Melissa & Doug Deluxe Solid-Wood Magic Set With 10 Classic Tricks Magician Props Magic Set for Kids Ages 8+

It seems like everyone has endorsed or licensed their own Magic Kit in a Box. Even magicians no one has even heard of. They all pretty much have one thing in common. They all have an almost identical set of tricks. That is tricks, not magic tricks because most of those sets lack anything magical about them. A quick look at the prices for those tricks from wholesalers would reveal that even a kit with a retail price of 50 USD or more only cost about six dollars to assemble. Pretty much magic kits are toys and once a child has had one, there is no need to ever buy one again.Well that sounds pretty dismal doesn't it? But Melissa & Doug Deluxe Magic Set is a refreshing departure from the standard kits everyone else is pedaling.First the tricks are not cheap paper and plastic. They are crafted out of wood. The box they are packed in is also wood which will provide a sturdy display and place to pack away the tricks after a show. Next, these are NOT the same boring tricks that have been featured in kits since the 1940s. Even after having been a magician for many years, with a few runs as a professional, I haven't seen a couple of these methods before. None of them are difficult, and perhaps someone with a little critical thinking skill could figure them out... but these are toys meant to build critical thinking skills so that's not so important. Even so, watching an eight year old perform the tricks is quite entertaining.There is a pamphlet included in this kit. There are roughly five pages of instructions, in a packet brochure sealed with a paper sticker labeled "Secrets Inside." Each trick is titled, has a very brief description of the effect followed by a more detailed instruction. Each explanation is also accompanied by line drawing illustrations.One thing that stood out was the change bag. It is a bit smaller than a professional change bag, but the whole kit costs less than a professional change bag. It is the perfect size for a child and will introduce the child to a staple of magic. In the community of magicians, a change bag is almost the ultimate utility. Many professionally available routines will casually dismiss critical parts of their routines by simply saying "... with a change bag ... " Make things disappear, make things change into other things, make things appear, make things change colors. Once a child understand the secret of the change back their imagination can go wild.Sadly, the one I got with my kit was bent a little and doesn't work smoothly. I have tried to straighten it out but haven't quite got it working as it should. UPDATE: I called Doug & Melissa customer service and let them know. They sent me a new change bag. This one works more easily than the professional one I have for my own tricks. Customer service was friendly and responsive. The replacement arrived quickly. (11/17/2014)The other tricks each focus on a concept that is easy to understand. I know Melissa & Doug are well known for educational toys,, even though this is my first product from them. It is easy to consider this set educational. It teaches critical thinking, presentation and magic.

Everything is sturdy and well made. This is something you can pass on through generations.

My son wanted a magic set to replace an old junky one he had gotten a couple years ago. Most of the old set was broken or lost. We saw this set online. From my previous experiences with Melissa and Doug items I had hoped it would be of the same nice quality I came to expect. I am pleased to say it is!! This set is really cool in looks AND in its functionality, and durability. My 9 year old son really likes it, says its much cooler than his other plastic set, and has been mastering all the tricks (all very do-able for a kid 8+). The tricks are for kids to master as they are pretty obvious for adults to figure out. But I think it is also educational in that a lot of magic is a bit of science...and he is learning a bit of showmanship as well as he performs these tricks for people. I highly recommend this set...it comes with plenty of start up items to make a kid interested in magic quite happy, and the durability of most all the items will make the parent happy too!

Great little kit. Probably best for about a 6 yr old. A little younger and it may be too difficult to figure out - documentation is not as descriptive or as visual as, say, a lego set. Plus, to pull off a few of the tricks, a lot of sleight of hand practice is in order which may prove daunting for the youngsters. Ages 6-8, depending on maturity and dexterity, is probably the sweet spot. Same with audience - the trick materials are easy enough to figure out for an audience of about 9+ so it wouldn't be an ideal set for a 10 yr old to perform a show for their peers.As always we love that the Melissa & Doug sets aren't full of cheap plastic bits.This is a great intro to the idea of magic and, if your child will stick with it and put in the practice, they could actually pull of some neat tricks for their peers. Note that I said practice - if your child is used to video games and tv providing all of the stimuli, they may not be the kind of kid to sit down and "do their homework," practicing over and over in a mirror for days or weeks to be able to pull off these tricks smoothly.If you need help figuring some of these tricks out - we did - we were able to find them in youtube videos on the web.I would recommend you plan ahead for storage. The small "magic box" included does not have a latch and is so small that only a careful packer could get all of the parts in there anyway. Would've been a 5-star review if the box were a little larger and came with a latch.So if your kid can be counted on to responsibly squeeze everything back inside the box you may just run down to the hardware store and mount your own latch on the box for less than a buck.Otherwise, like most, you'll have to bring your own storage container - like a small tupperware tub or something.