Karl Fulves - Easy-to-Do Magic Tricks for Children

When I put on these gloves, they give me added strength, the magician says. He holds up a pair of ordinary-looking gloves. Here, Ill show you what I mean. He puts them on. Then he extends his fingertips so they touch. A spectator grasps the magicians wrists and pulls in opposite directions, . Surprisingly, no matter how hard he pulls, he cannot separate the magicians hands.

Let me show you another test. Make your hands into fists. Put them together. I bet I can separate them with one finger of each hand. It looks impossible, but the magician succeeds. When the spectator tries to separate the magicians hands by the same method, he finds it impossible.

Method: You can use any pair of gloves. Put them on, then touch the tips of your first fingers together. Have the spectator grasp both wrists and pull them apart in the direction of the arrows shown in . He cannot use a quick, jerky motion. He should increase the force gradually. No matter how hard he pulls, he will find it extremely difficult (and in most cases impossible) to separate your hands.

The secret is that, if you hold your hands at chest level and lock your elbows against your sides when performing this trick, the spectator cannot generate enough force to pull your hands apart.

In the second test, tell the spectator to make two fists, then to put them together as in . Say, While Im wearing these gloves, I can separate your fists with just one finger of each hand. After struggling to separate your hands in the first test, the spectator will think it is impossible for you to separate his fists using just one finger of each hand.

The secret is to strike his fists as shown in . Move the first fingers in opposite directions, one striking downward, the other upward. The result will be that his hands immediately move apart.

Say, It was the superhuman strength in these gloves that allowed me to do that. Here, you try it. You are still wearing the gloves. Make your hands into fists, but as you do, secretly place one thumb into the other fist, , he will be surprised that your hands do not move apart.

This routine can be performed with just the bare hands, but by wearing gloves, you misdirect the audience into thinking that perhaps the gloves do have something to do with these feats of strength.

Being a magician has its advantages, the magician says. He displays a shoelace or sneaker lace. Sometimes I get a knot in the lace.

The magician holds the lace near the center between the left thumb and first finger. A knot is tied in the lace. Being a magician, I dont have to struggle to get it unknotted. The magician blows on the knot and it magically disappears.

Method: You can use a shoelace, sneaker lace or a piece of string to perform this mystery. Hold the lace near the center between the left thumb and first finger. The center of the length of lace on your right is grasped between the right thumb and fingers as shown in

Turn the right hand in the direction of the arrow in . As the lace is twisted, say to the audience, It starts with the lace getting knotted like this.

The right hand now grasps the ends of the lace and places them through the loop in the direction of the arrow in . Then the ends get into the act.

Grasp the ends with the right hand, .

Heres where it comes in handy being a magician. Blow on the left hand. Then pull the lace out of the left hand. The tangled knot has vanished.

The magician twists a rubber band over his fingers. This, he says, locks my fingers together. He displays another rubber band. Instantly he causes it to penetrate the first rubber band.

Method: Have two rubber bands in your left trouser pocket. Remove one band. Place it over the left first finger. Loop it over the right first finger as shown in . Make sure the band is as close to the fingertip as possible throughout this and later steps.

Turn the left hand palm down. This puts a twist in the band as shown in .

Slip the left first finger out of the band. Then insert it back in the position shown in .

Slip the left first finger out of the band. Insert it back in the position shown in .

Notice that each time a twist is put in the band that it is put in the same direction. This is important to the success of the trick.

Display the right hand on both sides. Remark that the rubber band is locked onto the fingers.

Turn so your left side is toward the audience. Say, In my pocket I also have As you speak, drop the right hand to your right side. This is the side that is away from the audience. The spectators do not see you perform the following secret action. Silently withdraw the right second finger from the band as shown by the arrow in .

You now complete the last sentence: another rubber band. Withdraw the second band from the pocket. Loop it around the left thumb and fingers. You may have to use the right hand to aid in doing this.

Say, I want to try something impossible. I want to cause one band to pass completely through the other. Hold the right hand up so the palm faces the audience. Bring the left hand to a position over the right hand. Then slide the left-hand band over the right middle finger in the direction of the arrow in .

The result is that the left-hand band seems to penetrate the right-hand band and end up on the right middle finger, .

Reverse the above moves to cause the left-hand band to come free of the right hand. Slip the right-hand band from the fingers and toss both bands onto the table.

If you have only one rubber band and wish to try the trick, use a ring in place of the second band. Make sure it is slightly larger than the fingers. This allows you to slide it on and off the right middle finger easily.