Easy/Impressive magic/illusions for a complete novice..?


Garrett

Garrett

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Joined
Aug 24, 2011
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Workington, Cumbria, UK
I work with people that have mental health issues & learning difficulties and have been talked into performing some magic as part of a show the staff are putting on for them this Xmas.
I've zero experience, but no one else wanted to do it & I unfortunately drew the short straw.. can you guys recommend some visually impressive tricks/illusions that I can buy & ideally don't require a high level of skill/aptitude or dexterity to perform.. not card tricks or things that require you to focus/concentrate on several things at once or for extended periods.

Thanks.
 
Make balloon animals. Kids love balloon animals and the basics are very simple to make with just a few hours of practice. Hats and swords keep them entertained for minutes!

A personal favourite magic trick that kids always love is to take some kind of rapid absorbtion polymer crystal and put them in a mug, something wider at the base than the top is preferable, like a milk server or something. You then get two other cups, one must be a clear glass. Pour water into the clear glass and you shuffle them around and ask "ok, where's the water?" Obvious, it's in the clear glass. And you make a show of being all "duh, of course, you can just see into the glass", so you pour the water into the mug with the polymer crystal. Take your time, shuffle them around again, and ask where the water is. They'll guess and you make another show of being all "duh, of course, you can tell, you just look in the top of the mug" at which point the water has now all been absorbed into the crystals and forms a gelatinous blob so that when you turn it over it doesn't go anywhere. The kids expect the water to all come spilling out but it doesn't. They'll guess a third time, but now the water has just vanished. woooooo.

Ah, this is the stuff: http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/water-gel-magic-slush-powder.html

edit: in case it wasn't obvious, after the second guess you're supposed to turn the cups upside down, thus with the water gel stuff it makes it seem as if the water has disappeared.
 
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The old fake thumb/cloth trick is ultra easy to pull off and only a cheap gimmick [a couple quid max]

ebay:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Silk-hanky-vanish-magic-trick-thumb-tip-silk-close-up-magic-/300982111435

Demo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2dR6ROhDf8


The rope cut into equal length one is another easy one once you know how to do it, takes very little practice and quite visual and instant, you can drag that one out as long as you like really, just show it once of keep looping it till they/you are bored :)

Any rope will do for this one.

Demo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EllCLWNkGeQ


I sold a load of old tricks/gimmicks not too long ago on ebay as it goes, used to have a little collection, some card trick sets too.

Some of those are good and not too demanding on the concentration levels, like these ones:

...The deck that you can show fanned out then again and they're all blank.

Very easy to do when you know how

ebay:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BLANK-DECK-PLAYING-CARDS-Invisible-Deck-Magic-Trick-Plastic-Coated-Deck-/290959479865


demo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qnM9YXomI4


...The deck that can levitate a chosen card from the pack.

Again ultra easy with the correct deck of cards :)

ebay:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/THE-RISING-CARD-DECK-by-Galdini-Professional-Bicycle-Card-Magic-Trick-/251364359106


demo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6c7x01itP4
 
I got no experience, and I see Fzero already said, but still, Youtube, if it isnt there, it dont exist :p
 
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAApjrO1SLo


This is also pretty easy. Use some rubberglue.
 
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