Magic Tricks

Fooling the mind's eye

Levitating Card
Rebel Magic provides a free video tutorial to teach this easy card trick to beginners. It involves creating a special card using plastic and super glue. Your child will be able to make the card look like it has levitated off her palm into the air. Because a live audience will want to touch the card, this is a trick that is best performed over Skype for cousins or grandparents.

Disappearing Water Trick
Your child will say a magic word of his choice over a cup of water, turn the cup over and only a chunk of ice will come out. Magic Tricks Reviewed explains the secret -- a sponge wedged in the bottom of the glass absorbs the water. The ice cube is placed on top of the sponge.

Betcha Can't Crack an Egg
Have your child challenge her friends to crack a raw egg with their bare hands. What your child will know is that an egg is actually pretty tough when squeezed with the hand. Its shape allows it to withstand pressure very well when applied all over. Funology recommends doing this trick over a sink, though, just in case someone is strong enough!

Talking Magic Calculator
All your child needs is a calculator and a good memory. Your child will start by telling a friend the calculator wants to talk to them and that the code to get the conversation started is 0.7734. When the calculator is turned upside down with this number punched in, it looks as if the display says "HELLO."

Wherever you can, borrow the objects from the audience... Coins, pencils, napkins, etc. Borrowing from the audience makes it seem like the magician hasn't had time to do anything sneaky to the item. This makes everything seem more magical!

Resist the temptation to tell how the trick worked... keep them guessing and they'll be even more impressed with your show.

Practice the "patter" as well as the trick. Figure out before hand what you want to say during the show. Good patter will help distract the audience just enough to keep them from guessing how you've pulled off your magical feats! Here's a start for you:
I have a magic trick for you.
It should be lots of fun.
Pay very close attention,
And guess how it is done!

Practice in front of a mirror so you can see the trick as your audience will. Practice lots!

Bill in Lemon
The bill in lemon is an effect in which a magician requests a currency note from a spectator and makes the note vanish, then proceeding to slice a lemon open to show the note inside. Variations include the coin in orange, and more generally "something in fruit".