Magic tricks with paper

About these tricks

Paper is the most useful thing in the shop. It hides a coin in a fold, holds a prediction in an envelope, becomes six secret number cards, links two paperclips by itself, and, cut the right way, makes a hole big enough to step through. Most of these need one sheet of plain paper and a pencil, and nothing else.

The cutting tricks use scissors on paper only, and those steps say to ask a grown-up. The prediction tricks are the gentlest place to start, because the paper does the work and the magician only has to keep a straight face. Hand the paper round afterwards so people can check it: that is half the fun.

By level, 11 Apprentice (works the first try) and 10 Conjurer (a little practice). They come off 6 shelves of the shop, most from The Mind Reader's Corner (8) and The Potion Lab (5). What you need most often: paper (21), a pencil (6), kitchen things (4). 2 tricks have a step a grown-up does (something hot or a bright light), and 4 tricks carry the choking note for brothers and sisters under 4. The quickest to learn is The Hole in Your Hand (1 minute); the longest is The Instant Magic Square (20 minutes).