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ADVENTURES

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The Craft of Magic

Pick a Card, Any Card!

Maybe you’ve played games like Go Fish, Rummy, or Slapjack with a deck of cards you have at home. Did you know you can use that very same deck to do some magic tricks? Today, you’re going to learn several card tricks and then you’ll pick a favorite that you can utilize in your own magic show.

DAY 2

what you’ll need

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        Ask About Today

        Have you ever built a building or some kind of creation with an uncommon material like you did with the cards today?

        Skip the Ads

        Unfortunately, online videos often start with short advertisements. Remind your campers to click the "Skip" button as soon as they can to move ahead to the video.

        explore

        45-60 minutes


        01

        The History of Card Magic

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        Card magic has been around for almost 500 hundred years! Even though it’s not the oldest form of magic, it is one of the most popular. Let’s learn a little more about how card magic came to be so prevalent today.

        Remember: Online videos often start with advertisements. Click "Skip" as soon as you can.

        02

        A Legendary Modern Card Magician

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        In 2018, Shin Lim wow’ed audiences all across the United States and won America’s Got Talent. This video compilation highlights all of his performances during his time on the show!

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        Scary Scenes

        Content alert: This video features desert animals hunting and eating other desert animals. Skip it if your camper is younger or more sensitive.

        03

        World's Best Card Trick?

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        A few years ago, magician Eric Chien won the International Federation of Magic Societies' world championship title. This award is considered equivalent to a gold medal at the Olympics! Check out this video and see if you can figure out how he did the trick!

        04

        3 Easy Beginner Card Tricks

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        Now that you’ve learned a little bit about the history of card magic and seen some of the best card magicians do some tricks, it’s time for you to learn some for yourself! Check out 3 easy tricks that anyone can learn how to do in just 15 minutes!

        create

        60-75 minutes

        01

        Home Is Where the Cards Are

        Since you’re getting to know about all the unique and magical ways you can use playing cards to keep yourself and others entertained, take those cards and try to build the tallest house possible. Will your house of cards have 4 levels? Maybe 5? Make sure to take your time!

        02

        Make a Magical Flyer

        Now that you’ve spent the last couple days learning some tricks, it’s important to get familiar with the vocabulary that you’ll typically hear at magic shows so you can sound like a real magician. Check out this article with some common magic phrases like “Abacadabra” or “Hocus Pocus” and spend some time creating a flyer advertising your magic show. Use the words and phrases to make your flyer pop and then hang the flyer up in your house!

        move

        15-30 minutes

        01

        Luck of the Draw

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        It’s time to break out your pack of cards and use them to get moving! Each suite (diamonds, spades, hearts, etc.) is going to correspond to a type of physical movement (push ups, sit-ups, squats, etc) and then the number will tell you how many of those movements you have to do. For example, if hearts mean jumping jacks, a 4 of hearts card would mean that you do 4 jumping jacks.

        Decide what movement or exercise should go with each type of card, shuffle the deck, pick a card, and get moving! Here’s a great example from the YMCA in Tampa.

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