Abra-Kid-Abra Blog

Math for the Holidays!

tmoore — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 06:07:01 +0000

First, download the math quiz to use for your performance and then make sure to check out this comical trick!

What’s Special About This Holiday Poem?

tmoore — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 06:06:27 +0000

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Read this holiday poem and see if you can figure out what is unique about the structure of it.

The first word of each of the 7 lines repeats the title, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. In addition, this title is repeated diagonally! I.e. Merry (line 1, 2nd word) Christmas (line 2, 3rd word) and (3rd line, 4th word)… Can you believe that someone could construct a poem that does all this? He’s a lot smarter than I!

Baking for the Holidays

jlefton — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 17:33:11 +0000

Sugar is a popular ingredient around the holidays for baking. “Sugar” is also 1 of 2 words in the English language where the “s” is pronounced like “sh”. Can you name the other?

Sure

Circus Trick More Amazing Than a Trapeze Artist!

tmoore — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 17:25:45 +0000

This trick involves a circus story and a bit of math! First view the presentation of the trick and get the story down.

After this trick has left you befuddled and confused, make sure you catch the explanation of how this trick is done and see the math behind the trick. Then feel free to perform and amaze your friends and family this holiday season. Enjoy!

Pick 2, Eliminate 1

tmoore — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 17:57:43 +0000

This trick, just in time for Halloween, will leave audiences as if they just saw a ghost in amazement!

Check out Pick 2, Eliminate 1 to see this treat of a trick in action.

Want to learn the secret behind the trick? Find out how it’s done!

This trick can be done by simply following a few rules. Check out the explanation of the trick with this video.

A Ghoul-ishly Great Gag Trick!

tmoore — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:27:53 +0000

This Halloween themed trick will leave your audiences howling! Challenge: Can you place 5 ghosts on top of 2 books so that each book has an odd number of ghosts on it?

For this gag trick, you will need two books and five ghost images. Feel free to use the attached PDF of ghost images to print and cut out for the trick.

Can you figure it out? Click below to see how it’s done!

Set three ghosts on top of one book and two on top of the other, then place the book with three ghosts on it on top of the other book. Now one book has three ghosts on it (the one on top) and the other has five ghosts (and another book!).

Try this gag trick on audiences. But just a warning: this may leave them cackling like a witch!!

Math Based Magic Trick

tmoore — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 12:44:16 +0000

School is back in session; it’s time to sharpen those pencils and sharped that brain! This math based magic trick incorporates addition, subtraction, multiplication and division to amaze your audience.

Magic Crossword Puzzle: Opposites

tmoore — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:44:54 +0000

Sharpen your skills and wake up that brain from its summer slumber in time to go back to school. Try out this crossword puzzle of opposites!

Shrink, wither
Green (e.g. banana)
Shut
Came

Fill in opposites to the above clues. Can you wind up with 4 words both horizontally & vertically?

Spell-A-Card

jlefton — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 22:29:39 +0000

What if you could spell the name of a thought of card and arrive at that card? That this trick works for any named card amazes me! Sound intriguing? Watch this.

Telephone Magic

jlefton — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 21:13:04 +0000

Not many tricks can be done over the phone. This is one!

You and your friend alternate turns, each selecting a number from 1-9. The object of the game is to be the first to have 3 of your numbers total 15. You have a secret strategy that lets you win much of the time. Your secret strategy: You have the below diagram to guide you. The diagram is called a magic square. Notice that each row, column, and diagonal totals 15. Unknown to the player on the other side of the phone, you are playing tic tac toe! Circle your selections and put a square around your friend’s. If you can be the first to tic tac toe, you will win.