Sesame Street Magical Halloween Adventure is a beloved Halloween special that aired in 1988. This 30-minute program features the popular Sesame Street characters, including Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, and Elmo, as they embark on a magical adventure on Halloween night. In this special, the Sesame Street gang decides to celebrate Halloween by going on a trick-or-treating adventure. They dress up in costumes and head out into the neighborhood to collect candy. Along the way, they encounter various spooky characters, such as a ghost, a vampire, and a mummy. As the night progresses, the gang finds themselves in a haunted house.
As the night progresses, the gang finds themselves in a haunted house. Inside, they encounter many surprises and even a talking pumpkin named Jack. Jack informs them that they need to find seven magical pumpkins to escape from the haunted house.
How to Perform Magic: 8 Tricks for Beginners
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Madeleine Flamiano. Madeleine Flamiano is an Editing Fellow at wikiHow based in Berkeley, California, as well as a Team Organizer, Copy Editor, and Movie Critic for Incluvie. Madeleine has 12 years of experience in literacy advocacy and the creative arts that span tutoring, teaching, writing, public relations, and non-profit support. She has penned seven novels under a pseudonym and loves all escapist genres, from cozy fantasies to hard-boiled sci-fi. Her professional path started at NaNoWriMo, where she scripted and hosted a series on worldbuilding. Madeleine graduated from Mills College with a B.A. in English with a concentration in Literature and a Minor in Philosophy.
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Many magicians devote their entire lives to mastering the art of illusion, but you don't have to go to such great lengths to impress your friends and family. With the right know-how and a little practice, you can easily learn to perform a number of jaw-dropping tricks that are guaranteed to leave onlookers in awe! Start by perfecting a few simple beginner tricks, like making a pencil float in the palm of your hand or passing a cup through a solid tabletop. Then, work your way up to more difficult tricks, such as making a coin disappear and levitating. Read on to keep your audience spellbound with your repertoire of tricks!
Things You Should Know- Start with a simple coin trick to get a “handle” on magic, then work on other simple tricks like bending a spoon or making a pencil float.
- Make clever comments to amuse and distract onlookers. For example, as you rub a coin into your arm, say that your doctor told you to “get more iron.”
- Try a more challenging trick, like pretending to levitate, so you can entertain others and leave them wondering how you did it.
Simple Tricks for Beginners
- You can perform this trick using any type of coin, as long as it's big enough to grip between your fingers and your palm.
- Make a show of pushing or rolling up your shirtsleeves, which provides a visual distraction that makes the “transfer” look less suspicious.
- Try out this trick on your friends and family the next time you go out for dinner.
- Sit or stand facing your audience when performing this trick. If someone is watching from the side, they may be able to see what you're doing. [3] X Research source
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You can carry out this trick either from the side or from a top-down perspective, so long as the inside of your hand isn't visible to your audience. [5] X Research source
- Take care not to accidentally cut all the way through the paper, or to tear it while you're picking it up. If you do, you'll end up losing your own bet!
- Though it may seem like genuine magic, this trick has a simple explanation: cutting the strips in such a careful way rearranges the surface area of the paper so that it's essentially one big circle. [7] X Research source
- Play up your “mistake” by saying something like, “Oh no! I think I hit it a little too hard. The cup went right through the table! I guess I used too much magic there.”
- The key to this trick is to let the cup fall quickly and quietly into your lap without your audience noticing it. Make it look like you're reaching all the way down to the floor when you go to retrieve it.
- Keep your hands close to the straw at all times. If they get too far away, the static charge will be too faint to continue moving it.
- If possible, perform the setup for this trick while your audience is absent or distracted (such as when your dining companion excuses themselves to go to the restroom).
Making Yourself Levitate
- To avoid drawing any suspicion, try slowly pacing back and forth while setting up the trick. Then, stop and get into position after your final turn. This will make it seem like you ended up in your stance by chance.
- This trick works best when performed in front of an audience that's standing still so they won't be able to move around and get a better look at your feet.
- If you want, you can go as far as to throw in a couple “failed” attempts to lend an element of realism to the trick.
- For added effect, wave your arms around like you're trying to maintain your center of gravity. [13] X Research source
- If you get good enough at finding exactly the right stance and foot placement, this trick will make even the most skeptical member of your audience question whether they can trust their own eyes.
- Slip into a pair of flat-soled shoes with thick, chunky heels. These will do a better job of hiding the angle of your support foot than more flexible footwear, which may leave your arch visible.
- The longer you “float,” the more of a chance your audience will have to deduce that the trick is just an optical illusion and not a real magic trick.
Making a Coin Disappear into Your Skin
- A line like, “My doctor said my iron levels are a little low,” adds some color and humor to your trick.
- While you can use any type of coin you like, something larger, like a quarter or half dollar, will be easier for your audience to see. [16] X Research source
- Make sure your audience can't actually see the coin inside your hand once you begin rubbing.
- Leave the coin sitting on the table just long enough for your audience to see that it's the same one and that you haven't swapped it out with a trick prop.
- Keep the fingers of your decoy hand open slightly so your audience doesn't suspect that you're holding the coin in that hand. Cling onto the edges of the coin with the sides of your index and pinky fingers.
- It may take quite a bit of practice before you can fake the handoff without being obvious. Keep trying—it’ll eventually start to feel more natural.
- Alternatively, use your rubbing hand to covertly slide the coin off of the table and into your lap while making it look like you're picking it up. [20] X Research source
- Avoid rubbing so vigorously that you risk knocking the coin out of your decoy hand.
- Take your time with the second round of rubbing. The longer you rub, the more you'll sell the idea that you're trying your hardest to make the coin disappear into your skin.
- If you want to add some extra flourish, carefully transfer the coin back into your rubbing hand and “retrieve” it from one of your onlookers' ears, pockets, or shirt collars.
The gang splits up and searches throughout the house, encountering various challenges and obstacles. Throughout the special, the Sesame Street characters learn important lessons about courage, friendship, and problem-solving. They demonstrate bravery in the face of scary situations and work together to overcome challenges. Along the way, they also showcase the importance of inclusivity and acceptance, as they interact with characters from different backgrounds and abilities. With its mix of Halloween-themed adventures, catchy songs, and valuable life lessons, Sesame Street Magical Halloween Adventure has become a favorite among children and adults alike. It has been praised for its positive messages and its ability to entertain while teaching important lessons. This Halloween special continues to be enjoyed by audiences around the world and has become a staple in many households during the Halloween season. Its timeless charm and the beloved Sesame Street characters make it a must-watch for anyone looking for a fun and educational Halloween experience..
Reviews for "Join Big Bird and Friends on a Colorful Halloween Adventure with Sesame Street"
1. John - 1 star
I found "Sesame Street Magical Halloween Adventure" to be extremely boring and lacking in creativity. The plot was weak and the characters were uninteresting. The songs were forgettable and the animation was mediocre at best. Overall, I was highly disappointed with this Halloween special and would not recommend it to others.
2. Sarah - 2 stars
I was expecting so much more from "Sesame Street Magical Halloween Adventure" but it fell flat for me. The storyline was predictable and lacked any excitement. The jokes were not funny and the attempts at humor felt forced. The animation quality was also subpar. Overall, it was a letdown and I wouldn't watch it again.
3. Mike - 1 star
"Sesame Street Magical Halloween Adventure" was a complete waste of time. The characters were annoying and the dialogue was cringe-worthy. The songs were repetitive and the plot was non-existent. I couldn't wait for it to be over. If you're looking for a fun and entertaining Halloween special, definitely skip this one.