April Fools’ Day: make a trick rolling can

April Fools' Day is a great time to show your kids some fun pranks and magic tricks. This trick rolling is also a good learning game – try to figure out why the can keeps rolling back to you.

What you need:

• 1 coffee tin with a plastic lid
• 1 rubber band
• 1 fishing sinker
• a hand drill

Number of players:
1

Activity:

Use the hand drill to make two small holes in both the bottom of the tin and the plastic lid on top.

Snip the rubber band so it's not an unbroken circle. Thread it through the holes in the bottom of the tin.

Attach the sinker to the rubber band. If the sinker hole is too small, use a small piece of string or fishing wire to form a loop through which you can thread the rubber band. Make sure it's secured tightly so it doesn't slide around too much.

Thread the ends of the rubber band through the plastic lid, put the lid on and tie the ends of the rubber band together.

Try rolling your tin away from you.  The weight of the sinker will bring it rolling back to you every time.

Hints and tips:

• To use it as a magic trick: tell your audience you have telekinetic powers and can control the can. Roll it away from you and then make a big show of pretending to will it back towards you with your mind.
• To perform an April Fools' prank: challenge someone to roll the tin as far as they can. It will roll back to them every time and they won't know why.