Kids' Magic Secrets: Simple Magic Tricks & Why They Work
110
Kids' Magic Secrets: Simple Magic Tricks & Why They Work
110Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781495600890 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Marlor Press, Incorporated |
| Publication date: | 07/01/2014 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 110 |
| File size: | 6 MB |
| Age Range: | 9 - 12 Years |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Kids' Magic Secrets
Simple Magic Tricks & Why They Work
By Loris Bree, Marlin Bree
Marlor Press, Inc
Copyright © 2007 Loris and Marlin BreeAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4956-0089-0
CHAPTER 1
BANANA SURPRISE
ZOW! YOU PEEL BACK A BANANA - AND IT'S ALREADY SLICED
Your audience will see you peel an ordinary banana. When you pull back the peeling, the banana will already be sliced into chunks. Incredible.
YOU WILL NEED
1. A ripe banana
2. A plate or bowl
3. A clean needle and thread
1. On the day of your magical appearance but before your audience arrives you can prepare your banana. Stick the threaded needle into a spot on a ridge of the banana, near the top (Step 1). Bring the needle out at the next ridge but leave a three to five inch tail of thread hanging out from the first hole.
2. Push the needle back into the second hole (Step 2) and bring it back out at the next ridge. Put the needle back into the third hole and bring it out at the next ridge. Continue to follow these steps until you bring the needle out at the first hole.
3. Hold both ends of the thread in your hand and pull the thread until it comes out of the hole. You've just made a secret slice in the banana. Nobody can see the tiny needle hole
4. Now make another invisible slice about an inch below the first hole. Repeat the steps. You can slice the entire banana or only make four or five slices.
5. Put the needle and thread out of sight. Leave the banana and plate on the table or in a box with your other magic supplies.
6. When it is time for your trick, tell your audience:"I really like my bananas sliced but my mother doesn't want me fooling around with knives. I think I've finally solved my problem. I use magic."
7. Hold up the banana and say,"BANANA, BE SLICED." Then you wave your hand back and forth and up and down around the banana. If you want to, you can repeat,"BANANA, BE SLICED."
8. Holding the banana over a plate or napkin, begin to peel the banana. As you peel the slices will fall on the plate. Wow. Look at their faces!
9. Extra fun step: If you are very careful to only use a fine needle and fine thread, you can let someone from the audience look at the banana before you begin so they can see that it is not peeled or sliced.
HOW THE TRICK WORKS
This uses a mathematical or scientific concept called sectioning. It means to divide something into slices or parts. By putting a thread in at a banana seam, you divide the fruit, section by section. Tension on the thread cuts the section inside without peeling the banana. The result? To the audience, it's magic!
COINS IN A BOTTLE
YOU MAKE COINS FLIP INTO A
BOTTLE WITHOUT TOUCHING THEM
You show your audience some coins and a bottle. You put a card across the bottle, put the coins on top. You challenge them to get the coins into the bottle without touching them. They can't do it. Then you show them how. Stupendous!
YOU WILL NEED
1. An empty bottle or jar. The bottle opening must be larger than the coins.
2. A square piece of cardboard, like a file card or a square cut from a cereal or tissue box. Cut your card so that it is square (3 x 3 inches is great) and larger than the bottle opening.
3. Two or three coins
HOW THE TRICK WORKS
1. You show the audience a bottle and some coins. You might even ask for coins from your audience. Tell them that you'd like two or three pennies or nickels.
2. When you have your coins and the bottle, hold them up for the audience to see. Tell them you will put the bottle on the table and will place the coins so they will leap into the bottle without being touched by you.
3. Put the bottle on the table, hold up the card and wave it at the audience as you place it on top of the bottle. Then place the coins on the cardboard just above the bottle opening. Tell the audience that you will move the cardboard from the top of the jar and get the coins inside without touching the coins or the jar.
4. Flick or snap the edge of the card, quickly and sharply, with your finger. The card should snap out from between the coins and the bottle. The coins drop into the bottle without your touching them.
FLICK!
5. You need to practice this several times until the coins always drop in. If the card moves a little too slowly the coins will fly after the card instead of dropping into the bottle.
FLICK!
HOW THE TRICK WORKS:
The coins are sitting on top of the card. Inertia wants the coins to stay still. The card snaps away so quickly that the coins are not able to follow the card. Gravity pulls them down into the bottle.
GHOSTLY GLASSES
NAMES APPEAR ON GLASSES, AS IF BY MAGIC
You say a magic word and name one of your guests as you pick up an ordinary glass. Put the glass in the refrigerator. At the end of your magic show, you remove each glass, and as each guest's name appears on the frosty side, you give the glass to them. Surprising!
YOU'LL NEED
1. A glass for each of your guests.
2. A small jar or container
3. Liquid detergent
4. A tray
5. A drink for your guests. This can be kool-aid, lemonade or a soda
HOW IT WORKS
1. Before your guests arrive, put just a little bit of water in the small glass or container. Add a drop of liquid detergent. With your finger, carefully print the first name of one of your guests on a glass. Continue until you have printed the name of each of your guests on one of the glasses.
HINT: If you use glasses that look different, you'll need to remember which name you printed on which glass. If the glasses are identical, it won't matter. Put the glasses on your table and allow them to dry so the printing won't show.
2. When your guests arrive and are seated to watch your magic, tell them that you are preparing drinks for after the show and you want to be sure that everyone has a glass. Then tell them that the glasses are magic glasses
3. Pick up each glass and say,"Alakazam, this glass is (Bill's) glass." If you have a magic wand or want to use a special magic wave, you can then wave over the glass before you put it on the tray. Continue as you pick up each glass, fill the tray and name each guest. If you have different glasses you'll want to be sure you remember which glass is for each guest. Some of the guests may remember which glass was supposed to be theirs.
4. Tell the guests that you will now put the glasses in the refrigerator to cool so the drinks will be very cool and delicious. Then you or your helper will take the tray to the refrigerator or freezer. The glasses should be in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
5. At the end of the show bring the glasses directly from the refrigerator to the table. The glasses should get frosty and the names should appear as clear lines in the frost on the side of the glass. Ghostly magic!Don't fill the glasses until each person has found his or her name in the frost.
You need to practice this trick several times before you do it before guests in order to be sure that you're mixing your writing solution correctly (not very much water) and to see that the glasses get cold enough to get frosty. EXTRA TRICK: If you live where you have cold winters, you may do a variation of this by writing a message on a cold window and blowing on the window when you want your message to appear. Once again, you have to try this and practice to be sure it works on your windows.
WHY THIS WORKS
When water vapor in the air condenses and freezes on a cold surface like a glass that has been in the freezer, it creates frost or ice crystals. The detergent creates a slippery surface that makes it more difficult for ice crystals to form. That's why names appear (everything but the slippery surface gets frosted.)
CHAPTER 2PAPER CLIP FLIP
PAPER CLIPS MAGICALLY LINK UP IN MIDAIR!
You fold a dollar bill and put two paper clips on it, then you pull the bill through the paper clips until the clips fly off the bill and land on your table linked together. Incredible!
YOU'LL NEED
1. A Dollar bill
2. Two paper clips (jumbo size are best but regular size will do)
HOW IT WORKS
1. Hold the bill up, between your hands, so your audience can easily see it. Tell them that you are going to show them how to connect two paper clips using a dollar bill.
2. Fold 1/3 of the back of the bill over the front. Use a paper clip to hold it there, with the clip over the number one on the bill. Push the clip all the way down against the top of the bill. Tell your audience what you are doing but in a simpler way. Say,"I'm going to fold the bill and put a paper clip here." Don't tell them exactly where, though. Remember you hope they won't be able to do it by themselves when they go home.
3]Now turn the bill around so you are looking at the other side but the clip should still be at the top of the bill. Fold the left end of the bill to the right and insert the second paper clip from the top at the end of the bill over the number one. This time, just clip the two front folds, not the back of the bill. Look at the illustrations to see how it should look. As you do this you say,"Now I'll fold the bill again and put the second clip here." See the side view (left) and top view (below).
Top view shows how clips fit over folded dollar bill. Note that the second clip fits over the front and second folds, but not the back of the bill. The first paper clip fits on the back of the bill and on the second fold.
4. Now carefully hold both ends of the bill and pull them so the clips slide closer together and the bill begins to unfold. Say, "Now I'm going to unfold the bill." Try a joke like, "I hope this works. I can't afford to lose any more bills."
5. When the bills reach the point where they are almost together, give the ends a sharp tug with your hands. The bill will open out and the paper clips will fly across the table. When you show your audience, they'll be linked together.
6. Practice this so you can do it smoothly and quickly for your audience. When you present your magic performance to your audience, only do it once. Don't let them talk you into doing it again. For another trick, try the Paper Clip and Rubber Band Connection
WHY THIS WORKS
The folds in the paper allow the clips to slide into each other and connect. Your speed and the fact that this is not a common sight create an illusion of difficulty. Fun, huh?
PAPER CLIPS & RUBBER BAND
YOU LINK PAPER CLIPS INTO A RUBBER BAND ON THE FLY.
INGENIOUS!
You fold a dollar bill and put two paper clips and a rubber band on it, then you pull the bill through the paper clips. This time the clips do not fly off. Instead the rubber band is looped around your bill and clips are hanging from the rubber band. Incredible!
YOU'LL NEED
1. A dollar bill
2. Two paper clips (jumbo size are best but regular size will do)
3. A rubber band slightly longer than the bill's width so part of the band hangs below the bill
HOW IT WORKS
Begin by following steps 1 and 2 of thePaper Clip Flip.
1. Before you turn the bill around, slip the rubber band over the unfolded right side of the bill. Say, "This time I'll add a rubber band."
2. Now turn the bill around so you are looking at the other side. Follow Step 3 of the Paper Clip Flip. Then you say, "Now I'll fold the bill again and put the second clip here." Your bill should look like this. (See side view)
TOP VIEW: Note that the rubber band lies between the front and second folds of the dollar bill.
3. Now carefully hold both ends of the bill and pull them so the clips slide closer together and the bill begins to unfold. Say,"Now I'm going to unfold the bill." This time your joke might be "I hope this doesn't injure anyone. Maybe you should take cover if you're in the front row."
4. When the bills reach the point where they are almost together, firmly pull both ends of the bill. The bill will open out and the rubber band will stay on the bill but the paper clips will be connected in a chain at the bottom of the band. Hold the bill with the rubber band and clips up so your audience can see and be properly amazed. You're a genius.
5. Practice this slowly so you can see how it works. Then practice doing it smoothly and quickly for your audience. Don't do it a second time for the same audience.
WHY THIS WORKS
Once again you are creating an illusion that will seem magical to your audience but is perfectly logical when you see how the rubber band and clips slide together.
THE HOPPING RUBBER BAND
ZAP!MAKE AN ORDINARY RUBBER BAND JUMP BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN YOUR FINGERS
The magician has a rubber band around two fingers. Then the band jumps to two different fingers and back again. Even when another band binds the tops of the fingers together, the band jumps back and forth right through the top band. Astonishing!
YOU'LL NEED
1. A rubber band that will comfortably stretch around your fingers. Try assorted bands to be sure that they're not too tight or too loose.
HOW IT WORKS
1. On your left hand, put a rubber band over your forefinger and your middle finger. Hold the palm side of your hand toward you. Say: "I will now make this rubber band magically move through my fingers without hurting myself or the band.
2. Pull the rubber band to show that it is solid. Say: "See that this is a solid rubber band. Would you like to look at it yourself ?" Let someone inspect it. Then put it back.
3. When you pull it toward you a final time, bend your fingers down and with your right hand, stretch the band over the tips of all four fingers of your left hand.
4. From the front, your audience will see the rubber band around only two fingers. Stop just a moment. Say:"Magic band, hop, hop magic band." Straighten your fingers. The band will absolutely jump to your ring finger and your little finger. Wow!
5. Take another rubber band and wrap it around the tops of the fingers so that they look tied together, like the illustration. Then do the same steps again. It'll look like the first rubber band jumps right through the top band.
6. ADDITIONAL TRICKS: You can do the same thing again and get the band to jump back to the original fingers.
WHY IT WORKS
The jumping band is an illusion. It always stays around the base of the fingers, moves easily to the second fingers and never penetrates the top band. Do it slowly and you'll see.
TWIN HOPPING RUBBER BANDS
WHAT COULD BE MORE FUN THAN TWO DIFFERENT BANDS CHANGING PLACES?
Astound your audience. This time, you make two different rubber bands jump to opposite fingers. Flabbergasting!
YOU'LL NEED
1. Two different colored rubber bands. Bright, contrasting colors work especially well.
HOW IT WORKS
1. Let's say you choose a red band and a blue band. (It's easier to explain if we use colors.) Place the red band around your left index and middle finger. Place the blue one around your left ring and little finger.
2. With your left thumb, pull out the blue band (the one that's around your left ring finger and your little finger).
3. With your right index finger, stretch out the red band. (That's the one around your left index and middle fingers.)
4. Close the fingers of your left hand. To the audience, it will look like a fist. In the back side of your hand, slip your fingers in the rubber bands as shown. Note that they all fit around your four fingers equally.
5. Call your audience's attention to the location of the bands, as they see them (your fist). It looks like you have the red band around only the first two fingers and the blue band only around the last two. But they'll be surprised.
6. Now straighten your fingers. Zap! The bands will appear to jump to the opposite fingers.
WHY THIS WORKS
You have cleverly created an illusion that you can make bands jump from finger to finger. Do the trick slowly and discover how it actually works.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Kids' Magic Secrets by Loris Bree, Marlin Bree. Copyright © 2007 Loris and Marlin Bree. Excerpted by permission of Marlor Press, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
Introduction,KITCHEN WIZARD,
OFFICE MAGIC,
PICK A CARD, ANY CARD,
PAPER, PAPER, WHO'S GOT PAPER?,
BODY OF MAGIC,
ALL WET,
SCARF IT UP,
AMAZINGLY MYSTERIOUS,
Index,