A BIT OF MAGIC....

Had a great session last week with one of the children's groups I run at work. This group is for children Prep to Grade 2 but we always get a few younger siblings, and this time we had a few older siblings stay for the duration.

The theme was magic. What a blast!


I began by pulling a toy rabbit out of a hat. The kids were not impressed. They could see the puppets in the hat. Okay, I thought, tough crowd!

I then did the disappearing coin in the glass trick.

That gained a few minutes of 'wow, how did you do that?' Then one smart cookie figured it out and all the magic and glamour was lost.

But best was yet to come. A card trick.


Now I had practiced for quite a while. And I had them entranced.

Each time they picked a card, I magically found that exact card. I repeated this trick over eight times. The kids had a lot of theories on how I did it.
I was looking. (turned around, covered my eyes etc)

I could see through the cards. (demonstrated this was not possible)

I was good at magic. (this theory I liked!)

Finally I revealed how the trick was done. Most of the littler ones didn't understand but the older kids had huge smiles on their faces and a 'wow, so that's how you do it!'



The rest of the session was spent making their own magic wands then creating some wonderful tricks with potions. The fantastic colour change trick (you must try the red cabbage PH trick - it is AWESOME. Every child has been mega impressed so far)...as well as the frothing substance trick. (the old bicarb and vinegar)


I don't think it matters how old we are, we all like a bit of magic. Illusion. Smoke and mirrors. 

Some of us need to know how something is done, have to discover the techniques and trickery involved.

Others are happy to simply be taken on an adventure.

This is why we read. To be taken on an adventure. Led somewhere with utter belief and trust in the author. 

Sometimes we will stop and try to discover how they have achieved something. Will pull apart a plot or scheme in the hope that we will find out their writing secrets. But the majority of the time we are more than willing to be deceived.

Smoke and mirrors all the way. 

Vicki 

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