Magic Compass

Join Magician Ryan Oakes for some School Magic that will challenge your sense of direction! Master the Magic Compass trick and you'll keep your friends guessing which way is up!

A piece of cardboard
A marker
A pair of scissors

SOMETIMES WE USE MATERIALS THAT REQUIRE ADULT SUPERVISION…LIKE SCISSORS SO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE FRIENDS AND FAMILY AROUND WHENEVER YOU DO MAGIC TRICKS!

1. To prepare, cut out a perfectly square piece of cardboard with the help of an adult.
2. With your marker, draw an arrow on both sides of the square. Draw the arrow on the first side pointing up and away from you.
3. Flip the square over and from right to left draw an arrow on the opposite side pointing to the right. Try to make it look exactly like the first arrow. Now you should have an arrow pointing right on one side and an arrow pointing up on the other side.
4. To perform the trick, hold the square up for your audience so they can see the side with the arrow pointing up. Hold it at your top right and bottom left corners. Remember what they’re seeing as you’ll be seeing it differently.
5. Flip the square forward in your hands, downward diagonally from your left to right. Because of how you’re holding it and how the arrows are drawn, the arrow will appear to be always pointing up on both sides.
6. Now hold the square by your top left and bottom right corners, snapping your fingers in one hand as you reposition them.
7. Flip the square forward once, diagonally from your right to your left. Now it will look like one arrow was pointing up and the other now facing the audience is pointing down. Again, this will work because of their positioning and how you hold and flip the square.
8. Reposition your hands again, going back to holding your top right and bottom left corners.
9. Flip the square forward diagonally from your left to your right again. Now the arrow will appear to be always pointing down.
10. Move your left hand to its top corner again and your right hand back down to the bottom corner. Snap your right fingers as you do this.
11. Rotate the square forward once from right to left. Now the arrow facing the audience is pointing up again, surprising your audience.
12. Rotate the square forward again and the arrow will now point down for the audience. Start to act confused like you don’t know why the arrows aren’t both pointing the same way again.
13. When the arrow facing your audience is pointing down again, move your right hand to hold the top of the square and your left hand to hold the bottom.
14. Rotate the card 180 degrees so that the front arrow now points up.
15. Grab the bottom right and top left corner again and rotate forward from your right to left. Now the arrow facing the audience points down again.
16. Repeat step 14 and 15 again two or three more times, acting like you’re really confused and trying to “fix” the arrows.
17. Hold the square again at the top and bottom. This time, flip it horizontally from your left to your right. Now the arrow facing the audience will point to your right.
18. For the big finale, hold the square one last time at the top right and bottom left corners. Flip it forward diagonally from your left to your right. The arrow should point from left to right and back to your audience. This routine will take some practice but that’s all there is to it!