's show. You can even purchase some videos of his old shows on DVD. His website is: www.markwilsonmagic.com

For a beginning magician I recommend the Melissa & Doug magic kits. They have well constructed props. Their props are a good size for living room performances. They are not the typical plastic junk you find in most magic kits. A simple Google search for "Melissa & Doug magic" turns up several retailers.

If you want magic with a Christian message, check out Doc Haley's stuff at: www.gospelmagic.com

Also, I have some chemistry kits available. They are good science with a magical reaction. Color changing liquids and other cool chemistry effects that will have your son learning about science while also seeing how magical God's creation really is. Each of the kits come with instructions, an explanation of the science involved, the necessary chemicals and a Gospel application and presentation. They are perfectly safe and lots of fun. They can be found at: http://www.magicministry.com

I hope this helps.