It’s circus time! Juggling rings need to be balanced and fly well in the air. They also need to be easy to catch. These home-made juggling rings are ideal for practising your skills as they’re soft and easy to throw and catch. They’re easy to make and they shouldn’t do too much damage if they go astray whilst practising indoors. Make one for throwing, catching and basic juggling tricks, or make two or three to try a cascade pattern or do some passing with a friend. See the end of the page for a few juggling tricks to try…

Stuff Needed:

• Paper plates (two per ring).
• Ribbon (about 2.5metres per ring) – I use 4cm wide polyester ribbon.
• Clear sticky tape.
• Scissors.
• Matches or a candle to melt the ends of the ribbon (optional).

Instructions:

1. Cut out the centres of the paper plates, leaving the rims intact.

2. Put the plates together so the upper sides are facing inwards, and tape in place using several short pieces of tape around the outside edge. This creates the ring shape.

3. Cut a length of ribbon. I use about 2.5 metres of ribbon for plates that have a diameter of 23cm. You may want to melt the ends by passing them over a flame to prevent fraying.
4. Stick one end of the ribbon onto the edge of the plate so it hangs down across the plate.

5. Wind the ribbon snugly but gently round the two joined plates so it covers the whole rim. Use clear tape to stick the end back onto itself. You may need to add a few small pieces of tape along the way to hold it in place.

5. Test your juggling ring by throwing it in the air. It will fly best with a bit of spin. Hold it vertically and flick your wrist upwards as you throw it up to make it spin. You may need to adjust the ribbon a bit to cover any gaping holes.

Teachers’ Tip: If you’re planning to make these with a group you can prepare parts of it before your session. It’s easiest to cut the ribbon into appropriate lengths and melt the ends before the session. I also find it helps to pierce a hole in the centre of each plate somewhere so your students can get their scissors in more easily and preserve the rims.

Tricks to Try:

• Pass the ring under your leg before you let go. Catch it normally.
• Throw the ring from behind your back.
• Throw the ring then twist around to face the opposite direction before you catch it.
• Try a full twist before you catch it.
• Throw the ring upwards horizontally (like a plate) and try to catch it on your head (try this without any spin).
• Throw the ring and try to catch it on your foot.
• Make two rings and try to make them swap in the air.
• With three rings you can juggle a three-ring cascade or move on to more complex tricks.