Object manipulation is a form of

dexterity Fine motor skill (or dexterity) is the coordination of small muscles in movement with the eyes, hands and fingers. The complex levels of manual dexterity that humans exhibit can be related to the nervous system. Fine motor skills aid in the grow ...

play or performance in which one or more people physically interact with one or more objects. Many object manipulation skills are recognised circus skills. Other object manipulation skills are linked to sport, magic, and everyday objects or practices. Many object manipulation skills use special props made for that purpose: examples include the varied circus props such as balls, clubs, hoops, rings, poi, staff, and devil sticks; magic props such as cards and coins; sports equipment such as

nunchaku is a traditional Okinawan martial arts weapon consisting of two sticks (traditionally made of wood), connected to each other at their ends by a short metal chain or a rope. It is approximately 30 cm (sticks) and 1 inch (rope). A person w ...

and footballs. Many other objects can also be used for manipulation skills. Object manipulation with ordinary items may be considered to be object manipulation when the object is used in an unusually stylised or skilful way (such as in flair bartending) or for a physical interaction outside of its socially acknowledged context or differently from its original purpose. Object manipulators may also be practitioners of fire performance, which is essentially object manipulation where specially designed props are soaked in

fuel A fuel is any material that can be made to react with other substances so that it releases energy as thermal energy or to be used for work. The concept was originally applied solely to those materials capable of releasing chemical energy bu ...

and lit on

fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition ...

Types

There are a very wide range of types of object manipulation. Each type of object manipulation has often been grouped together in a category of object manipulation skills. These categories are shown below. However many types of object manipulation do not fit these common categories while others can be seen to belong to more than one category.

Juggling and tossing

Juggling is a physical skill involving the manipulation of objects for recreation, entertainment or sport. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling. Juggling can be the manipulation of one object or many objects at the same time, using one or many hands. Jugglers often refer to the objects they juggle as props. The most common props are balls, clubs, or rings. Some jugglers use more dramatic objects such as knives, fire torches or chainsaws. The term juggling can also commonly refer to other prop-based manipulation skills such as diabolo, devil sticks, poi, cigar boxes, shaker cups, contact juggling, hooping, and hat manipulation. *

Juggling Juggling is a physical skill, performed by a juggler, involving the manipulation of objects for recreation, entertainment, art or sport. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling. Juggling can be the manipulation of one object ...

** Contact juggling **

Toss juggling Toss juggling is the form of juggling which is most recognisable as 'juggling'. Toss juggling can be used as: a performing art, a sport, a form of exercise, as meditation, a recreational pursuit or hobby. In toss juggling, objects — such ...

Chinlone Chinlone ( my, ခြင်းလုံး, ), also known as caneball, is the traditional, national sport of Myanmar (Burma). It is non-competitive, with typically six people playing together as one team. The ball used is normally made from handwov ...

* Cigar box (juggling) * Devil Sticks * Diabolo * Flair bartending * Footbag * Hat manipulation

Spinning and twirling

Spinning and twirling are any of several activities performing spinning, twirling or rotating the spun object for exercise, play or performance. The object twirled can be done directly by one or two hands, the fingers or by other parts of the body. It can also be done indirectly, as in the case of devil or flower sticks, using another object or objects. The origin of twirling can be found in manipulation skills developed for armed combat and in traditional dance. The various twirling skills have become increasingly popular with many associated with

circus skills Circus skills are a group of disciplines that have been performed as entertainment in circus, sideshow, busking, or variety, vaudeville, or music hall shows. Most circus skills are still being performed today. Many are also practiced by non-p ...

. * Chinese yo-yo * Club swinging * Devil sticks * Diabolo * Eskimo yo-yo * Fanning * Fire staff * Flagging * Freestyle nunchaku * Glowsticking * Hooping **

Hula hoop A hula hoop is a toy hoop that is twirled around the waist, limbs or neck. It can also be wheeled along the ground like a wheel, with careful execution. They have been used by children and adults since at least 500 BC. The modern hula hoop ...

ing *

Padiddling {{Short description, Act of spinning an object on the pad of a finger Padiddling is the act of spinning an object on the pad of a finger. This differs from most spinning tricks due to the active circling motions needed to keep an object spinning. T ...

* Plate spinning * Poi spinning *

Rhythmic gymnastics Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which gymnasts perform on a floor with an apparatus: hoop (rhythmic gymnastics), hoop, ball (rhythmic gymnastics), ball, Clubs (rhythmic gymnastics), clubs, ribbon (rhythmic gymnastics), ribbon. The sport combi ...

* Rope dart * Trick roping * Twirling ** Baton twirling **

Color guard In military organizations, a colour guard (or color guard) is a detachment of soldiers assigned to the protection of regimental colours and the national flag. This duty is so prestigious that the military colour is generally carried by a young o ...

and

winter guard Winter guard (sometimes spelled "winterguard") is an indoor color guard sport and performance art derived from military ceremonies. Modern winter guard is a competitive, performance-based activity which incorporates choreographed staging, dance, ...

Yo-yo A yo-yo (also spelled yoyo) is a toy consisting of an axle connected to two cylinder, disks, and a string looped around the axle, similar to a wikt:spool, spool. It is an ancient toy with proof of existence since 500 BCE. The yo-yo was also ca ...

Skill toys

Skill toys are purpose-made objects that require manipulative skill for their typical use. Also often used as fidget toys, examples of such toys are: * Astrojax * Begleri *

Kendama The is a traditional Japanese skill toy. It consists of a handle (''ken''), a pair of cups (''sarado''), and a ball (''tama'') that are all connected together by a string. On one end of the ''ken'' is a cup, while the other end of ''ken'' is na ...

Pen spinning Pen spinning is a form of object manipulation that involves the deft manipulation of a writing instrument with hands. Although it is often considered a form of self-entertainment (usually in a school or office setting), multinational competitions ...

* Butterfly knife (Balisong) *

Knucklebones Knucklebones, also known as scatter jacks, snobs, astragalus, tali, dibs, fivestones, jacks, or jackstones, among many other names, is a game of dexterity played with a number of small objects that are thrown up, caught, and manipulated in var ...

* Fingerboard (skateboard)

Dexterity

Dexterity skills are here seen to be skills which are not usually associated with other categories of object manipulation. Many of these skills use items not usually associated with object manipulation. Examples are dice, cups, lighters. *

Cardistry Cardistry is the performance art of card flourishing. Unlike card magic, cardistry is meant to be visually impressive and appear very hard to execute. The term "cardistry" is a portmanteau of "card" and "artistry". People who engage in cardist ...

* Card manipulation * Clackers *

Coin manipulation Coin manipulation is the art of manipulating coins in skillful flourishes, usually on or around the hands.Money Magic, pp. 175-221. Although not always considered coin magic, the tricks are sometimes used in magic shows. The difficulty of the tric ...

* Dice stacking * Isolation *

Knife throwing Knife throwing is an art, sport, combat skill, or variously an entertainment technique, involving an artist skilled in the art of throwing knives, the weapons thrown, and a target. In some stage performances, the knife thrower ties an assistant ...

Shuffling Shuffling is a procedure used to randomize a deck of playing cards to provide an element of chance in card games. Shuffling is often followed by a cut, to help ensure that the shuffler has not manipulated the outcome. __TOC__ Techniques Overh ...

* Sport stacking, a.k.a. cup stacking * Whipcracking

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