Simple magic tricks that delight kids: surprising to watch and make you want to try them yourself.
I’ve gathered a bunch of kid-pleasing magic tricks that are perfect for a quick performance! Children in kindergartens, daycare centers, and elementary schools all love magic.
Some kids watch intently, some want to know the secret, and others are so amazed they ask you to do it again—there are all kinds of reactions.
In this article, assuming the goal is to delight children, I’ll introduce a variety of tricks—from ones that are truly simple and over in a flash to those that require a bit of setup.
Master them and be sure to perform them in front of the kids!
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Easy magic tricks kids will love: surprising to watch and fun to try (31–40)
The answer is always 3!? A mysterious calculation
Have the audience think of a favorite number, then follow your instructions to calculate.
First, add 1 to the number they thought of.
Next, double that result and then add 4.
After that, divide by 2, and finally subtract the original number they thought of… Did the answer come out to 3? With this curious calculation, no matter what number they start with, if they follow the steps correctly, they will always end up with 3.
Since the audience likely doesn’t know it will be 3, reveal that you had predicted the number after they get their answer to amaze them.
Magic Circle Magic
It’s a magic trick where you instantly break down a number suggested by the audience and write it out.
For example, if the number is 35, you split it into four numbers like “7, 2, 17, 9” or “12, 14, 3, 6.” Anyone can do it if they think about it, but producing it in an instant is the impressive part.
What’s more, you write out four such groups of numbers, and no matter how you add them—by rows, columns, diagonals, the four corners, or the center number—they always total 35.
To pull off this trick, you need to memorize a base set of numbers.
Conversely, once you memorize that, you can instantly break down any number they give you!
A magic trick where an empty can is restored
This is a really mysterious magic trick where a finished, empty can of soda seems to refill itself.
It looks very magical and dreamy, but it cleverly takes advantage of how carbonation works.
You poke a hole in the can, drain out half the soda, and seal it with tape.
Then you stick a piece of black paper over the opening to make it look like the tab is open, and simply shake it—carbonation expands the can from the inside.
Because it’s based on science, it’s perfect to perform in front of children.
Guess your favorite character
Write “I’ll guess your favorite character” on a piece of paper, then write the names of other characters on several more pieces and shuffle them.
The trick is that you’ll draw the paper with your favorite character’s name! The secret is very simple: while pretending to write different character names, you actually write the same character—the one you said first—on every slip.
That way, no matter which paper you draw, you’ll get it right.
It’s a bit of a sneaky magic trick, but it should work on kids!
A pen fits through the hole in a 5-yen coin.
The hole in a five-yen coin is very small, right? There’s no way a pen could pass through it! But with the right presentation, magic makes the impossible seem possible.
So how do you make it look like a pen is passing through a five-yen coin? Let’s reveal the secret.
You’ll need a large plastic bottle, a pen, a five-yen coin, and a toilet paper roll core.
Place the five-yen coin on the mouth of the bottle.
Then cover it with the toilet paper roll and insert the pen from the top.
When you do this, the five-yen coin on the bottle’s mouth rotates just right, allowing the pen to pass through.
It’s a trick where the five-yen coin acts like a revolving door, letting the pen slip through.
Easy magic tricks that delight kids: surprising to watch and fun to try (41–50)
Coin Passing Through the Bottom of a Glass
Among magic tricks, this is a classic penetration effect.
Here, a coin appears to pass through the bottom of a sturdy glass.
But there’s no gimmick in either the glass or the coin! In fact, when you tap the coin against the bottom of the glass, you subtly float the coin upward a bit, then scoop it into the glass, making it look like it has penetrated.
Practice how quickly you can scoop the coin into the glass.
When done well, it truly looks like the coin passes through.
It’s a surefire trick that will have kids begging, “Do it again!”
Vanishing tissue
It’s a vanishing magic trick where a tissue you were holding suddenly disappears! All you need is a tissue, so it’s an easy trick you can do anywhere.
The secret is that by the time you pretend to tear off the part of the tissue sticking out of your hand, it’s already been torn, and while you appear to be pushing the tissue into your hand, you’re actually taking it out.
As the video explains, if you perform this trick alongside someone else following the same steps, they’ll get an even stronger sense of mystery—“Mine didn’t disappear, so why did yours?”—making it a fun, slightly different way to enjoy the trick!