We are going to meet for a free outdoor balloon twisting workshop in the Mall of Central park, NY. Hours 2 pm to 4 pm (only if the weather is OK). Have fun and happy twisting :)
Do you know what magicians do to untangle knots? Certainly they use a magic word. Check it out. I hold two regular straws. The magician shows two straws. I am going to loop both straws around each other to make a knot. The magician loops straws around each other in a knot. Now I need two volunteers to hold ends of the straws. You hold ends of one straw and you hold ends of the other straw. Each volunteer holds both ends of one straw. Abracadabra Barambum! Please, pull the straws apart. The volunteers pull the straws apart. Whoa! The straws penetrated each other and as you can see both straws are intact!
The secret
Materials: two straws.
The secret of this magic trick is in the way magician makes the knot. This magic does not require any special skills on your part. You simply have to memorize the order and way to make the knot. Let see how it’s done. Hold the first straw in a horizontal position (Pic 1).
Put the second (blue) straw in a vertical position on top of the first straw (Pic 2).
Loop the second (blue) straw around the first (red) straw. Bring the bottom part of the blue straw to the top-left by bending it outward (Pic 3).
Then you bring the same part of the second (blue) straw to the bottom by bending it inward (Pic 4). Show the loop to your audience from the top.
Hold the loop between your fingers and the thumb (Pic 5).
Now you’re going to loop the first (red) straw. Bring the right part of the first (red) straw to the top-left by bending it outward (Pic 6). It will create a false loop! Don’t show the loop to your audience!
Cover the loop with your thumb (Pic 7).
Bring the same part of the first (red) straw to the right by bending it inward (Pic 8). Show the loops to your audience from the top.
Cover the loops with your thumb (Pic 9).
Bring the top part of the second (blue) straw to the bottom by bending it inward (Pic 10). Show the loops to your audience from the top.
Cover the loops with your thumb (Pic 11).
Bring the left part of the first (red) loop to the right by bending it inward. Ask two volunteers to hold ends of the straws. Each volunteer should hold both ends of one straw only (Pic 12).
Cover the loops with your thumb and hold the knot firmly (Pic 13).
Say Abracadabra Barambum! Tell the volunteers to pull the straws apart. The straws visibly penetrate each other (Pic 14).
Show that the straws are not broken (Pic 15). Congratulations, you have made the magic. This trick can be repeated successfully many times to the same audience. Remember to keep the secret of your magic. It’s the only guarantee of your success. Have fun and happy twisting :)
There are two rubber bands. I stretch one rubber band on my two left fingers and the other rubber band I stretch on my two right fingers (Pic 1). The magician stretches one rubber band on his left thumb and index finger. Then he stretches the other rubber band on his right thumb and index finger. The challenge is to place one rubber band behind the other without taking the rubber bands off you fingers.
It seems to be impossible to place the rubber band behind the other rubber band without taking the rubber band off my fingers (Pic 4 and 7). The magician attempts to pull the rubber bands through his fingers in all possible ways.
Well, let’s use the magic word Abracadabra Barambum (Pic 11). The rubber band went through the thumb!
Now we have to bring the rubber band back. Once again, I try to move the rubber band through my fingers and through the other rubber band (Pic 15 and 19). Nothing works. The magician attempts to pull the rubber band back through his fingers and the other rubber band in all possible ways.
Nothing helps. OK. Let me use the magic word Abracadabra Barambum (Pic 20)! Yes, that’s what works always. The rubber bands visibly penetrate each other.
The secret
Materials: two rubber bands.
This trick doesn’t require any special skills on your part. You need two regular rubber bands. Each rubber band should be about two inches in a diameter. Put your left thumb and the index finger in the loop of one rubber band. Put your right thumb and the index finger in the loop of the other rubber band (Pic 1). Split your fingers slightly apart to stretch the rubber bands.
Now, the challenge is to place one rubber band behind the other without taking the rubber bands off you fingers. Hold your left hand palm down. Hold your right hand palm facing your body. Remember: both rubber bands should be stretched all time on your fingers. First you try to pull the right rubber band through the left index finger (Pic 2).
Try to pull the right rubber band through the left rubber band (Pic 3).
Try to pull the right rubber band through the left thumb. When you stretch the right rubber band over your left thumb you split the right rubber band on two loops. Your right index finger holds the bottom loop and the right thumb holds the top loop. Bring your right thumb with the top loop on it down to the bottom loop (this spot is marked with X on Pic 4).
Pull your right thumb through the bottom loop (Pic 5 and 6). Make sure to drag the top loop through the bottom loop. Your palms are facing the floor and slightly turned toward each other.
Move your right thumb up (Pic 7). This move brings the bottom loop on top of the top loop.
Say the magic word Abracadabra Barambum and let the top loop slide off your right thumb (Pic 8 through 11). Make sure the right thumb stays inside of the right rubber band. It’s quite easy and almost undetectable to make the top loop slide off your thumb by stretching the right rubber band. You can also bend your right thumb away from your right palm. You can move your hands quickly apart. Or try to do a real magic (just kidding). You have to practice to keep the thumb inside of the right rubber band.
Now, the challenge is to move the rubber band back without taking the rubber bands off you fingers. You are going to do the same moves. But this time you “penetrate” the left rubber band. Hold your left hand palm down. Hold your right hand palm facing your body. Remember: both rubber bands should be stretched all time on your fingers. Try to pull the right rubber band through the left thumb (Pic 12).
Try to pull the right rubber band through the left index finger (Pic 13).
Stretch the right rubber band over the left rubber band (Pic 14).
You split the right rubber band on two loops. Your right index finger holds the bottom loop and the right thumb holds the top loop. Bring your right thumb with the top loop on it down to the bottom loop (this spot is marked with X on Pic 15).
Pull your right thumb through the bottom loop (Pic 16 through 18). Make sure to drag the top loop through the bottom loop. Your palms are facing the floor and slightly turned toward each other.
Move your right thumb up (Pic 19). This move brings the bottom loop on top of the top loop.
Say the magic word Abracadabra Barambum and let the top loop slide off your right thumb by moving your hands quickly apart (Pic 20). Congratulations, you have made the magic. This trick can be repeated successfully many times to the same audience. Remember to keep the secret of your magic. It’s the only guarantee of your success. Have fun and happy twisting :)
Here is a rubber band. I put the rubber band around two fingers. The magician shows a rubber band and put it around his index and middle finger. Please touch the rubber band with your finger. Whoa! The rubber band has switched the fingers! The rubber band has magically jumped to the ring and the pinky finger. I think you have a very magic touch. OK. Now, I want to check if you really have the magic power in your hands. I’m going to us two rubber bands for this purpose. Here are two different color rubber bands. The magician shows two different color rubber bands. I put one rubber band around my index and the middle finger. And the second rubber band goes around my pinky and the ring finger. The magician put each rubber band around two different fingers. Please touch one of the rubber bands with your finger. Whoa! The rubber bands exchanged the fingers. The rubber bands have magically exchanged they place. You indeed have very strong magic power in your hands.
The secret
Materials: one or two rubber bands.
This magic trick does not require any special skills on your part. You have to keep your left hand palm down facing the floor and your fingers together during the performance! I’m going to show my palm to you only for purpose of this instruction. You should never show your palm to your audience. It is very important to keep your palms always hiding from the view of your audience. Hold your palms facing the floor. Show a rubber band. Hang the rubber band at the base of your two left fingers: the index and the middle finger (Pic 1 and 2).
Place your right palm down under your left palm. Put your right fingers in to the loop of the rubber band and stretch the rubber band under the cover of your left hand (Pic 3 and 4).
Bend four left fingers and put them in to the loop of the rubber band. You do it under the cover of your left hand so your audience doesn’t see this move (Pic 5 and 6).
Move your right hand out of the loop. You audience sees that the rubber band is looped only around two fingers, but it’s looped around four left fingers (Pic 7 and 8). Stress your audience attention on the fact that the rubber band is looped around two fingers: the index and the middle finger.
Ask someone from your audience to touch the rubber band. Stretch all left fingers straight as soon as the child touches the rubber band. It will release the loop of the rubber band from the index and the middle finger. The rubber band will be looped around only two left fingers: the ring and the pinky finger (Pic 9 and 10). Stress your audience attention on the fact that the rubber band moved magically to the pinky and the ring finger.
Make the rubber band to jump back to the index and the middle finger. You do it using the same technique as described above. The rubber band is looped around the base of your pinky and the ring finger. Place your right hand under your left palm. Put your right fingers in to the loop of the rubber band and stretch the rubber band under the cover of your left hand (Pic 11 and 12).
Bend four left fingers and put them in to the loop of the rubber band. You do it under the cover of your left hand so your audience doesn’t see this move (Pic 13 and 14).
Move your right hand out of the loop. You audience sees that the rubber band is looped around two fingers, but it’s looped around four left fingers (Pic 15 and 16). Stress your audience attention on the fact that the rubber band is looped around the pinky and the ring finger.
Ask someone (preferable the same child) to touch the rubber band. Stretch all left fingers straight as soon as the child touches the rubber band. It will release the loop of the rubber band and the rubber band will be looped around only two left fingers: the index and the middle finger (Pic 17). Make a sound of surprise and stress your audience attention on the fact that the rubber band moved magically back to the index and the middle finger. Congratulations, you have made the magic trick.
You can use the technique described above to make two different color rubber bands to exchange their places. Show two different color rubber bands to your audience. Hang one rubber band around the base your left pinky and the ring finger. Hang the second rubber band around base of your left index and the middle finger. Make sure to place both rubber bands at the base of the fingers (Pic 18 and 19).
Place your right palm down under your left palm. Put your right fingers in to the loop of the rubber band (Pic 20 and 21).
Put your right fingers in to the loop of the second rubber band and stretch both rubber bands under the cover of your left hand (Pic 22 and 23).
Bend four left fingers and put them in to the loops of both rubber bands. You do it under the cover of your left hand so your audience doesn’t see this move (Pic 24). Move your right hand out of the loops. Stress your audience attention on where each color rubber band is located.
You audience sees that each rubber band is looped around of two different pairs of fingers, but each rubber band is looped around four left fingers (Pic 25 and 26).
Ask someone from your audience (preferable a child) to touch any rubber band. Stretch all left fingers straight as soon as the child touches the rubber band. It releases the loop of the rubber bands and the rubber bands exchange their places (Pic 27 and 28). Make a sound of surprise and stress your audience attention on the fact that the rubber bands have magically exchanged the fingers. Make the rubber bands to jump back. You do it using the same technique as described above. The rubber bands are at base of the fingers.
Place your right palm down under your left palm (Pic 29).
Put your right fingers in to the loop of one rubber band (Pic 30). Put your right fingers in to the loop of the second rubber band.
Stretch both rubber bands under the cover of your left hand (Pic 31).
Bend four left fingers and put them in to the loops of both rubber bands. You do it under the cover of your left hand so your audience doesn’t see this move (Pic 32).
Move your right hand out of the loops. Stress your audience attention on where each color rubber band is located. You audience sees that each rubber band is looped around of two different pairs of fingers, but each rubber band is looped around four left fingers (Pic 33 and 34).
Ask the child to touch any rubber band. Stretch all left fingers straight as soon as the child touches the rubber band. It will release the loop of the rubber bands and the rubber bands will exchange their places (Pic 35). Make a sound of surprise and stress your audience attention on the fact that the rubber bands have magically moved to their original spots. The child seems to have a very magic touch. Congratulations, you have made the magic. This magic trick can be repeated successfully many times to the same audience. Remember to keep the secret of your magic. It’s the only guarantee of your success. Have fun and happy twisting :)
