Abracadabra Your Way To Cool Mom Status With These Magic Tricks For Kids

Remember how cool it was when we were growing up to watch David Copperfield specials on television? Sure, it turns out that Copperfield might have been a bit of a cringe-worthy person, but we didn’t know that at the time. All we knew was that he could make stuff disappear. For most of us, this was way before the likes of famous magicians like Criss Angel or magical characters like Harry Potter appeared in our lives. We dreamed of meeting someone who could make a train disappear or make us levitate. Sometimes we even wished we knew the tricks ourselves and bought magic sets. Kids these days are no different — even if there’s no crazy magic special on Sunday night television. They long to be witches, wizards, and magicians who perform impressive magic tricks for kids. And why not? There’s a lot of scary stuff in our world, and disappearing into a fantastical world sounds pretty nice. (It may or may not be why so many Disney adults exist.)

So, here we are: Your kid wants to learn magic tricks, and, welp, you never learned any. The magic you know is using a “Magic Eraser” to remove crayons from the wall and saying “Accio, caffeine” before you slurp your black coffee. It turns out, though, that there are actually still plenty of magic tricks you can learn and then teach your kids. We’re here to deliver those tricks to you.

Super Simple “Magic” Tricks for Little Kids

These tricks aren’t fooling anyone over the age of five or six. But they’re a fun way to get the ball rolling when showing off your “magic skills” and beginning to teach your kids sleight of hand.

1. Bending Spoon

This is all about hand placement and movement. While we’re not sure this technically constitutes sleight of hand since nothing happens very quickly, it does rely on your own finesse.

2. Rubber Pencil

We all know this trick, right? How many silly elementary school boys tried to impress you with their rubber pencil? For some reason, even after you know the trick, it’s still amusing enough to laugh at and roll your eyes.

3. The Shell Game

They recently did this magic trick on an episode of Clifford, and kids everywhere undoubtedly developed a new obsession. This easy tutorial walks you through how to make it happen.

4. Magnetic Pencil

Still have that “rubber” pencil handy? You kid will be doubly surprised to learn that it’s also magnetic. Later, they’ll enjoy seeing how easy it is to fake your way through it.

5. Cold As Ice

With a bit of grown-up help for set-up, even your youngest kids will be able to pull off this easy and fun magic trick. All you need are two cups, a sponge, some ice and some water. Can you turn water into ice instantaneously? We can… now.

6. The Magic Tube

In this video, the magic instructor uses some branded merchandise. Don’t let that fool you, though; you can easily teach your kids this magic trick with something as easy and cheap as an empty toilet paper roll or a paper towel tube.

7. Unbreakable Egg

When applying even pressure to an egg, it’s nearly impossible to break. Kids don’t know that, though. That makes this “magic” trick a true work of art. Still, we recommend practicing outside — just in case.

Cool Magic Tricks for Older Kids

8. Rope Magic: Thread The Needle

If your kid has great hand-eye coordination, they might be able to tackle this one. However, because of the level of finesse needed to make this one look believable, it’s best left to older kids. All you need is a needle and a piece of rope.

9. Coin-in-Rings Vanishing Act

This trick requires a bit of crafty setup that makes it perfect for older kids. After the initial setup, making the coin disappear is easy enough that kids of just about any age can tackle it.

10. Walk Through Paper

OK, so this one isn’t so much an actual magic trick as it is a joke or tease. All your kiddo needs for this is a piece of paper and some decent scissor skills.

11. Impassable Corks

Looking for some true sleight of hand magic? This trick is as old as time… and entertaining to boot!

12. Levitation

Time for the ultimate magic trick: Making yourself levitate. It’s actually easier than you think.

What other tricks do you have up your sleeve?

13. Mobius Strip

This isn’t necessarily a magic show trick, but it is a craft that will blow your kid’s mind. Making a Mobius Strip is a supernatural feat in itself. You’ll need a strip of paper, proper measurements, and tape. This paper design hails from Germany and has been a paper trick since the 1800s. So in between the magic, you can slip in some history too!

14. Multiplying Coins

Grab two fun colored paper plates. On the back of each one, tape a tiny paper pocket. Put about one to two quarters in the pocket and do the same to the other plate. Then slide the plates underneath each other so that a quarter pops out onto the other plate. After doing this a few times, it will give the illusion that the quarters are multiplying in the plate.