Pester-digitation

Simple small close up magic tricks are great confidence boosters for kids. My personal favourite - which can be picked up by most 8 year olds within an hour - is the coin switch. It only needs two coins and a bit of practice, but is quite impressive when done properly. If you show it off, you will be pestered until you impart the secret; don’t be too hasty, this is good leverage that shouldn’t be lightly squandered.

The trick has a coin in each hand, the magician turns both hands over, and the mark has to guess where the coin is. By slight of hand, both coins appear in one hand.

You will need:
1x pound coin (or a heavier coin of any denomination)
1x 10 pence (a lighter coin)
a table to start with
a pair of hands
about an hour of practice

for a video of my own attempts…

Place the 10p in the middle of your left hand (mirror instructions for leffties), then place the pound in the palm of your right. The trick is to place it on the fleshy mound at the bottom of your index finger.

He prestidigitator closes their hands, and as they do so throws the heavy coin to the other hand as it is closing. It takes a little practice, but can be done so swiftly that the audience is agog.

To start their training, use a table. Rest the hands on the table with the coins in position, and turn and flip to catch the coin under the 10p hand. Once this is mastered it can be attempted in the air. Like this, and yes those are my very own hands.

Did you spot it?

A simple trick, that requires few props, but will keep budding magicians applied for hours as they practice their skills, patter and stage craft.

Enjoy, achieve and encourage.

tag... play for today, 8up, enjoy and achieve