Hilarious magic! Crowd-pleasing tricks perfect for parties and performances
Have you ever tried your hand at magic tricks—the crowd-pleasers that are so popular as party entertainment? Even when you know the secret behind a trick, you often need nimble fingers or tons of practice to really pull it off, right? So instead of tackling high-difficulty magic, why not try tricks that make people burst out laughing? We’ve gathered easy ideas—like tricks with simple secrets or ones that get laughs when you reveal how they’re done.
Master some magic that delivers both humor and surprise, and be sure to show it off!
Hilarious Magic! Crowd-Pleasing Tricks Perfect for Parties and Shows (1–10)
Magic where disappeared objects reappear
It’s a magic trick where the object that should have been placed in someone’s hand disappears when they open it, and then, with a bit of concentration, appears from the sky.
The key point is the big arm wave used as a signal—at the final wave, the performer places the object on top of the volunteer’s head.
By having them close their hand at the same time, it looks as if the object vanished from their palm, and then by changing the angle of the head, the performer reveals its “appearance.” People watching the whole scene are more likely to notice the secret, making it all the funnier as the target is the one who’s most surprised.
A magic trick where a bamboo skewer passes through a finger
It’s a magic trick that looks really painful: you stick your thumb up, wrap it in a handkerchief, and then push a bamboo skewer through it.
Since you let people touch and check the finger wrapped in the handkerchief, they’ll be genuinely shocked when they see the skewer piercing it.
The finger wrapped in the handkerchief is actually a fake thumb, and you switch it in during the step where you wrap the handkerchief, using one that was set up in the handkerchief from the start.
After that, you pull out the skewer, remove the handkerchief and the fake thumb, and show your real thumb, completely unharmed.
To heighten the surprise, it’s recommended to make a pained facial expression at the moment you “stab” it.
A handkerchief turns into an egg
This is a magic trick that captivates the audience with an unexpected twist: a handkerchief turns into an egg.
All you need is a toy egg and a handkerchief.
With the toy egg secretly palmed, hold out your hand and push the handkerchief into the clenched hand.
Make sure you’ve prepared the egg by making a hole in the back beforehand so the handkerchief can be tucked inside.
After adding a bit of showmanship—like blowing on your hand—produce the egg and you’re done.
Be careful not to show the hole on the back, or the secret will be revealed.
11-finger magic
It’s about counting the fingers on both hands to a song and discovering the surprising “fact” that there are 11 fingers.
Because the fingers are counted slowly and in order, it really feels as if the person has extra fingers.
The lyrics during the counting are the key point; if you listen closely to the song, you’ll notice that the eighth finger is skipped.
If you repeat it, the trick becomes obvious quickly, so it’s important to present the song in a way that doesn’t heighten attention too much, allowing people to fully experience the sense of mystery.
The Napoleons, famous for their magic
When you hear the word “magician,” many of you probably think of the Napoleons, don’t you? The Napoleons not only perform magic but also reveal the secrets, which makes them easy to learn from.
Another nice point is that many of their tricks can be done without any special techniques! For example, the trick where a scarf that was supposed to be placed in a glass appears to pass through the bottom is actually very simple—the glass is just turned upside down when another handkerchief is draped over it.
If you don’t have time to prepare a full-fledged magic act, why not check out some of the Napoleons’ videos for ideas?
Magic where a mask floats in midair
In recent years, we’ve had more chances to wear and carry masks, right? So I’d like to show you a magic trick using a mask.
All you need is one mask, a thin, nearly transparent thread, and some cellophane tape.
First, as preparation, tape one end of the thread to a wall and the other end near your face.
That way, the thread will be stretched from the wall to your face.
Next, slightly fold the mask and hook it onto the thread.
It will look as if the mask is floating.
If you don’t have a mask, you can substitute a banknote or something similar.
Chopsticks That Won’t Fall
The key to the floating chopsticks magic trick is to surprise people in two stages! First, for the initial reveal, support the wrist of the hand holding the chopsticks with your other hand, and when you let go of the chopsticks, secretly prop them up with the palm side.
Most people catch on to this, so reveal the method and move on.
For the second reveal, you let go with both hands, but the simple secret is that the chopsticks are actually supported by another pair fixed to your wrist.
Breaking it into two stages makes people anticipate the second round, right? It’s a great routine to hype up the crowd—give it a try!