At school events or gatherings with friends, you might feel stuck when someone says, “Show us a party trick!” But don’t worry! There are plenty of simple acts that even elementary schoolers can do, like magic tricks using everyday items, playing the recorder you learned in class, or traditional skills like string figures and spinning tops.
Here, we’ll introduce lots of easy tricks that will wow everyone with just a little practice.
We’ve gathered a wide range—from things you can try with friends to quick solo acts—so find the one that suits you best!
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Instant Magic! Telekinetic Chopsticks
Let me show you some simple magic tricks you can do with disposable chopsticks at a banquet hall.
By threading the chopsticks through a loop formed by your fingers, you can imbue them with “telekinetic power” so they appear to move without being touched.
First, cross a pair of Japanese disposable chopsticks and rub near the base with your right hand; the vibration grows stronger toward the tips, making the chopstick in your left hand hop up and down.
Another trick is to place the crossed chopsticks on a table and make them “move” with telekinesis.
In this one, you draw the audience’s gaze to the hand supposedly channeling power, while in reality you secretly blow on the chopsticks to make them move.
Elementary school kids’ manzai comedy! Five in a row
How about a strategy where you rattle off a bunch of not-so-funny, elementary-school-level gags to chill the mood or sober people up? Even things that aren’t funny can have meaning.
The moment you realize not everything has to land, your mindset starts to shift positively.
And if the gags themselves don’t get a laugh, you can tie it all together by saying, “Did that help sober anyone up? Did it make things feel a bit cooler?”—and just like that, your corny jokes take on a purpose.
Once you get the hang of it, it’s easy! Plate spinning
Although it seems difficult at first, plate spinning is surprisingly doable with a little practice, and it really has that party-trick feel—highly recommended.
Choose plates that are durable and have a base.
Hook the stick onto the rim of the base, keep the stick straight, and spin it quickly; it’s easier than you’d think.
Once you can spin one by yourself, try exchanging spinning plates with a few people.
If you get really good, you might find yourself always keeping a plate-spinning plate tucked in your bag.
Fun, isn’t it?
No rehearsal party trick!
When it comes to party tricks, it often happens that someone says, “Hey, let’s try something right now!” on the spur of the moment.
For times like that, I recommend no-practice-required hidden talents.
There are a few, but to give some examples: a game where you guess what object is being held between someone’s butt cheeks, and qigong tricks.
As you might guess, with qigong, the technique that matters is not the person supposedly doing it, but the person it’s being done to.
If someone “hits you with qigong,” try dramatically flying backward or spinning around.
It’s guaranteed to get laughs.
Ensemble of plastic bottle shakers
Let’s try performing with handmade instruments made from plastic bottles! The sound changes depending on the thickness and shape of the bottle and what you put inside, so experiment with different ideas as you make them.
Once your instrument is ready, start tapping out rhythms along with a song right away! The pitch will likely vary depending on the instrument, so try arranging the order in which you play them.
I think choosing a simple melody works well, but if you boldly pick a popular song everyone loves, it might get the crowd even more excited.
Challenge the ‘Jugemu’ tongue twister!
A classic staple among opening acts in rakugo! The tongue twister “Jugemu” is famous, and it’s surprising to learn it’s actually a person’s name.
The story goes that when auspicious words wishing for a long life were strung together, it ended up this long.
For elementary school kids, it may seem like a confusing string of words and feel difficult, but there are some funny phrases along the way, and near the end it finally sounds like a real name with “Chosuke.” If you can say it, that’s amazing! You’ll definitely get praised, so don’t give up—practice and wow everyone.
A tube-ken like a kendama!
When it comes to traditional Japanese toys, there’s kendama, but it requires equipment and you have to carry it around with you.
I’m not sure how it came to be, but there’s a game called “tsutsuken” that you can play like kendama using just a simple tube and a ball that’s a bit too big to fit entirely inside the tube.
For the tube, you could even use something like the container from tube-shaped potato chips.
It’s easy to get started, so practice regularly and be sure to show it off in front of everyone!
Double Dutch with two ropes
Double Dutch, which uses two ropes, has a different kind of dynamism from regular jump rope and really gets everyone excited! The turners swing each rope from the left and right, and the jumper goes in between, jumps, exits, and can even add tricks.
When entering, keep the rhythm as if you’re reaching to catch the rope, and step into the center between the ropes.
Jump lightly, just like with regular long-rope jumping.
When exiting, if you’ve jumped an odd number of times, exit diagonally opposite from where you entered; if you’ve jumped an even number of times, exit on the same side you entered.
Practice well while being careful not to get injured, and show off your skills!
My First Diabolo
Why not try diabolo, a form of juggling? From a beginner’s perspective, it’s amazing how the string doesn’t get tangled, but the instructions explain the practice method clearly, so use them as a guide and give it a try.
We’ll start with the basic steps—how to spin the diabolo.
To perform diabolo tricks, you need to spin the spool steadily and keep it going.
This basic step is very important, so be sure to master it.
Once you do, it will become a hidden talent that’s useful in any situation.
Lifting Play Song
“Lifting Play Song” is a song you can play with while doing keep-ups as you sing.
It was born from an idea introduced in Hirotaka Nakagawa’s radio program ‘Visible Radio!’ in the popular segment ‘Everyone’s Hidden Talents.’ This song is a play song where you move your body to the music and lightly use your feet and body together like doing keep-ups.
But how about actually trying real keep-ups with this song? You can enjoy it with friends and family.
Be sure to use it to liven up events or school performances!
