Magic tricks with balls: recommended tricks for parties and performances
Why not try your hand at ball magic?
From classic tricks like vanishing, multiplying, and transposing, to effects where another object transforms into a ball or the ball’s color changes in an instant, this article introduces a variety of ball magic.
We also cover the secrets, of course, along with tips on presentation, so if you’re interested in performing ball magic, be sure to use this as a reference.
Some tricks can even be performed without special magic balls, using only items you have on hand.
Take this opportunity to learn a few and show them off at parties or events!
Magic with balls. Recommended tricks for parties and performances (1–10)
Floating ball magic
This is a magic trick that makes a crystal ball appear to float between your palms.
You support the sphere with your ring finger and thumb while spreading both hands wide to make it look like the ball is hovering.
The key is to position and orient your hands so they stay behind the ball and to train yourself so your fingers don’t tremble.
You can try it with something large like a crystal ball, or practice with a lightweight color ball.
Once you understand the trick it may seem simple, but when you actually perform it, it requires finger strength and smooth movements, making it a deceptively deep magic routine.
Magic where a ball disappears from a box
It’s a simple magic trick that surprises everyone: a ball placed inside a box vanishes.
You open the lid so the ball inside the box is visible, then take the ball out once.
After putting the ball back into the box and opening the lid again, the ball has disappeared.
The secret is that the bottom of the box is designed to open and close, and when you close the lid, you let the ball drop through a hole.
Once you release your hand, the bottom is covered, so from the audience’s perspective, it looks like the ball has vanished.
Pay attention to the motion of pulling the box toward you as you practice.
Magic where a ball goes into a glass
This is a magic trick where the positions of a glass and a ball inside a box change.
After placing the glass and the ball side by side and setting them in the box, cover the box with paper so it can’t be seen.
When you remove the cover, the ball is now inside the glass.
It looks as if the ball moved just by closing and opening the box.
The trick is to attach nylon fishing line to the ball and move the ball at the same moment you open the box.
Secure the end of the fishing line with something like a playing card and conceal it inside your clothing.
Practice while paying attention to the nylon’s movement that guides the ball into the glass.
A magic trick where a cube transforms into a ball
This is a magic trick where a square cube turns into a ball when placed in a box.
Try this trick to enjoy the visual surprise of the cube suddenly disappearing once it’s inside the box.
Prepare a box sized to fit the cube and a ball.
The secret is to pre-load the ball inside the cube; when you slide it inside the box, only the ball comes out.
By making the cube to match the box’s size, you can convincingly show that there’s nothing inside the box.
It’s a great trick for beginners who will be curious to learn where the cube actually disappeared to.
A magic trick where a ball comes out of a cup
A magic trick where a ball appears from the middle cup of three lined up.
Why not try this easy trick that only requires tissue paper and paper cups? Roll up some tissue paper to make a ball, line up three paper cups, and place one ball on top of a cup.
Stack the other cups, say a magic phrase like “abracadabra,” and the ball that was on top will appear from underneath the cup.
The trick is simple: beforehand, place a ball inside the middle cup.
Since there’s already a ball inside and another on top, it’s great for performing repeatedly.
Magic of moving tissue balls
This is a magic trick where tissue paper balls placed in four spots move freely at your command.
All you need is tissue, so it’s easy to perform anywhere.
Take three tissues, fold them in half, and roll them into balls—then you’re ready.
Place the balls in four positions and repeatedly move your hands over them.
Even though you’re just overlapping your palms, the way the balls seem to move one after another will surprise your audience.
The secret is to keep a ball hidden in your palm beforehand, then place or reveal a ball at the same time you cover it with your hand.
Smooth, natural movements are key so the ball hidden in your palm isn’t seen.
A magic trick where the order of the balls changes
It’s a magic trick where the order of balls placed inside a tube changes.
It’s simple yet astonishing, making it great for children’s events or preschool performances.
You place balls into a tube covered with thick paper or construction paper in a certain order, and when you remove the paper, the order of the balls inside the tube has changed.
The trick is to set up a net at the top of the paper and preload the balls so the order can be switched.
Try drawing illustrations on the tube in the intended order so you can explain the sequence as you perform the trick.