Schools & Daycares

The Great Armando

Magic, Culture and Learning for Schools, Daycares and Early Years

I offer magic incursions that are more than entertainment: they combine fun, culture and learning, ideal for primary schools, kindergartens, early learning centres and daycare groups. With a unique blend of visual magic, audience participation and authentic Italian language and culture, each show can support your language or multicultural program, while staying inclusive, age-appropriate and simple for staff to manage.

Kindergarten & Early Years Shows
Gentle, colourful and highly visual magic, tailored for preschool, daycare or early learning groups (ages 3 to 5). With simpler routines, visual cues and optional Italian songs or words, it is a fun introduction to language and culture.
  • Ideal for ages 3 to 5
  • Shorter routines and flexible pacing for small or mixed age groups
  • Optional Italian language content: songs, greetings and simple words
  • Inclusive, sensory-aware and welcoming performance
Primary School Incursions
Energetic, interactive shows for primary students. Perfect for assemblies, year level events or special occasions. Shows can include optional Italian language and cultural elements to support your languages program.
  • Suitable for ages 5–12
  • Includes optional Italian vocabulary, greetings and simple phrases
  • Works for full school hall or individual classes
  • Supports Languages and Intercultural learning goals
Secondary School Incursions
A fast-paced, smart and highly interactive magic experience tailored for high school students. Drawing on years of performing for major corporate events and mixed-age audiences, The Great Armando delivers a show that keeps teens engaged with humour, skill, surprise and plenty of participation. Ideal for assemblies, cultural days, language programs and end-of-term events.
  • Designed for students in Years 7–12
  • Engaging for older audiences with sharper humour and more sophisticated routines
  • Optional Italian culture and language woven into the performance
  • Perfect for assemblies, wellbeing programs, cultural days and large groups
  • Performed at corporate events and festivals across Australia and Europe

Educational and Cultural Value

The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) includes Languages and Intercultural Capability as core learning areas for Prep to Year 10, recognising that learning a language enriches communication, cultural awareness and global understanding. By combining magic, performance and Italian culture, my incursions give students the chance to practise vocabulary and phrases in a playful, memorable context, reinforcing classroom learning while celebrating cultural diversity and multilingualism.

If your school teaches Italian (or another language) or runs a multicultural program, I can coordinate with teachers to integrate classroom-learned vocabulary or cultural themes into the show. I can also provide simple pre- or post-show classroom activities to deepen engagement, making the incursion a meaningful extension of your learning program.

Pricing, Minimum Charge and Multi-Session Option

Simple, transparent pricing for schools of every size:

$6 per student, with a minimum fee of $600.No matter how large your school is, the total cost is capped at $1,500. The cap simply means that once you reach the maximum fee, adding extra students does not increase the price.The show scales perfectly for big assemblies and full year levels.

If your student numbers make a single session impractical, I can split the incursion into two sessions (for example, one for junior students and one for senior students). As long as they are scheduled within about an hour of each other, the standard pricing above still applies.

Prefer a flat fee or need a custom structure (multiple sessions, mixed ages, language or culture add-ons)?
Get in touch and I will build a proposal tailored to your needs.

What's Included in Every Show

Fully self-contained.

I bring everything with me, including a professional sound system, music, microphone and all magic props. I do not need power points, staging or technical support, so I can perform in halls, gyms, libraries, classrooms or covered outdoor areas with no extra work for staff.

Flexible formats for any space.

I can perform for whole-school assemblies, individual year levels, smaller class groups or rotating sessions. The show works in large halls as well as more intimate classroom settings.

Optional Italian language and culture.

For schools running a languages or intercultural program, I can weave Italian words, greetings, songs and gestures into the show. This reinforces classroom learning in a fun, memorable way.

Easy on teachers and carers.

I arrive around 30 minutes before showtime to set up quietly and be ready to start on time. After the show, I pack down quickly and leave the space as I found it, giving you a clear block of structured entertainment and learning with minimal disruption to your day.

Highly interactive.

Students are constantly involved in the show, helping with tricks, making decisions and sharing the laughter, so they stay engaged and feel like the magic is happening because of them.

Teachers and carers are welcome too.

The material is designed so grown-ups genuinely enjoy the show alongside the students. It becomes a shared experience for the whole group, and many teachers tell me they enjoyed it just as much as their classes.

Tailored to age group and cohort size.

With over 20 years of performing for children and families, I prepare each visit based on the age range and group size you expect. Prep classes, upper primary groups, mixed-age assemblies or whole-school audiences — the pacing and humour are adjusted so it feels right for your setting.

Built with inclusion in mind.

The show is designed so shy students, loud students, neurodivergent students and everyone in between can feel comfortable and included, with plenty of chances to join in without pressure or spotlighting.

Pre and post show classroom activities available.

I can provide simple, ready-to-use classroom activities that connect directly to the show. These include warm-up curiosity questions, language worksheets for Italian programs, mini reflection tasks about ‘how magic works’, and optional follow-up challenges students can complete after the incursion. Perfect for teachers who want to extend learning before or after the performance.

Child Safety and Professional Standards

Safety, respect and professionalism are always top priorities. When you book a school or daycare event, you can expect:

  • $20 million public liability insurance covering performances at schools, centres and public venues
  • Current Working With Children Check (WWC) and long experience performing for children and families
  • Strict no device policy: I bring only an offline music system with no camera and never bring smartphones or smartwatches, and I do not take recordings or photos
  • Clear boundaries: never one on one unsupervised interaction, all performances happen under staff supervision, and setup and procedure are always transparent

A detailed child safety and standards PDF is available on booking, and insurance and WWC certificates are provided on request.