There are so many incredible illusionists in children's ministry. I am not one of them. I have never been gifted with the slight of hand. (Many tricks are available, even for the newbie, but they come at a hefty cost.)
There is only one, count it, one trick that I have mastered and it scares the crud out of me every time I do it.
I hate the sound of balloons popping. Backtrack; I loathe the sound of balloons popping.
I am also not a fan of fire. Mainly because fire scares me. Fire is especially scary when your children accidentally catch their hair on fire... Cue the flashback.
On my oldest daughter's birthday a few years ago, I had invited over some friends for a cookout to celebrate. I love candles, and I lit a few around the house. One burned in the bathroom off of the living room. My girls came in from playing outside and were instructed to wash their hands.
A moment later, I hear, "Mom, Ari's on fire!" I ran over to the door as they opened it, and sure enough, there is a tiny flame on the side my youngest daughters long hair because she had leaned over the candle. Without thinking, I shrieked and ran to her and began smacking at the flame to put it out. (Later, she told the story like this. "The other day, I was on fire and my mom screamed and slapped me on the head! Kids.)
Back to illusions...
When I came across this particular illusion, I was none too excited. One, because it involves popping balloons, (I don't even like to open canned biscuits.) and two, because it involves fire. Normally, I would walk away right then and there. But, kids love this illusion and it gets a point across.
Please be warned: Always keep fire safety precautions in mind. A fire extinguisher close by is a must. Do not attempt with a child or child helper. Make sure this is done a safe distance away from an audience or any other people. As always, perform at your own risk. A few practices would help. This is done better outside, although, I have done this inside as well. Please be very careful, anytime you are working with fire! Take every precaution.
First, I start with several balloons filled with air and tied off.
Next, I use a lighter. The clicker kind you light all your candles with.
Lastly, I use one balloon filled with only about 1/4 cup of water.
I start by saying, "This balloon represents our heart. Without Jesus in our lives, our lives are just like this balloon. Empty. And when problems come along, and we don't have anyone to turn to..." I hold up the balloon sideways and use the lighter underneath to pop the balloon. "Or, when we don't have Jesus in our lives, we may feel like we don't have anyone to turn to. Our dad may not be around, our mom might not be listening, our friends may not want to be around us. And without Jesus, we have no one to talk to." (I pop another balloon.) "Or, we may lose everything we have. Our house may be gone, our parents may lose a job, we may have to move far away, and without Jesus, (pop) we feel all alone.
(I then hold up balloon with water.) But this balloon is different. This balloon isn't empty. This balloon represents Jesus filling up the space in our heart. And when He fills that space, (I hold the balloon sideways, so water pools in the side. I hold the lighter directly under the middle of the water. The balloon does not bust. I keep the flame low beneath the balloon. I do this several times to illustrate your point.
Kids are amazed each time....
I will warn you though, old balloons will pop, even with water, as I found out in this video. Always use new, decent quality balloons. But, you gotta know how to roll with the punches, and I rolled it the best I could in this failed attempt! I've done this trick at least 10 times in front of audiences, but I've NEVER had a water balloon actually pop...until this night!
Please be warned: Always keep fire safety precautions in mind. A fire extinguisher close by is a must. Do not attempt with a child or child helper. Make sure this is done a safe distance away from an audience or any other people. As always, perform at your own risk. A few practices would help. This is done better outside, although, I have done this inside as well. Please be very careful, anytime you are working with fire! Take every precaution.
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