Magic is fun. It's fun to do and fun to watch! Try playing magic tricks on your friends and family.
MIRROR TRICK;
For an effective and amusing trick you need to stand beside a full-length mirror.
1) Hide one side of your body behind the mirror and have the other exposed.
2) Get your audience to face you from a little distance away – they should only be able to see the protruding half in the mirror.
3) By raising your leg and arm that is visible to your audience it will look like you are suspended above the ground.
4) You can imitate a puppet by moving your arm and leg like there’s a string attached by a puppeteer above you!
SLIDING THUMB;
The only thing you need for this trick is your two hands.
1) Start by holding your left hand in front of you with your fingers pointing to the right. Grab your left thumb with your right thumb and index finger, and pretend to try to twist it off. After several unsuccessful attempts, close your right fingers over the left thumb.
2) Under cover of your right fingers, bend your left thumb back and your right thumb forward to look like the left thumb tip (practice in front of a mirror to get the correct angles to make it look real). Keep your right index finger in place so it hides the space between your two bent thumbs. Then lift the last three fingers of your right hand to expose the supposed left thumb tip.
3) Now slide your right thumb (your audience will think it is your left thumb) along the top of your left forefinger. Then return it back to its original position.
To be a good magician remember these important rules:
- Practice each trick many times before you show it to anyone
- The best place to practice is in front of the mirror so you can see what your audience sees
- Never repeat the same trick again right away
- Never tell your friends how you did a trick
- And always use some magic words when performing the trick – like abracadabra!
To find more tricks visit these websites:
Magic Tricks, including card tricks
Magic Tricks: perfect for kids & beginners
Here are some useful book titles that can help you become a magician: search your library catalogue to find other titles!
Easy-to-do magic tricks for children by Karl Fulves (Illus. By Joseph Schmidt)
Magic handbook by Malcolm Bird & Alan Dart
Magic tricks by Ian Adair
Magic tricks for children by Len Collis (Illus. Eira Reeves)
