Not Just for Kids

The How-To Cowboy™ Presents Another Secret, Magic How-To Fun Trick
How to Lead a Mexican Jumping Band

1. Sit at a table. Roll up your sleeves. Arrange some flexible, strong rubber bands — like the green ones found at Whole Foods check-out — in a pile. Now you are ready to practice the jumping rubber band trick.

2. Curl the fingers of your right hand and stick out your thumb like a hitchhiker. Slide a rubber band over the middle-index pair of fingers, down to the base, as shown below.

3. Slip your thumb inside the rubber band at the base of your index and middle fingers and pull it out, angling it toward your pinky. Curl your four fingers inside the rubber band. Release the rubber band gently so it rests on all four fingers slightly below the cuticle line, as above.

4. Flick your four fingers up quickly, and just as quickly flick them back, curled as in the start. Ta Da! — the rubber band jumps from the middle-index pair to the pinky-ring pair of fingers.

5. Make the rubber band jump back. Slip your thumb inside the rubber band, but this time angle it toward the index finger. Slip your curled fingers inside the rubber band loop as before. Then sweep your fingers upward and — double Ta Da! — the band jumps back. (Remember to quickly curl your fingers back to the start position.) Practice this routine.

6. Now to do the trick. Find a gullible person. Don’t worry; they are easy to find. Set the trick up. Slip the rubber band over the first two fingers as above, with the rubber band loop snug against your fingernails. Then say to the gullible person, “I have here a magical jumping band. Watch it jump on command.” Make sure the knuckle side of your hand is facing the gullible one.

7. Continue the distracting patter. Wave your left hand in front of the right. Mumble something about awakening the magic. When ready, quickly flick your fingers up and say, “Jump,” showing the gullible one only the final result.
Trade secret: Your distracting left hand hides the ‘trick.’

8. Expect to hear: “How’d you do that?” Quickly, ready the jump back and again wave your left hand over your right to disguise the trick and then say, “Jump, oh, magical jumping band. Jump!”

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The How-To Ranch Hand Challenge:
Send a unique How-To trick with step-by-step instructions to:

IM Press
Box 5346
Takoma Park, MD 20913

If accepted, you’ll see your trick published in this space, and receive a LITTLE NED STORIES book and a $10 check. Visit The How-To Cowboy, aka Edward Allan Faine at his website: www.takoma.com/ned/home.htm.

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Kids’ Stuff This Week

Saturday, October 4
Kids ‘N’ Critters
Ages 3-5, have you ever wondered what a leaf is and how they grow? Come out and join in this fun event about trees and all their parts. 10am @ Battle Creek Cypress Swamp, Gray’s Rd. off Sixes Rd., Prince Frederick. $3 w/discounts; rsvp: 410/535-5327.

Sunday, October 5
KinderFest
Kids of all ages are invited to this annual festival packed with entertainment, arts and crafts, carnival games, scarecrow making and more. noon-5pm @ Watkins Regional Park, 301 Watkins Park Dr., Upper Marlboro. free: 301/218-6700.

Tuesday, October 7
Art From Around the World
Ages 10-12, Look at art from Mexico, China and Africa. You can create your own art from around the world. 6–7pm @ The Chesapeake Children’s Museum, 25 Silopanna Rd., Annapolis. $40 w/ discounts: 410/990-1993. [email protected]

Animal Harvest
Kids ages 3-7, did you know that animals harvest their own crops? What do they harvest, you might ask? Walk wooded trails and fields and find out. 10:30am @ Kings Landing Park, King’s Landing Rd., Huntington. $3 w/discounts; rsvp:410/535-5327.

Wednesday, October 8
Harvest Festival of Stories
Preschoolers invited to join in and sing fun songs, make simple crafts and listen to an abundance of fall stories. 9:30 & 10:30am @ Edgewater Public Library, 25 Stephneys Ln., Edgewater. free: 410/222-1538.

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