Let’s get one thing straight: juggling is geeky. It’s ubergeeky. In my experience, learning to move objects—props, as jugglers call them—through the air in a controlled fashion is a talent reserved for carnies, clowns, and extremely geeky fathers.
Therefore you owe it to yourself and your kids to learn how to juggle. It’ll amaze kids of all ages, and the older ones will probably want to try for themselves.
One of the best Internet resources for juggling tricks and tips is the Internet Juggling Database, and the best trick to start with is the three ball cascade. To begin:
"Take just one ball and cradle it in the palm of your hand. With your elbows close to your sides and your arms extended in-front of you at about waist height, toss the ball repeatedly from one hand to the other. Ideally each throw should peak at about eye level, with the throw coming from slightly towards the centre of the body and the catch slightly towards the outside. Repeat this throwing and catching action a number of times until you feel comfortable with it. As you make each catch, let the ball fall into your hand, cushioning its landing and in the same circular motion send it on its way again."
Read the rest of the guide and once you’ve mastered that trick, you can move on to more advanced techniques. Many of these are illustrated via easy-to-follow animations and videos at KingsCascade.com’s Juggling area.
If you don’t have any, you can buy a cheap set of juggling balls from your local toy store or through Amazon. If you’d prefer to DIY, our own GeekDad Vincent Janoski posted how to hack some tennis balls into professional-looking juggling props on the cheap last summer.
