Magic Trick #1 – Levitating
Part of what makes magic tricks quite so watchable is people’s reaction to them. (We’re thinking most successful magicians’ careers would have taken off slightly less astronomically if they performed their magic in a controlled, audience-less environment than out on the streets…)
Which brings us neatly onto The Levitation Trick. You only need:
- A blanket
- A broom
- A shoe.
But if you really want to make the magic POP, grab:
- A willing assistant
- The Magical Funfair Stalls set
As your kid builds their Magical Funfair Stalls set, ask them to demonstrate the levitating magic trick featured in brick-form.
Confidently state you can levitate someone in real-life, to which they’ll probably call your bluff. If you’ve employed an accomplice, this is their chance to shine – joining in the chorus of doubt caused by your outlandish claims.
Go into another room to set up a phone camera, plus your trick. We’ll assume you’ll be levitating an accomplice, but it works just as well with you as the subject.
1) Step onto a slightly elevated platform (a bed or sofa is perfect).
2) Tuck a broomstick underneath your assistant’s arm, pointing straight out in front of them, and balance a shoe on the end.
3) Fold a blanket over the broomstick and your assistant’s arm so that it’s covering their feet.
4) Get your accomplice to lean their head back. All that should be visible above the blanket is their head – horizontal to their ‘foot’ (which is of course just the shoe).
5) Call in your LEGO building kid into the room and record their reaction! The trick works best when the viewer is facing perpendicular to the ‘floatee’.
Bonus tip: Get your assistant to act as surprised/freaked out as possible to really sell the magic!
