Search for “thumb light show” and you will find magicians pulling a glowing red light from their ears, from the bottom of a glass, out of thin air. The finger light magic trick is one of the most charming effects in close-up magic. Almost every version of this light magic trick has one thing in common: a single color.
This is the story of how we took the light magic trick from that one red light to a thumb light with five colors and a flame, then to a wand that can toss light and flame back and forth with your hand, and finally to a wand that also shoots real fireballs. Along the way we made a version for children too, with light and no fire at all.
The limit of classic thumb light magic tricks: one color
We have been making thumb lights, also known as light up thumbs, for more than twelve years. In a classic thumb light magic trick, a red light goes into the left ear and comes out of the right; it drops into a full glass of water and comes out of the bottom completely dry; one light becomes two; it passes through whatever is on the table.
Changing color is the hard part of the finger light magic trick. To show five colors in one routine, a performer has to hide five thumb lights (white, blue, red, green and yellow) and switch them with sleight of hand. It can be done, but it is difficult, and it limits what the routine can be.
Auroshoot: one thumb light, six effects
So we asked a simple question: what if one thumb light could change color by itself? Then a finger light magic trick would need only one.
The Auroshoot Thumb Light puts white, blue, red, green and yellow light, plus a realistic flickering flame, into a single thumb tip, with no delay when you switch:
- Hold the color button: the indicator steps through the colors; let go to choose one
- Hold the light button: the light stays on for as long as you hold it and goes out when you let go
- Double-tap the light button: the flame appears
In one routine, a red light drops into a full glass and comes back out red, and bone dry. It goes out, and a yellow light travels in one ear and out the other. Then a green light flares up at the fingertip and splits into two.
The name comes from the aurora. An aurora has many colors, and “shooting” those colors through the air is exactly what tossing colored lights from hand to hand looks like.
Auroshoot Thumb Light, juggling colored lights
The lights of the wizarding world
The books and films are full of moments made of light. Dumbledore clicks his Deluminator and pulls the streetlights of Privet Drive into it, one by one, then lets them go again. Harry, hidden under his blanket, whispers Lumos and his wand tip glows. Deep in the cave below the cliffs, Harry and Dumbledore cross the dark by the light of their wands.
With an Auroshoot and a wand, you can turn scenes like these into a light magic trick of your own. That gave us the next idea: what if the wand itself could choose its color the way the Auroshoot does? Then it would not be just a white light for seeing in the dark. It could glow in whatever color the moment calls for.
Next: tossing a flame, not just a light
If a light can be tossed between wand and hand, why not a flame?
After a long series of experiments, the light at the wand tip became an orange flame that flickers like the real thing, and the Auroshoot can call up the same flame at any moment. Together they create the illusion of a flame jumping from the wand to your hand and back, the same way the colored lights travel in a finger light magic trick.
We made the flame easy to reach:
- Press the wand button twice and double-tap the Auroshoot light button, and you are straight into flame juggling
- To change color: a short press turns on white; after that, each short press or a wave of the wand steps through blue, red, green and yellow. Waving does nothing while the light is off
- The rotary switch on the wand skips the cycle and goes straight to the color you want; once it is chosen, hold the button for steady light and let go to turn it off
- Pair it with a thumb light set to the same color, and with a little practice the lights travel between objects as if they had a life of their own
Every Light Ball Fire Wand ships with an Auroshoot in the box, so you can start on the finger light magic trick the moment you open it.
Light Ball Fire Wand + Auroshoot, juggling light
Light Ball Fire Wand + Auroshoot, juggling flame
The Light Ball Fire Wand: it had to shoot real fireballs, too
Juggling light is fun, but we still wanted this wand to throw a real fireball.
That meant the tip had to come off. With the light tube fitted, the wand juggles light and flame; swap in the barrel, and it shoots fire. Because the light tube and the barrel are both detachable, there could be no loose wire and no visible plug at the joint. Yet a tube that lets you pick any color and switch to a flame needs at least four separate connections to carry power and signals. Solving that in the mechanism and in the electronics took us a long time.
Our answer was a pin like the plug on a pair of headphones, carrying the signals through a few contacts on a single slim pin. The pin brought a new problem: it is very hard to anchor firmly to the shaft. In early tests, a few hard flicks of the wand were enough to send the barrel or the light tube flying across the room. We went through many designs before the tip stayed put, no matter how hard the wand was waved.
- In light mode there is no fire at all, and one charge gives more than 15 hours of light
- Light only: ages 14 and up. With the barrel fitted for fireballs: ages 18 and up
A version for children: the Lumos Light Up Wand
Light ball magic is not only fun to watch. In play, children practice hand–eye coordination and reaction, and there is no fire at all.
The Lumos Light Up Wand glows bright white, blue, red, green and yellow, plus a rainbow mode. An Auroshoot thumb light comes in the box, so light juggling, and a first finger light magic trick, can start right away.
Beyond juggling, children can try other light magic tricks:
- Make an ordinary light bulb glow in different colors
- Make a light ball go in and out of their hand, mouth and ears
- Pass the light from the wand to a phone’s flashlight, then back again
Lumos Light Up Wand, choosing a color with the rotary switch
To change color, press once for white, then short-press or wave the wand to step through blue, red, green and yellow. Or turn the rotary switch on the handle to choose a color first and press once to light it. Press twice for the rainbow. For ages 8 and up, with adult supervision. The thumb light runs on two LR41 button cells: keep new and used cells away from children.
Thinking of making a light-up wand yourself?
Most DIY light-up wand tutorials online involve soldering a circuit and wiring a lithium battery by hand, which is not a project for children. If what you want is a wand that glows and can do light ball magic, a finished wand is the quicker and more sensible choice.
Which one is right for you?
| What you want to do | Choose | Ages |
|---|---|---|
| Finger light magic trick with six effects (five colors and a flame) | Auroshoot Thumb Light (single or pair) | 8+, with adult supervision |
| Light juggling for children, five colors and rainbow | Lumos Light Up Wand (an Auroshoot is included) | 8+, with adult supervision |
| Light and flame juggling, plus real fireballs | Light Ball Fire Wand (an Auroshoot is included; barrel kit sold separately) | Light 14+, fireballs 18+ |
FAQ
How does the finger light magic trick work?
The finger light magic trick is the classic light magic trick: a small light hides at your fingertip, and sleight of hand makes it seem to appear, vanish and travel. With the Auroshoot, the same thumb light can also show five colors and a flame.
Can a thumb light change colors?
The Auroshoot can, and that is what sets it apart from a classic thumb light magic trick. Hold the color button to step through white, blue, red, green and yellow, hold the light button to keep it lit, and double-tap the light button for the flame.
How many thumb lights do I need for a light magic trick with several colors?
In a classic routine, one for each color, swapped by sleight of hand. The Auroshoot changes color by itself, so one thumb light is enough for the whole finger light magic trick.
How do you juggle light between a wand and your hand?
It works like the finger light magic trick, with a wand added: set the wand and the thumb light to the same color, then light one and put out the other in rhythm with your hand movements, so the light seems to jump across. The videos above show the timing.
Is there a light-only wand for children?
The Lumos Light Up Wand has light only, with no fire and no smoke. It is for ages 8 and up, with adult supervision, and comes with an Auroshoot thumb light.
Can the same wand shoot real fire?
The Light Ball Fire Wand can, once its barrel kit is fitted (ages 18 and up). With the light tube fitted, there is no fire at all.
What ages are these for?
The Auroshoot Thumb Light and the Lumos Light Up Wand are for ages 8 and up, with adult supervision. The Light Ball Fire Wand is for ages 14 and up with the light tube fitted, and 18 and up with the barrel fitted for fireballs.
How long does the Light Ball Fire Wand’s light last on one charge?
In light mode, one charge gives more than 15 hours of light, and there is no fire at all. Swap in the barrel only when you want fireballs, and put the light tube back to juggle light and flame again.
Why is it called Auroshoot?
It is named after the aurora, light in many colors moving across the night sky. In a routine, the Auroshoot sends white, blue, red, green and yellow light, and a flame, from hand to hand, so one thumb tip can carry a whole light magic trick.
What batteries does the Auroshoot use?
Two LR41 button cells. Keep new and used cells away from children. Every Lumos Light Up Wand and Light Ball Fire Wand comes with an Auroshoot in the box, ready for the finger light magic trick.
Where to next
Light Ball Fire Wand: the full show
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