Lynn Gordon - 52® Cool Tricks for Kids

Materials: Dollar bill; Penny; Bandana; Dime

1. Fold the dollar to the width of a penny and hide in your lap. Set the penny on the table.
2. Hold the bandana by a corner, pinching the dime between thumb and bandana. Say it is made of magical multiplying material that multiplies by 10. As you lay it on the table, slide the dime under so it is at the center.
3. Put the penny on the bandana on top of the dime. Roll the dime and penny up together. Wave the rolled bandana, and as you do, turn it over. Over your lap, slowly pull the ends apart. A dime will appear! The penny falls into your lap.
4. Wave the bandana while slipping the dollar on the table. Repeat to multiply the dime by 10 into a dollar.

Materials: Sheet of paper; Glass bottle; 10 pennies

1. Lay a one-inch-wide strip of paper on top of a 16-ounce glass soda bottle, with two-thirds of the strip on one side of the neck. Carefully stack 10 pennies on top of the strip.
2. Quickly pull the long end of the paper strip down. The pennies will stay stacked neatly on top of the bottle. Challenge your friends to do the same.

Materials: Paper straws; Raw potato

1. Tell your friends you can push a paper drinking straw into a raw potato without bending the straw. Let them try it first.
2. Place your fingertip firmly over the end of the straw and quickly thrust the straw straight through the potato. It will pierce the skin without bending!

Materials: Glass of cold water; Ice; Cotton string; Salt

1. Drop an ice cube into an eight-ounce glass filled with cold water. Ask your friends if they can pick up the ice with a piece of thin cotton string. Let them try.
2. Lower a four-inch piece of string into the water until it rests on the ice cube. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of saltcalling it magic powderinto the water, over the cube.
3. Wait about 45 seconds, and youll be able to pull the ice outstuck to the string!

Materials: Pennies; Small jar with lid; White vinegar; Salt

Heres how to polish pennies for all your cool tricks.

1. Drop your dirty pennies into a jar. Fill the jar with vinegar and add a tablespoon of salt. Put the lid on and shake.
2. The next day, your pennies are as shiny as can be!

Materials: Postcard; Scissors

1. Tell your friend you can make a postcard fit over his or her head. Ask if she believes you.
2. Fold the postcard and make cuts in it, as shown on the back of this card.
3. Open it up and slip over your friends head. Incredible!

Materials: Hard-boiled egg; Raw egg

1. Ask your friends if they can tell which egg is raw and which egg is cooked without cracking them open.
2. Youll know for sure by spinning them on a smooth table top. The raw egg will wobble as the yolk shifts back and forth. The cooked egg will spin around smoothly.

Materials: Plastic water bottle; Nail; Bowl

This is a summer prank to keep in the cooler at a pool or beach party.

1. With adult help, pierce the bottom of the bottle with a nail several times. Dont make the holes too big.
2. Set the bottle in the sink in a bowl and fill it with water. Lift the bottle out of the bowl. Water should flow out of the holes. Fill it up again and cap it tightly. Now lift it up. Water might drip a tiny bit, but if the bottle is held upright, it should not flow out of the holes.
3. Put it upright in the ice chest for the party. At the party, find someone in a swimsuit and ask for help opening your bottle. When they take off the cap, ice-cold water will pour out of the holes!

Materials: Hat; 2 Paper cups; Scissors; Water

1. Cut out the bottom of a paper cup and slip it into an uncut matching cup.
2. Pick up the (double) cup and put it in a magic hat taller than the cups. Then take out the inner cup, not letting the audience see its missing bottom.
3. Pour water into the cup in the hat. Your friends will think you poured water right into the hat! Go along with them; apologize for your confusion.
4. Put the trick cup back in the hat, sliding it into the cup of water.
5. Lift out the cup. Turn the hat upside down. No spills!

Materials: Deck of cards

1. Place the four of clubs and the five of spades on top of the deck, with the four of spades and the five of clubs immediately below them.
2. Pick up the top two cards and tell your friends you can bury these cards in the middle of the deck, then call them home. Dont name the cards, and show them quickly to the audience.
3. Bury them in the deck.
4. Knock on the deck and call four and five home. Peel off the top two cards. Theyre home!

Materials: Plum or other small, round fruit; Toothpick

Balance a plum on your fingertip! This easy trick can be done at home or at a party or restaurant.

1. Hold a toothpick behind your index finger with your thumb so that your audience cant see it.
2. Put the plum (or cherry or grape) on your fingertip and pretend to try to balance it while secretly sliding the toothpick up into it.
3. Take away your other hand. Tell your audience, This plum is part of a balanced diet.

Materials: Deck of cards; Salt

1. Divide a deck of playing cards in half and put the jack of clubs at the bottom of the top half. Put teaspoon of salt between the two halves. Carefully put them back together.
2. Tell your audience that the jack of clubs is sometimes called the Acrobatic Jack because he can do tricks. Put the deck carefully on the floor.
3. Using your stocking feet, gently nudge the deck into two piles. Pick up the top pile and show your friends the Acrobatic Jack on the bottom!

Materials: 3 paper plates; Colored markers

1. Draw a different-colored circle on the bottom side of each paper plate.
2. Show your audience both sides of the three paper plates. Youve secretly put a tiny dot on the topside rim of each plate.
3. Mix up the order of the plates, then set them down, making sure each dot is in the same position.
4. Turn your back to the audience. Have a friend pick a plate and show it to the audience.
5. Turn around and tell the audience which plate was picked by noting which dot moved.

Materials: Box of crayons

1. Turn your back to the audience. Ask a friend to select a crayon from a box of crayons and place it in your hands, outstretched behind your back.
2. Keeping your hands behind your back, turn to face the audience and tell them you will guess what color your friend has selected.
3. Secretly make a small crayon mark on your thumbnail.
4. Turn your back to the audience again and have your friend remove the crayon from your hands. Drop your hands to your sides and glance down at your thumbnail.
5. Turn to face your audience, and tell them what color the crayon was.

Materials: Small box with lid; Marker