How to do Magic Tricks

Sooty and Sweep are two of the most beloved puppet characters in British entertainment history. The mischievous duo has been entertaining children and adults alike for over six decades with their playful antics, catchy tunes, and mesmerizing magic tricks. If you’re a fan of Sooty and Sweep and want to learn magic tricks that you can perform with your own puppet, then you’re in the right place. We’ll recommend some of the best magic tricks for puppets and props that could be used by a puppet like Sooty.

1. Card Tricks Card tricks are a classic form of magic that never fails to impress. As a puppet, you can perform card tricks by having your human assistant hold a deck of cards and ask an audience member to choose a card. Your assistant can then show the card to the audience and return it to the deck. As a puppet, you can then make the chosen card magically appear somewhere else, like in your puppet’s pocket or in a hat.

2. Vanishing Object Trick The vanishing object trick is another classic magic trick that can be easily performed by a puppet like Sooty and Sweep. For this trick, you will need a small object like a coin or a ball. Your human assistant can hold the object and show it to the audience. You can then make the object magically disappear by covering it with your puppet’s hand or hat.

3. Levitation Trick The levitation trick is one of the more advanced magic tricks for puppets that you can perform, but it can be done by a puppet with the right props. You will need a small piece of wire and a lightweight object like a feather or a small ball. Your puppet can hold the wire and the object, and your assistant can hold the other end of the wire. Your puppet can then make the object appear to levitate by moving the wire up and down.

4. Multiplying Balls Trick The multiplying balls trick is a classic magic trick that involves making multiple balls appear and disappear. For this trick, you will need two or three small balls. Your puppet can hold the balls and make them disappear and reappear by hiding them in its hands or under a hat.

5. Silk Scarf Trick The silk scarf trick is a simple yet impressive magic trick that involves making a silk scarf disappear and reappear. For those silk magic tricks, you will need a silk scarf and a small bag or pouch. Your puppet can hold the scarf and place it in the bag or pouch. It can then make the scarf disappear and reappear by pulling it out of its pocket or hat.

Lost Treasure – This little box can easily be handled by the puppet and will make coins appear, vanish or change in value. 

Small Sponge Balls – Sponge balls don’t have to be a big complex routine. Your puppet can be holding a ball. It hands the ball to a child and then vanishes a second one, only for both to appear in the child’s hand.

Small Cups and Balls – Choose a small set like the Royal Magic cups and balls, and your puppet can easily do the basic routine where the balls drop from the middle cup to the bottom, one at a time.

Svengali Deck – Your puppet hardly needs to hold the deck at all. Just have a spectator cut the deck and look at a card before losing it. Now the puppet tells the spectator to deal out cards until it waves its’ hand. It’s stopped at the spectator’s card! 

Appearing Wand – A small appearing wand can be held by the puppet and made to appear in a very magical way. 

Appearing Cake – A cake pan is empty, but with some magic, the puppet makes a huge cake appear. 

Mirror Box – The box is shown empty, but the puppet makes lots of coloured silks or money appear inside.

Change Bag – You can hold the change bag whilst the puppet puts things inside and makes them change.

Princess Card Trick – The cards are placed on a table, and the spectator’s card magically disappears.

Dicey Dots – The puppet makes all the spots on some dice vanish, only to appear on the puppet’s little magic wand.

In conclusion, magic tricks are a great way to entertain and impress audiences, especially when performed by a puppet like Sooty and Sweep. With the right props and a little practice, you can perform these classic magic tricks and leave your audience amazed and delighted. So, grab your puppets, gather your props, and get ready to wow the crowd with your magical skills!

School talent shows are a great opportunity for kids to showcase their skills and creativity. If your child is interested in performing magic tricks for the school talent show, you may wonder how to choose the right tricks that will impress the audience and be age-appropriate. Here are some tips to help you choose the best magic tricks for a kid’s school talent show.

1. Consider the age of the audience.

The first thing to consider when choosing magic tricks for a kid’s school talent show is the audience’s age. You want to choose magic tricks that will entertain and engage the age group watching the performance. If the audience is mostly made up of young children, you may want to choose tricks that are simple and easy to follow. Older audiences may appreciate more complex tricks.

2. Keep it age-appropriate

When choosing magic tricks for a kid’s school talent show, keeping the content age-appropriate is important. Avoid tricks that involve any kind of violence, gore, or adult themes. You also want to avoid tricks that may be scary or too intense for young children.

3. Think about the performer’s skill level.

The magic tricks you choose should match the performer’s skill level. If your child is just starting out, it’s best to choose simple tricks that are easy to perform. If your child is more experienced, you can choose more complex tricks to challenge and showcase their abilities.

4. Choose tricks with visual appeal.

Magic tricks that are visually appealing are always a hit with audiences. Look for tricks that involve colourful props or have a dramatic visual effect. The more visually interesting the trick is, the more likely it is to capture the audience’s attention and leave a lasting impression.

We highly recommend the following tricks that other parents in the past have reported getting great reactions in similar school talent shows, and they are easy to perform. magic

Chessboard Silks di Fatta

Stiff Rope by Mr. Magic

Vanishing Silk

Cut And Restored Rope (With Rope)

Cocktail of Beads by Bazar de Magia

Change Bag Standard (Black) by Bazar de Magia

Obedient Ball

5. Incorporate audience participation

Audience participation can make a magic trick even more engaging and memorable. Look for tricks involving the audience in some way, such as asking for volunteers or encouraging them to participate in the trick.

6. Practice, practice, practice

Once you begin choosing magic tricks for a kid’s school talent show, it’s important to practice them thoroughly. Ensure your child has plenty of time to practice the magic tricks and become comfortable with the tricks before the performance. This will help them feel confident on stage and ensure a smooth and successful performance.

In conclusion, choosing magic tricks for a kid’s school talent show requires careful consideration of the audience’s age, the performer’s skill level, and the visual appeal of the trick. By following these tips and practising thoroughly, your child will impress the audience with their magical skills.

By Paul Osborne

Regrets, I’ve got a few. Growing up, I wish I’d used my spare time more productively when practising magic tricks.

As a teenager, I had no magician mentors. There were no magic clubs nearby where I could get guidance from other magicians, no magic shops; the internet hadn’t been invented, and my local library had very few books on conjuring. When I eventually got hold of some decent magic books – Dai Vernon, Lewis Ganson, Ken Brooke, etc – I found the card routines too advanced. So, a proportion of the large amount of youthful spare time I had was spent feeling disheartened with my lack of ability. I would read, “Control a card to the top using your favourite method”, and then realise I didn’t have a favourite method, or indeed any method.

I also sometimes struggled with translating what was on the page. “Grip the upper packet firmly by pressing down upon it with the first phalanx of the left ring finger. Press the first phalanxes of the index and middle finger on top of the pack …” Eh? What? Phalanx? I had no one to tell me, “Start with The Royal Road To Card Magic. All the basics are there.” I was trying to run before I could walk.

I was well into my 20s before I heard a magician on TV recommend Royal Road to Card Magic and Bobo’s Modern Coin Magic as great starting books to learn sleight of hand. The Other Side Of Jerry Sadowitz was a brilliant three-part series that focused on Jerry’s close-up magic and contained lots of great advice.

By that time, however, I’d joined a band and started to indulge in my other passion: playing the drums. I still enjoyed magic – keeping one eye on Penn & Teller, David Blaine, et al. – but it took a back seat. And this is where my regrets kick in.

Drummer Charlie Watts famously said that being in the Rolling Stones was five years of playing the drums and 20 years of hanging around. I know what he means. Not the fame (obviously!) but the hanging around. Why didn’t I put all that hanging around to good use and work on my sleight of hand?

During our eight-hour band rehearsals, I could have worked on, say, my double lift between songs. After sound-checking at a gig, when the band was sitting around for a couple of hours waiting to go on stage, why didn’t I have a coin with me, working on a classic palm?

Away from music, why wasn’t I working on my Downs palm in the supermarket queue? Or retention of vision vanishes when I sit in the passenger seat of a car on the way to visit relatives. All that spare time was wasted.

But it’s really not healthy to dwell on the past, despite my spending the last few minutes dwelling on the past! It’s today that’s important. And today, now that I’m back in love with magic, I use my precious spare time wisely. When watching a movie at home I’ve got a pack of cards with me. When I’m waiting for a bus, I’ve got a coin in my hand. While the kettle is boiling, I’ll pick up a deck and practise a card spring or a dribble.

Yes, spare time is more precious as you age, but you have more of it than you think for practising magic tricks.

Merchant of Magic has a FREE 102-page eBook on magic practice, full of advice and techniques. Download it here: https://magicshop.co.uk/products/approaching-magic-practice-by-dominic-reyes-ebook