Wanted: Magic so cool a dog can do it!

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Umpa Duze
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Wanted: Magic so cool a dog can do it!

Postby Umpa Duze » October 2nd, 2010, 1:06 am

Hi All,
I have been performing some school shows and this year the theme is Math magic. I recently incorporated a wonderful English sheep dog puppet.

I have been able to give "Einstein" a fun personality and the kids have responded wonderfully. However, I have been struggling to have Einstein do some sort of math magic that K-3 kids will enjoy. When I am working the puppet, my right hand is free,(Einstein can hold things in his mouth)and I can leave Einstein sitting up in his basket in order to do something at the beginning that requires me to use both hands. I would sure appreciate any suggestions regarding suitable tricks that would illustrate some aspect of addition or subtraction, or number sense.

Thanks for taking the time to read this post.

Umpa
Cheers,
Umpa Duze

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Bob Cunningham
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Re: Wanted: Magic so cool a dog can do it!

Postby Bob Cunningham » October 2nd, 2010, 3:05 am

For that age I would think that that a six card repeat (or six bill repeat) with the magician becoming increasingly frustrated because the math is not working out would be both funny and educational. The kids could count out load with you.

I know that only having only one hand free would make this a challenge, but you should be able to solve that problem with out too much difficulty.

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degrisy
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Re: Wanted: Magic so cool a dog can do it!

Postby degrisy » October 2nd, 2010, 9:25 pm

I would consider the eleven card trick (Paul Harris) or the Homing Card (Fred Kaps)
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Umpa Duze
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Re: Wanted: Magic so cool a dog can do it!

Postby Umpa Duze » October 3rd, 2010, 1:55 am

Hi All,
I considered a six bill repeat for this show but, I am not sure how to perform it with one hand inside the dog?
Cheers,

Umpa Duze

Bill Duncan
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Re: Wanted: Magic so cool a dog can do it!

Postby Bill Duncan » October 3rd, 2010, 2:07 am

Can we assume you're already having the dog do a Magic Square?

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Re: Wanted: Magic so cool a dog can do it!

Postby Frank Yuen » October 3rd, 2010, 2:08 am

Two in the mouth (dog's), one in the pocket with sponge balls illustrating the "new math".

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Spellbinder
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Re: Wanted: Magic so cool a dog can do it!

Postby Spellbinder » October 4th, 2010, 6:56 am

Wiz Kid Qua-Fiki has the English Sheepdog puppet, which he uses for his "Wonder Dog" act as part of his "Super Hero Magic." In his act, he has the dog eat various items by having cut a slit in the back of its mough and just pulling the stuff into its mouth with his inside hand.

This might be a way to do the six card or six bill repeat... the dog just eats the cards or the bills. With a sponge ball routine, the dog can both take (eat) and put (regurgitate).

Qua-Fiki's Mind Reading Chicken uses its mouth to hold a dry erase marker to write predictions on a Citation whiteboard. You can skip the Citation whiteboard, but using an ordinary whiteboard or chalkboard for math might be something you'd want to consider. For example, in The Wizards' Journal #1, there's an effect called "Fancy Arithmancy" where you give a kid a calculator and you show him that the dog can add up numbers faster than a person with a calculator, writing the answer on the chalkboard.
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Bob Cunningham
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Re: Wanted: Magic so cool a dog can do it!

Postby Bob Cunningham » October 4th, 2010, 7:23 am

"I considered a six bill repeat for this show but, I am not sure how to perform it with one hand inside the dog?"

If you use a six card repeat using the method where groups of 4 cards are grouped together w/ two 1 inch strips of rubber cement then the counting can be done one handed. You can also break the groups of 4 with one hand.

You would need something to put the cards on to as you count them. Perhaps the the dog's mouth, or a clear piece Plexiglas held by one of the kids over their head (so they can not touch it).

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Spellbinder
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Re: Wanted: Magic so cool a dog can do it!

Postby Spellbinder » October 9th, 2010, 4:18 am

It might be more suitable to do the "six dog biscuit repeat." You could cut out cards in the shape of dog bone biscuits and use the Ed Marlo variation in which you get rid of only one dog biscuit at a time instead of three, except the dog is the one that gets rid of it by "eating" it as suggested above.

Wiz Kid Qua-Fiki showed me how to do the repeat using only four cards with the Ed Marlo variation instead of six cards in his "Sharkey and the Gang" routine from his book "Go Fish Card Tricks." The advantage to using 4 cards is that it is easier to handle and shorter in duration.
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Umpa Duze
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Re: Wanted: Magic so cool a dog can do it!

Postby Umpa Duze » October 11th, 2010, 3:50 am

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I am working on the six bill repeat to see if I can produce a good engaging effect for the kids. I am also waiting for Super Sharpie with the possibility that two kids think of a number, the dog writes his prediction when the kids reveal their numbers one of the helpers writes them on a chalk board and adds them together hopefully they match the prediction!

Thanks again for your generous help.
Cheers,

Umpa Duze

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GregMcMahan
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Re: Wanted: Magic so cool a dog can do it!

Postby GregMcMahan » December 9th, 2010, 8:56 am

I use a Rocky raccoon spring animal puppet in my shows, and one of his routines is a card trick.

Card chosen, returned to deck. Deck dropped in paper bag, shaken (not stirred). Rocky lowers a rope in the bag, wiggles it around a bit, then pulls up the chosen card with the rope tied around it (like a lasso). I'm sure this could be adapted to a dog puppet and a math themed show.
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