I think the problem with reversing the footage is that the smoke and the stuff wafting in the air looks sort of weird in reverse.
Roto-ing the hand would be great if you want to try!
And I’ll try to make both puppets bounce a little more the next version.
EDIT:
The two shot is amazing. The cut made after the second puppet shot needs to be at a point before or after the whisp of white dust. That sudden movement doesn’t quite jive with the stillness in the shot of the kids afterword.
Yeah, this was something that was bugging me too, I’ll see about cutting a frame or two earlier.