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Play Training for Childcare Settings

children-and-ball-2

Play is an integral part of a child’s development. Providing a stimulating play environment, therefore, is key to supporting children as they explore the world around them through play.

Childcare play training provides childcare staff with the skills and confidence to use equipment and resources creatively and effectively and to implement structured and free-play opportunities to maximise children’s enjoyment and support their learning.

Course Content

Learn a variety of games and activities through active participation.

Learn about the theory of play; why it is important and why we should encourage and support it.

Effective communication skills: relating to explaining, listening and understanding.

Behaviour management techniques: strategies for handling negativity in play.

Inclusive play: ensuring there is something for everyone.

Session planning: Supported activity planning using ‘The Real Game Guide’ play books.

Arty crafty creative play ideas.

Positive role modelling: the use of positive language and effective communication.

Practical skills: applied in a supported play session with children in your setting.

Evaluate & identify existing and required skills, strengths and development areas.

Measuring quality: how do we know our play opportunities are effective?

Game theory: learn how to create new games using game building techniques.

Explore the different types of play, including child and adult led activities.

Risky play: risk assessments and safety considerations.

Outcomes

Happy, sociable and confident children.

Awareness & utilisation of team strengths.

Positive play experiences for children.

Happy, confident & motivated team.

Raised understanding of the importance and impact of play.

Promotion of healthy lifestyle through active play.

Success measure are understood: review, evaluate and improve.

Reduction in negative play incidents.

Child development is effectively supported.

Delivery Options

Refresher

£88
  • 2-hour session
  • Real Game Guide books available
  • Participant certificates
  • Course hand-outs provided
Contact

Full day

£300
  • 6 - 7-hour session
  • Real Game Guide books available
  • Participant certificates
  • Course hand-outs provided
Contact

Half day

£176
  • 4-hour session
  • Real Game Guide books available
  • Participant certificates
  • Course hand-outs provided
Contact

Multi-sessions

£90per session
  • Multiple 2-hour sessions
  • Real Game Guide books available
  • Setting visits
  • Certificates & hand-outs
Contact

Choose your prefered content from the menu. I will create a package specific to your setting.

Copies of The Real Game Guide games books are available at a cost of £15 for the set of volume 1 and 2.

20% evenings and weekends charge will be added if applicable.

Travel expenses applicable, dependant on location at 20p per mile from Bath.

Pages

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Partners

Youth Adventure Trust

Wider World

Thinking Classroom

Feast Nutrition

Community Learning West

Skiing Lesson

The leader offers the services of the performer (Ski Instructor) to teach any of the audience how to ski. The performer needs one volunteer. The volunteer must stand at the front with the ski instructor who will teach them how to step sideways, how to bend their knees and how to sway down the slopes.
The leader then announces that they must learn how to night ski. To learn this skill the volunteer is asked to turn and face the audience, closing their eyes as the instructor put their hands over the volunteer’s eyes to simulate the darkness. The volunteer should then perform the skills that they have learnt when the leader tells them to, but without being able to see.
When they have finished, the instructor take their hands away and the leader congratulates the volunteer on their skiing, asking them to sit down. The volunteer will not be aware that anything has changed. It has however, because the ski instructor had charcoal or black powder on their hands, given the volunteer black eyes.

Balancing Nails

Instructions

The performer should challenge the audience to balance all 6 – 10 nails on the head of the nail in the wood. The nails must balance without aid and must not be touching anything apart from the head of the nail in the wood.

Solution

To successfully balance all the nails on the head of one nail they must be arranged as follows: Lay one nail on the table on its side, then place 2 – 8 nails alternately at a right angle over the top, with the head of each nail resting just over the body of the nail underneath. Then place the last nail on top, sealing the nails at right angles in between. The weight of the top nail should stop the others from falling out. Gently lift the nails off the table and place them carefully on the head of the nail in the wood. They should balance perfectly.

Australian Spitting Contest

Instructions

An announcer and four spitting participants are required. The announcer informs the audience that in the Australian outback there is little entertainment and the locals often find themselves devising their own forms of amusement. One such activity is a spitting contest in which each participant tries to spit further than the others.

The announcer holds a tin cup in which they supposedly catch the spit. The participants line up and the announcer stands a little way from them holding the mug. The first participant pretends to spit and the announcer pretends to catch the spit by flicking the bottom of the cup to make it sound as if they caught it. The second participant then does the same and the announcer catches it again.

The third and fourth participants do the same and each time the announcer moves backwards or forwards accordingly to simulate catching the spit! Throughout the contest, the excitement grows and at the end the announcer decides upon a winner. In the excitement, the announcer throws their arms up in the air and the mug (which is already half full of water) is emptied into the air, in the direction of the audience.

Prior to performing the trick the performer should blacken the underneath of one of the saucers. The performer hands the blackened saucer to the volunteer who should hold it in one hand so as not to spill the water. The performer also holds a saucer with one hand and tells the volunteer to mirror every move that the performer makes.
The volunteer must look only into the eyes of the performer at all times.
The performer tells the volunteer that it has been proven that the following method helps with telepathy and that if they mirror every movement that the performer makes, they should be able to read the performer’s mind. The performer tells the volunteer that they must attempt to guess the object that they are thinking of. They can ask questions to which the answer is ‘yes’ or ‘no’. This is done solely to distract the volunteer from what is really going on. The performer does not need to be thinking of anything in particular, as the volunteer should never guess correctly.
The performer starts by dipping their finger in the water (from the saucer), then circling the bottom of the saucer. The volunteer should mimic the performer as if looking in a mirror. The performer then draws an imaginary line on their face and the volunteer does the same. As this is happening the volunteer should be asking questions about the imaginary object, whilst looking directly into the performer’s eyes. They repeat this process many times, each time the volunteer will draw a black mark on their face without realising because they are watching the performer and trying to guess the mystery object. This can carry on until the volunteer realises what is happening or the performer / audience are laughing so much that they cannot continue.

The leader uses the stick to trace a shape on the floor, in front of the other players as he or she says the following, “The moon is round; he has two eyes, a nose and a mouth”. The leader traces this shape as he or she says it. After it is done, they pass the stick to the next player, instructing them to do exactly the same thing. If they have done it correctly the leader will say, “Yes he does”. If it is not done correctly, the leader will say, “No, he doesn’t”.
Players must guess what is required in order to correctly draw the moon. It has nothing to do with the drawing but don’t tell the players that. Eventually one player will get it, and then another and another will follow suit. Make sure they know not to tell other players when they’ve got it. This can be infuriating!
If you want to make this more interesting or more obvious you can give the moon as many eyes, noses and mouths as you like.
Answer: Before the person starts the statement and the action, they must give a cough. The cough can be small and subtle or it can be a full blown coughing fit. The latter might be useful if the game has continued for quite a while and there’s only one poor soul left who hasn’t figured it out.

I have a friend called Thethle and he is a caterpillar. The first time that I saw Thethle has was this big, [Indicate 10cm] and I said, “Oh Thethle, what have you been doing?” and he said, “I’ve eaten a whole cabbage leaf” and I said, “Oh, Thethle.” [Look disappointed]
The next time I saw Thethle he was this big, [Indicate 1m] and I said, “Oh Thethle, what have you been doing?” and he said, “I’ve eaten a whole cabbage!” and I said, “Oh, Thethle.” [Look more disappointed]
The next time I saw Thethle he was this big, [Indicate 2m] and I said, “Oh Thethle, what have you been doing?” and he said, “I’ve eaten all the cabbages in the garden!” and I said, “Oh, Thethle.” [Look even more disappointed]
The next time I saw Thethle he was this big, [Indicate 2m] and I said, “Oh Thethle, what have you been doing?” and he said, “I’ve eaten all the cabbages in the garden!” and I said, “Oh, Thethle.” [Look even more disappointed]
The next time I saw Thethle he was this big, [Indicate 5m] and I said, “Oh Thethle, what have you been doing?” and he said, “I’ve eaten all the cabbages in the country!” and I said, “Oh, Thethle.” [Look very disappointed]
The next time I saw Thethle he was this big, [Indicate 10m] and I said, “Oh Thethle, what have you been doing?” and he said, “I’ve eaten all the cabbages in the world!” and I said, “Oh, Thethle.” [Look extremely disappointed]
[Start slower] The next time I saw Thethle… he was this big, [Indicate 10cm, look shocked] and I said, “Oh Thethle, what have you been doing?!” and he said…
“I’ve been sick!”

The leader starts by saying, “I’m going to catch the train from [start station] to…. umm… [destination station]”. The next player then says the same thing, using the same of different start and end stations, for instance, Exeter to Bristol. The leader will either say, “Yes, you are” or, “No, you’re not”, depending on whether or not the player has carried out the ‘extra bit’ as detailed below.
Answer: Whether or not the journey is allowed depends not on the station names, but on the speaker hesitating before choosing the destination station. For a journey to be allowed a player must say, “umm…” or “err…” before the destination station.

The announcer addresses the audience saying, “roll up, roll up, come and see the ugliest man in the world”. Behind the announcer is a performer, crouching down with a large blanket over their head and body. There are two secret performers who are sitting in the audience. The other members of the audience should not know that they are part of the performance. The announcer continues to call for volunteers from the audience to look at the ugliest man in the world.
One of the secret performers in the audience raises their hand and the announcer chooses them to come forward. They are ushered towards the performer to look underneath the blanket. As soon as they lift the blanket and see the performer’s face they scream, look shocked, exclaim or faint, etc.
The announcer removes the secret performer. The announcer then says again, “roll up, roll up, who has the courage to gaze upon the ugliest man in the world? Is there anyone brave enough to look under the blanket?”. The second secret performer in the audience volunteers and is picked by the announcer. They look under the blanket and then scream and fall down dead.
The announcer drags them away. The announcer then calls another person to come face to face with the ugliest man in the world. The announcer then picks a real volunteer from the audience. The volunteer is ushered towards the blanket. As soon as the volunteer looks under the blanket, the performer (ugly man) screams loudly and falls down dead at the sight of the volunteer.
It’s a bit of a giggle, intended to suggest that the volunteer is even uglier than the performer under the blanket!

The performer asks the audience for two volunteers who believe themselves to be skilled football players. They are asked to sit on the chairs on opposite sides of the table, sitting side-on to the audience. Each volunteer is given a straw. The tray with water is placed in the centre of the table.
A Ping-Pong ball is placed in the centre of the tray, floating on the surface of the water. In order to score goals the volunteers must blow the Ping-Pong ball using the straw to the other side of the tray. The first player to score 2 goals wins the game. The performer tells the volunteers to get ready, holding their straws to their mouths and close to the water.
The performer stands behind the table, facing the audience making sure that the volunteers’ faces are very close to the tray, ready to blow the ball. The performer counts down, “3…2…1…GO!” As the performer shouts, “go” they should slam their hand down in the middle of the tray, spraying water into the faces of the volunteers.

The performer arranges a few objects randomly on the table (for no other reason than to confuse the audience) then says, “In my blue denim frying pan I have ‘object 1’ and a ‘object 2. Who am I cooking for in my blue denim frying pan?”
The audience must then guess which member of the audience the performer is cooking for. They may look at the objects to see if they are close to anyone in particular or if they belong to anyone. The objects are used only to divert their attention from the real method. Once the audience have all made a guess the performer tells them who they were cooking for. The performer then moves the objects around, perhaps adding more, then asks the original question again.
Answer: The first person to talk after the performer has asked the question in each round is the person being cooked for. As the audience members start to realise how the trick is done, ask them not to tell the others until everyone has worked it out.

One player is chosen to be lifted. This player must sit on a chair with four other players standing around them (2 on each side). The seated player must visualise themselves as being very heavy, whilst the four standing players attempt to lift them under the knees and arms off the chair. This should be reasonably difficult to achieve.

Once the lifters have put the sitter back in their chair, the lifters should place their hands, one at a time on top of the head of the sitting player. They should gently push down, but not with enough force to injure or move the sitting player. Whilst doing this they should count down from 10 to 1. As they reach 1, each lifter should put their palms together with their thumbs on top and fingers pointing forwards. They should then immediately place their hands in the position ready to pick up the sitter in exactly the same way as they had done on the first attempt. All players, including the sitting person, should now visualise the sitter to be as light as a feather. Lifters should count quickly from 10 – 1 and then to their surprise will be able to lift the sitter high off the chair!

The performer challenges any member of the audience to draw a circle with a dot in the middle without the pen leaving the paper. There must be no line between the edge of the circle and the dot. See below.

The correct way to do it is to fold the corner of the paper over so that the corner is in the middle of the potential circle and then draw a dot at the tip. Draw a line inwards on the fold then begin drawing the circle. As the line goes off the fold, fold it back and continue drawing a circle around the dot.

This is a two part rhythm which uses parts of the body. The rhythm is split into two sections, which are both repeated.
K: Hit knees with both hands, K: Hit left knee, K: Hit right knee, Cp: Clap hands together, Ch: Hit chest with palm of one hand, H: Hold hand 20cm from chest, palm facing in, hit with top of other hand, Cl: Click fingers.

Get a coin through a smaller hole without ripping the paper.
Take a coin and cut a circle into a piece of paper smaller than the size of the coin. It should not be possible to fit the coin through the circle cut by any normal means.
In order to fit the coin through the hole, fold the paper in half exactly half way through the cut circle. Holding the folded paper by the edges with the fold at the bottom, place the coin inside the folds and over the hole. Pull the side of the paper gently apart and upwards until the coin falls through the hole.

The performer starts by arranging the matches in any order on the table. They should then ask the audience how many cottages there are. To begin, there can be any number between 0 and 5. Do not say any more or attempt to give clues. The audience will assume that the number of cottages has some connection with the matches. Once everyone has had a guess the performer tells them how many there really were and then rearranges the matches into another shape and asks the same question.
As the performer asks the question they should place zero and five fingertips from one hand on the edge of the table so that they are just visible to the audience, but by no means obvious. The number of cottages depends on the number of fingertips on the table. It has NOTHING to do with the matches. Each time, the audience should guess and then the performer tells them the real number of cottages. A great deal of effort should be put into arranging the matches. As the game progresses a story about cottages can be told to help throw them off the scent.
After a while the performer can use their other hand as well, meaning that there can be between 0 – 10 cottages. The audience will be confused by this change but should endeavour to crack on. As the audience members discover how it is done they can be added secretly into the game by upping the maximum number of cottages to 15 and then 20, and so on as the extra players add their fingertips to the edge of the table.

This is a short rhythm, clapped using a cup or mug. If there is more than one person doing it then on the last beat they should pass their cup to the next person and receive a new one from the person before them. The cup starts upside down on the table.
The rhythm is as follows:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Each number corresponds with a certain action, which are all listed below. Learn each step gradually and then practice them, following the rhythm.
1. Clap both hands together.
2. Clap both hands together.
3. Left hand hits bottom of cup.
4. Right hand hits bottom of cup.
5. Left hand hits bottom of cup.
6. Right hand hits bottom of cup.
7. Clap both hands together.
8. Right hand grabs and holds bottom of cup.
9. Right hand picks up cup, moves it 10cm to the right and hits it down onto table on the beat.
Practice up to this point…
10. Clap both hands together.
11. Right hand grabs left-hand side of cup with hand upside down.
12. Right hand picks up cup hitting the top into palm of left hand.
13. Right hand hits bottom of cup on table (still holding it).
14. Right hand twists cup clockwise so the bottom is facing palm of left hand. Hit bottom of cup into palm of left hand. Left hand holds it.
15. Slam right hand down on the table.
16. Left hand crosses over right arm and slams cup face down on the table next to right hand.
This is tricky to learn from reading. Go to www.realgameguide.com to see a video demonstration.
If there is more than one person then the rhythm is repeated but the person on the right takes the cup from their neighbour on the left after the sixteenth beat. If there are enough people to form a circle then the rhythm can continue indefinitely.

The announcer asks the audience if there are two volunteers who would like to earn some easy money. The two volunteers must sit either side of the table and be blindfolded. The announcer tells the volunteers and the audience that the way to win money in this game is very easy. The announcer shows the audience a 10-pence coin and then places it in the centre of the table.
The announcer then takes each volunteer’s hand and shows them where the coin is. They must start with one hand behind their back and the other on their head. The announcer should count down saying, “3…2…1…GO!” On go, the volunteers must slam their hand down from their head onto the coin. The quickest person wins the money and can put the coin in his or her pocket.
The announcer then produces a 20-pence coin placing it in the centre of the table, letting the volunteers feel where it is and then counting down, “3…2…1…GO!” The quickest person again wins the money. This happens in the same way with a 50-pence coin and then lastly a £1-coin.
The announcer should place the £1-coin in the centre, making sure that the volunteers feel where it is before placing their hands on their heads. As soon as their hands are on their heads the announcer should replace the £1-coin with an egg.
The announcer reminds them that they are playing for big money and that they should be extra quick to win. The announcer then counts…
“3…2…1…GO!” SPLAT!

The story is told with the aid of a piece of specially folded paper. The paper is folded to represent the main parts of the story. The paper should be cut to make a square then the four corners are folded in to the middle. The paper is then turned over and the corners are folded again into the centre. The paper is turned over one last time and the corners are folded in the same way.
The Story
Once upon a time there lived an old man and an old lady. The old man kept all his money in one bank and the old lady kept all her money in the bank on the opposite side of the street. One day the old man and the old lady decided to withdraw all of their money from their bank accounts and spend it all. The first thing that the old man bought was a nice new pair of shoes and the first thing that the old lady bought was a nice new pair of boots. The old man then decided to buy a new pair of trousers to match his new shoes and the old lady decided to buy a new sweater to match her new boots.
With their new clothes they then decided to go to a fancy restaurant to have an expensive 5-course meal. After they had finished their meal they still had quite a lot of money left so they decided to book themselves a cruise around the world.
They set sail soon after booking and were having a wonderful time. One evening, when they were in their cabin, below deck, they heard a lot of noise coming from outside. The old man decided to have a look so he poked his head out of his cabin, only to be captured by pirates who were attacking the ship.
They chopped off his head and arms and then the rest of his limb, then put him in a box and closed the lid. The old lady wondered where the old man had gone and what the noise was, so she poked her head out of the cabin as well. The pirates caught her and chopped off her head and arms and then the rest of her limbs, putting her in another box and closing the lid.
“Did you like the story?” “Yes”. “Then pay up!”
Pull flaps either side of folded box to produce a paper box for coins.

It is possible to stacks five coins in a certain order so that when they are laid out on the table each coin is laid alternately. For example, if using three 10-pence coins and two 20-pence coins the order would be 10 – 20 – 10 – 20 – 10.
The top coin from the stack must be placed in the first space, then the next top coin must be placed at the bottom of the stack. The new top coin is then placed in space two. The next top coin is placed at the bottom of the stack again until all the coins are in the above order. After each coin is placed on the table the next top coin must be put at the bottom until the last coin is laid in space 5.
The performer should show the audience how to do it (reasonably quickly) and then let them try. The correct order of the stack to begin (from top to bottom) is as follows:

Move the coins from the start position to the finish position (see below) in four moves.
Rules:
Two coins must be moved together in each move.
The coins moved must be next to each other (no spaces).
The coins moved must be one 20-pence coin and one 10-pence coin.
The coins moved must remain in the same order (left and right – no switching).
The four moves are as follows from the start position:
The performer should let an audience member try to complete the trick but if they find it difficult, the performer should show them quickly to prove that it is possible, using fingertips on the faces of the coins.

This is a simple rhythm, clapped by two people, standing opposite each other. Each participant should put their hands together (palms touching) as if praying, with their fingertips touching those of the other person.
The words are as follows:
My name is high low chick–a–low,
chick–a–low high low,
high low, chick–a–low ,
chick – a – low high.
Every time the word ‘high’ is sung the participants must clap their left hands against each other above the starting place (where their right hands remain). When the word ‘chick’ is sung they must clap their own hands together in the middle. When the word ‘low’ is sung they must clap each other’s left hand below the starting place.
High: left to left – above
Chick: middle
Low: left to left – below

One person is needed to be ‘Igor’ the monster who moves slowly and drags one leg behind when he walks. Another person is needed to be the bitter and twisted old man who lives in the mansion. Three more people are then needed to play characters who call at the door of the mansion. There should be a little girl collecting for a charity, a salesman selling internet and cable television packages and the local policeman, come to investigate reports of strange ‘goings-on’.
The Story
The old man sits in his chair, moaning about people who knock on his door, disturbing him. He is lucky though because he has a special surprise for anyone knocking on his door today.
At that moment there is a knock at the door. It’s the little girl collecting for charity. The old man gets up and answers the door and as soon as he does his attitude changes as he pretends to be nice to the person at the door. The little girl rattles her collection box and asks if the old man would like to give a donation to ‘charity X’. The old man beckons the girl into his mansion, and then he turns and says in a low, rising voice,
“Rise Igor… Come Igor… KILL Igor!”
Igor moves towards the girl with arms outstretched. He grabs the girl and kills her, then drags her away.
The old man sits back in his chair, happy that peace and quiet has been restored. As soon as he does so, there is another knock at the door. This time it is the salesman. The old man opens the door and the salesman asks him if he is interested in Internet and cable TV. The old man does the same as before and Igor is called to kill the salesman.
The same happens when the policeman calls round to investigate strange goings-on; the old man calls Igor by saying, “Rise Igor, come Igor, KILL Igor!” The monster does his master’s bidding, dragging the third victim away.
The old man sits back in his chair, very pleased with himself. He boasts to the audience that he will have an easy life from now on with no interruptions.
Old Man: “This is great! All I have to do if anyone comes to the door is say, “Rise Igor, [Igor looks up] Come Igor, [Igor moves towards the old man] KILL IGOR! [Igor grabs the old man and kills him]”.
Igor drags the old man off to where the other victims lie.
It’s all in the acting – simple story but if told well, the children will love it!

This trick will need to be planned before the performance, away from the audience. The performer will need a secret assistant. The audience must not know that the assistant is involved in the trick. The assistant must pretend to be part of the audience, acting surprised and participating in the same way as the others who are watching. The performer and assistant must be sitting at a table and the assistant must have a drink and be sitting beside the performer.
The performer arranges 9 coins in a square – 3 x 3 (see below) on the table, which should be spaced about 2cm apart. They then ask a member of the audience to touch any of the nine coins once the performer has closed their eyes or is looking away (or both). The performer then assures the audience that they will be able to identify the coin that has been touched. The audience member touches a coin and then tells the performer to open their eyes. The performer then looks very seriously at the coins and begins to hover their hand over the coins, pausing momentarily over each one. This is to give the impression that the performer is feeling something from the coins to help them discover the correct coin.
As the performer turns away and closes their eyes the secret assistant is watching and will know which coin has been chosen. The secret assistant must communicate the chosen coin to the performer without the audience being aware of it. The assistant should loosely set up an area on the table or 9 small areas in an invisible square (see above).The performer should glance quickly at where the secret assistant places their glass after taking a sip of their drink. The performer will then know that wherever the glass is placed, is where the desired coin is in the square. The secret assistant must not make sudden movements and should drink casually so as not to draw attention to themselves. The trick can be done with two coins being selected. In this case the assistant takes two sips and places their drink in two consecutive places. It can also be played where the assistant touches all coins bar one then the performer must identify the coin that hasn’t been touched.

Fold a normal boat out of paper and then tell the following story. The diagrams below show a very basic outline of how to make the boat.
The Story
Once upon a time there was a great ship that sailed the seas in search of adventure. [Show the ship sailing in the ocean.] The ship had been to the four corners of the earth on many important and dangerous voyages. One dark night a great storm blew up and caused the waves to crash against the ship. [The ship crashes around.] Thunder and lightning was all around and the crew were very scared. Suddenly a great bolt of lightning crashed down from the sky, striking the front of the ship and ripping it off. [Rip one end of the boat off.] The crew scrambled around to scoop the water out of the ship but it was no use as it floated further and further towards the rocks. Suddenly there was an almighty crash as the back end of the ship crashed into the rocks, ripping the back end off. [Rip the other end of the boat off.] The crew knew that there was no hope for the ship and some jumped overboard and some tried to release the lifeboats. As the ship started to sink another bolt of lightning came crashing from the sky, ripping off the sail. [Rip off the sail.] Gradually the ship sank to the bottom of the sea.
The next day the coast guards were alerted so they sent a helicopter to investigate the spot where the ship had supposedly sunk. [Unfold the remainder of the boat into a T-shirt shape.] Unfortunately, as the helicopter flew over, the only thing that was left of the ship was the captain’s T-shirt floating on the surface of the water. [Pretend to float the T-shirt.]

1 performer.
How to Perform: The challenge is to clip two paperclips together whilst only touching one at a time with the aid of a £20 note. You are not allowed to hold both paperclips at the same time in either hand.
How to do it: Fold the £20 note into an ‘S’ shape and then clip one paperclip over the first and second fold. Then clip the other paperclip over the second and third fold. Both paperclips should be the same way up. When the two edges of the £20 note are pulled outwards the paperclips should slide towards each other and eventually clip together. It looks more impressive if done quickly. If it does not work the first time, try clipping the paperclips the other way around on the £20 note.

Players sit in a circle, preferably not around a table. The leader starts by passing a pair of scissors to the player on their left saying, “I pass these scissors to you crossed / uncrossed” (one or the other). The player passing the scissors should do something with the scissors, maybe opening or closing them a number of times or holding them in a particular way. This throws other players off. If the passing player has not passed in the correct way, the leader will say, “no you don’t.” The next player then attempts to pass the scissors in the correct way to their neighbour, and so on.
Answer: The ‘crossed’ or ‘uncrossed’ element has nothing to do with the scissors as you might have guessed. It actually refers to the position of the passer’s legs, being either crossed or uncrossed. If you pass the scissors with your legs crossed, you must say, “I pass these scissors to you crossed,” and if legs uncrossed then the scissors are passed uncrossed.
Play continues until all players have correctly guessed what the common theme is, i.e. how to correctly pass the scissors. When a player does it correctly, either knowingly or unknowingly, the leader will say, “yes, you do.”

The leader takes a spoon and holds it up in front of their face, appearing to look into the spoon’s reflection. The leader then makes the following statement, “In my spoon I can see [item]”. The leader then passes the spoon to the next player, who makes the same statement and attempts to choose an item that is correct. Invariably this first person will be incorrect because they do not yet know the code or trick.
The spoon is passed from player to player as they attempt to decipher the code and correctly see items in the reflection of the spoon.
However, the spoon and indeed the reflection are only diversions. In order for a player to accurately see the item they choose they must simply say “thank you” to the previous player as they are passed the spoon. If a player says, “thank you”, whatever they think they see in the reflection of the spoon will be correct.
The leader can play tricks on the other players by leading them to think that the code is to do with anything else in the room or by repeating what another player has seen after saying “thank you”.
This can be infuriating and won’t make you any friends. Not at least until someone catches on. It’s especially infuriating for the last person in the group to get it. It’s kinder then for the group to say, “thank you”, loudly and slowly.