Party Tricks and Novelties
- Who can resist a party?Party blowers image by Piter Pkruger from Fotolia.com
Friends, music and food can make for a pleasant evening. Add some magic, unusual and inventive tricks, games and novelties and all of a sudden you have a party for adults and children alike. - Coin tricks are fun to watch and perform.coins magic show three dollars image by Tristano Ajmone from Fotolia.com
Magic mesmerizes people and is an effective way to impress your guests and liven up your party. Making a coin vanish is an elementary trick that will amuse your friends and not require much more than practice. Sleight-of-hand, a bit of acting and distractions will cause people to believe just about anything.
Bob Raynor, the founder of The Magic Learning Center, reveals how to make a coin disappear: "The magician borrows a coin from a spectator, taking it with his right hand. He places the coin in his left hand. He places his right elbow on the table and rests his chin on his right fist. As he starts to rub the coin on his elbow he pretends to drop it on the table. He picks it up with his right hand and places it in his left. He again starts to rub his elbow and drops the coin. He picks up the coin with his right hand and pretends to put it in his left. Actually he secretly keeps it in his right hand. He again rubs the pretend coin on his right elbow but this time he takes his left hand away and the coin appears to have vanished. He then pretends to take the coin out of his ear."
Card magic is also fun and not hard to learn. It will baffle your guests and encourage conversation. - Household items can be used for party tricks.match box and matches image by Warren Millar from Fotolia.com
Mind tricks or thought-provoking games can promote conversation and break the ice. Ask your friends to solve a problem and see them work out the answer in their minds. For example, tell your guests that you have two coins that add up to 26 cents. One coin is not a penny. What are the two coins? When you show them a quarter and a penny the trick is revealed, but the discussion is the enjoyable part.
Set out 12 matches in a tic-tac-toe grid. Work together and move three matches to form three complete squares.
Drop 3 or 4 matches into a bottle with an opening a little bigger than a hard-boiled egg. Let the matches burn out. Place the egg in the opening and watch the egg get "sucked" into the bottle. A change in air pressure actually forces the egg into the bottle, but an explanation isn't necessary when presenting party tricks.
Party games range from whodunits that require guests to act as suspects in a crime to old-fashioned board games that can be played individually or in teams. - Novelties are fun for kids and adults.l??mpara de lava image by Vanesa Boullosa Lopez from Fotolia.com
Novelties can double as party favors and be part of a party's theme. Small lava lamps reflect the 70s. A rubber frog is a way to remember a swamp-themed party. Glow sticks and necklaces are typical party fare. Light-up drinking glasses or reusable ice cubes can lend some uniqueness to your party. Miniature sports balls are available, as well as stretch toys or removable tattoos. Joke items, toy animals or crafts are appropriate for kids and adults.
