In my kids show I'm trying to switch three normal balls for three growing balls.

Any ideas!

I currently just point them in a box and then take them out a gain a minute later.

Any BETTER ideas?

Growing balls as in balls the same size as the normal balls until you do that thing with them?

Not sure what you are doing specifically.

I do a single ball switch by placing it in my case and removing it a second later after we've done a round of applause- wait, lets try something else w/ the ball as I go back in to get the ball again.

other switch ideas for singles...

You could reach into your pocket looking for something (one hand per pocket) and do the switch like you would a deck cards- drop one, take the other.

or, use the crossing your gaze approach.

Honestly I don't think you should worry about the switch too much. Just do it. I found that if I try and hid what I'm doing with all kinds of misdirection and the like then I'll look more suspicious. But if just do whatever works best for the situation then it usually passes right by them. Hopefully this helps.

Cheers,

Cameron Fisk

Thanks guys!

The context is a gardening show. I produce three sponges from a child's ear (they really should wash them more often!)

We do a few tricks with them and then the seeds GROW and GROW!

I could do one in my pocket but three normal sponges into three gimmicked ones is a bit much!

I don't do this effect, but would a change bag work?

Change would work but it might be a bit of overkill...

I switch a sb for a sponge square. Not sure if this will work for you but I 'put' a sb in my left hand - then show it gone and say it's now in my pocket - put my rh in my pocket and switch the palmed ball for the sponge square. I then play 'guess which hand' - it's in niether hand because there's a square in one and a different color ball in the other - the original ball is once again hiding in my pocket.

I'm inclined to say if your method works - then use it. As long as you give a good enough reason for putting the balls down in the first place - like you need your hands free for something - then the audience have no reason to suspect you switched them. You could also use a combination of switches. Put two in the box. Do something with the third that allows you to switch it (make it disappear and then take it out your pocket or something) and then fetch the other two.

Along the lines of Taneous's post: What tricks are you doing before you want to do the switch?

If you finish by (say) making them jump one at a time into your pocket . . . well, the ones that come out could be the "special" ones. Can you work the switch into the routine somehow like this?

Or could they just "grow" in the course of the routine somehow?

Nick here is an idea, you might be able to use. You know pea cans, think square, if that makes sense so you have your fakes in the bottom of the box you have the gimmick on top of the sponges and they put the sponges in the top bit, you tell them that this can make them grow so you put the lid on you say they will grow really big with Tricky Nicks growing machine! but nothing happens you remember that they need heat, light or what ever to grow so you ask the kid if his hands are warm so they will grow. You pick up the lid with the real ones with it and leaving the fakes.
Matt

I think I'll do the sponge ball stuff then ask the child to help me make one 'grow'. I get out a wand and swap the other two. Then do a shuttle pass for the third one.

What about making a cloth bag, with the letters, "S-E-E-D-S" on it? Then, simply put them in, and pull the other ones out, in the compacted position, ready to enlarge in the child's hand.

Explain that some people keep seeds in bags or envelopes over the winter, to use the next season.

If you want to be picky about it, use a tear-apart change bag as your bag, to show empty at the end. No need to show empty at the start, you aren't being "chased" yet.

Duane Laflin sells the tear apart change bags, but they are easy enough to make (I've made one before). They fold flat, and don't have handles.

- Donald