Printable magic trick cards

🪙 The Coin Fold

Conjurer · 15 minutes · ages 7 to 12

You need: coin, square of paper

1. Put the coin right in the middle of the square of paper.
2. Fold the bottom edge up over the coin, stopping half an inch short of the top.
3. Fold the left and right sides round to the back.
4. Fold the top flap back as well.

…and 3 more on peabody.kids/magic/coin-in-paper-vanish

Say: “This is magic paper. It's hungry, and what it likes best is money. Can you feel the coin? Still there? Good. Watch this.”

⭕ The Impossible Hole

Apprentice · 5 minutes · ages 6 to 11

You need: paper, dime, quarter, scissors

1. Draw round the dime in the middle of the paper.
2. A grown-up cuts the little circle out with the scissors.
3. Hand the quarter over and ask them to push it through the hole.
4. Take it back.

…and 2 more on peabody.kids/magic/coin-through-small-hole-trick

Say: “It's not the size of the hole that matters. It's the size of your imagination. Go on, have a go. No tearing!”

😄 The Forehead Coin

Apprentice · 2 minutes · ages 5 to 10

You need: coin

1. Tell your friend you're going to test their forehead muscles.
2. Press the coin firmly onto their forehead and count to ten out loud.
3. Take your hand away with the coin still in it, and slide it into your pocket.
4. Say: now wiggle it off, just with your eyebrows.

…and 1 more on peabody.kids/magic/forehead-coin-trick

Say: “Right. This is a serious scientific test of forehead strength. Hold still. Ready… set… wiggle!”

🤔 Which Hand?

Apprentice · 5 minutes · ages 6 to 11

You need: coin

1. Turn away and ask your friend to hide the coin in one hand, behind their back.
2. Ask them to hold that hand up by their head and think "here it is" while you count to thirty.
3. Ask them to put both fists out in front, then turn round and look.
4. Watch their eyes first.

…and 2 more on peabody.kids/magic/which-hand-coin-trick

Say: “Coins are warm, and minds are loud. Think about where it is. Think hard. Don't tell me… I can hear that coin thinking.”

💨 The Vanishing Coin

Wizard · 3 to 5 days · ages 8 to 13

You need: coin

1. Hold the coin between the thumb and fingers of your right hand, up where everyone sees it.
2. Bring your left hand over as if to take the coin from underneath.
3. As your left hand covers it, let the coin drop into the curl of your right fingers.
4. Close your left hand as if the coin is in it, and move it away.

…and 2 more on peabody.kids/magic/vanishing-coin-trick

Say: “One coin. Nothing special about it, you can look. Into this hand. Now, the tricky bit is that coins don't actually like being held, so if I just... blow... there. Gone. Don't ask me where, I've never found out.”

💪 The Elbow Vanish

Conjurer · 15 minutes · ages 7 to 12

You need: coin

1. Rub the coin into your elbow and let it drop on the table.
2. Pick the coin up with your other hand, pass it back, and try again.
3. Drop the coin again.
4. Pick it up with the other hand and reach for your elbow, dropping the coin down your collar.

…and 1 more on peabody.kids/magic/elbow-vanish-trick

Say: “Right. Everybody knows you can rub a coin into your elbow, yes? No? Well, you can. It's just quite hard. Watch. ...Hang on. Let me try that again.”

👂 The Coin From Behind Your Ear

Wizard · 2 to 4 days · ages 8 to 13

You need: coin

1. Rest the coin in the curl of your fingers, halfway down, and let your hand hang naturally.
2. Show your other hand empty, front and back, and keep talking.
3. Reach behind their ear with the hand holding the coin.
4. Straighten your fingers so the coin comes to your fingertips, and bring it out.

…and 1 more on peabody.kids/magic/coin-from-ear-trick

Say: “Hold still. You've got something back there. No, don't touch it, I'll get it. How long has that been there? You should really check more often.”

🥛 The Glass Vanish

Conjurer · 15 minutes · ages 7 to 12

You need: coin, glass, napkin

1. Put the coin on the table and stand the glass upside down over it.
2. Cover the glass with the napkin and press it down so it takes the shape.
3. Say you will make the coin vanish.
4. Put them back, slide them towards you, and let the glass drop into your lap.

…and 1 more on peabody.kids/magic/glass-vanish-trick

Say: “Watch the coin. Keep watching the coin. Whatever happens, do not take your eyes off the coin. ...You weren't watching the glass, were you.”

🪙 The Heads or Tails Mind Reader

Conjurer · 10 minutes · ages 7 to 12

You need: coin

1. Spread six six coins on the table and count how many are heads up.
2. Turn your back and ask them to flip any coins they like, saying "flip" each time.
3. Count their flips in your head.
4. Ask them to cover one six coins with a hand, then turn round.

…and 1 more on peabody.kids/magic/heads-or-tails-mind-reader-trick

Say: “I can't see a thing, I promise. Flip as many as you want, I'm only listening. Now put your hand over one. ...It's tails, isn't it. I could hear it being tails.”

🪙 The Two-Coin Jump

Wizard · 3 to 5 days · ages 10 to 13

You need: quarter

1. Sit at a table and lay both hands palm up, a little apart.
2. Put two quarters on your palms, one each: the left near your fingers, the right near your thumb.
3. Say: watch both coins.
4. Flip both hands over fast and slap them down on the table together.

…and 4 more on peabody.kids/magic/two-coin-jump-trick

Say: “These two coins are best friends. They hate being apart. Even when I keep them in different hands… they find each other.”

🪙 The Warm Coin

Apprentice · 5 minutes · ages 6 to 10

You need: coin, cup

1. Put five coins in the cup.
2. Turn your back and ask your friend to take out any coin they like.
3. Ask them to squeeze it tight in a fist and think about it while you count slowly to thirty.
4. Ask them to drop it back in the cup and give the cup a shake.

…and 2 more on peabody.kids/magic/warm-coin-trick

Say: “Coins remember who held them. Squeeze your thoughts right into it… Now let me feel which one is still thinking about you.”

🪙 The Flying Coin

Conjurer · 20 minutes · ages 8 to 13

You need: coin

1. Lay one coin in each palm and close your hands, palms up.
2. Ask a friend to balance one more coin on the nail of each middle finger.
3. Say you will throw one coin from one hand to the other, which is very hard with closed hands.
4. Jerk both hands up and open them, and let the left hand catch its nail coin into the palm.

…and 4 more on peabody.kids/magic/flying-coin-trick

Say: “Coins can fly, you know, but only a little way, and only if nobody watches them take off. Ready? …Oops. Ready again?”

🪙 Odd or Even

Apprentice · 5 minutes · ages 7 to 11

You need: coin, cup

1. Split ten coins into two piles: some for your friend and some for you.
2. Turn away while your friend drops some of theirs into the cup, counting in secret.
3. Turn back and say: "Odd or even, whatever you put in, I'll turn it into the other."
4. Drop in some of yours one at a time, counting to yourself: always one, three or five.

…and 2 more on peabody.kids/magic/odd-or-even-coin-trick

Say: “Numbers have moods: some are odd and some are even. I can change a number's mood without ever knowing what the number is.”

🪙 The Ten Coin Jump

Conjurer · 10 minutes · ages 8 to 13

You need: coin

1. Lay ten coins in a straight row, a finger's width apart.
2. Set the challenge: five piles of two, and each move jumps one coin over exactly two others.
3. Let your friend try for a while.
4. Then show them.

…and 3 more on peabody.kids/magic/ten-coin-jump-trick

Say: “Ten coins, five piles, one rule: jump exactly two. I'll give you a minute… No? Watch closely, then.”