Fun Magnet Activities For Kids

Magnet science for kids is so exciting! Learn about magnet fields and polarity, everyday examples of magnets, and hands-on and easy magnet activities to tie it all together. Pair these magnet project ideas with our other science activities for more learning fun!

Explore Magnets for Kids

The best way for kids to learn anything, especially science, is through hands-on projects! All of these awesome magnet activities below are focused on learning through doing.

💡 Read all about the science of magnetism for kids below.

In this list, you’ll find magnet activities for preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school that can be done quickly at home or in the classroom. Most of these projects include items you will have on hand to make putting them together even easier.

Fun Magnet Activities For Kids

Extend the learning with hands-on magnetism for kids! There are many great ideas for investigating what kinds of things magnets attract.

Watch the Video:

Floating Magnet Experiment

This magnet science activity lets kids explore the concepts of gravity, magnetic levitation, and attraction in a fun way.

What’s Magnetic and What’s Not

Grab some ordinary everyday items and a large magnet to get started, and explore what’s magnetic and what is not magnetic.

Magnetic Slime

Add a special ingredient to our homemade slime recipe to make the coolest magnetic slime. A fun way to teach kids about magnetism!

Exploring Poles

Teach kids about magnetic poles by showing how opposite poles attract while like poles repel. Use a pair of bar magnets for this demonstration.

Make A Compass

Build a magnetic compass from a few simple materials.

Make A Electromagnet

Create a magnet that turns on and off. Using an electrical current, make an electromagnet to pick up objects like paper clips.

Make A Homopolar Motor

Explore how a battery, a magnet, and a conductive wire interact to create motion with this simple electrical motor.

Magnetic Painting

Paint with magnets! Combine art and science with this fun magnetic painting activity! Also, check out our marbled Christmas ornaments painted with magnets!

Magnetic Repulsion

Explore magnetic repulsion by placing two bar magnets with like poles facing each other. Kids can observe how the magnets push each other away.

Magnetic Maze

This fun magnet maze puzzle shows kids how fun magnet science can be!

Magnet Bottle

These magnetic sensory bottles are perfect for helping kids calm down and are also an awesome way for them to demonstrate magnetism!

Magnetic Ornaments

This fun pipe cleaner craft can be done any time of year to show kids how magnets work, but it is especially fun for Christmas!

Separate Mixtures with Magnets

Use a magnet to separate magnetic materials from non-magnetic ones. For example; mix iron filings and sand in a container. Move a magnet over the mixture to attract the iron filings, leaving the sand behind.

Magnet Ice Play

Did you know magnets even work in ice? Explore and experiment with this fun magnet activity!

Magnet Science Table

If you have preschoolers, they will love these magnet science ideas! Lots of fun magnet activities for preschool in this post!

Simple Definition of Magnetism For Kids

Magnets are a type of rock or a piece of metal that can attract or pull specific types of metal toward themselves.

The force of a magnet, called magnetism, is a common force of nature, just like electricity or gravity.

Magnets don’t need to touch other objects for them to work. Try it out and see for yourself!

You may have seen magnetism at work with magnets on your fridge! Those magnets are attracted to the metal on your fridge and stay put because of it.

How Do Magnets Work

A magnet is an object with a magnetic field or an invisible force of magnetism. This magnetic field is concentrated around the ends of the magnet, and you will be able to see the effects of the magnet the most at the ends.

Magnets attract or repel specific objects, and you can experiment with those objects with the projects below!

Every magnet has a South Pole and a North Pole. The two opposite poles actually attract each other. The South Pole is attracted to the North Pole and vice versa.

However, poles of the same type will repel or push against each other. You can feel this force by trying to push two magnets’ poles of the same type against each other.

Magnets are attracted to some kinds of metal. The main metals magnets are attracted to are iron, cobalt, and nickel.

Everyday Examples of Magnets

Magnets are versatile tools and can be used in various daily activities. Here are some activities that involve the use of magnets:

Refrigerator Organization: Use magnets to hang shopping lists, reminders, and artwork on the refrigerator door.
Sorting and Cleaning: Use magnets to sort and collect metal objects, such as paperclips, screws, or pins, for easy cleaning and organization.
Magnetic Words: Create magnetic quotes by arranging words on a magnetic board or refrigerator.
DIY Magnetic Puzzles: Create your puzzles by attaching small, magnetic pieces to a magnetic surface.
Homework Helpers: Magnets can be used to hold and organize notes, flashcards, and other study materials while working on homework or studying.
Curtain Tiebacks: Use decorative magnetic tiebacks to hold back curtains and add a touch of style to your home decor.
Jewelry Clasps: Some jewelry features magnetic clasps, making it easier to fasten necklaces, bracelets, and earrings.
Craft Projects: Incorporate magnets into various craft projects, such as creating refrigerator magnet art, making magnetic bookmarks, or designing magnetic photo frames.
Magnetic Tools: Use magnetic tools like pick-up tools with magnets at the end to retrieve dropped screws, nails, or other metal items in hard-to-reach places.
White Board Eraser: Use magnetic strips to keep your white board eraser on the board.