magnets for science experiments

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10 Fantastic Magnet Experiments for Kids

July 14, 2015 By Emma Vanstone 7 Comments

Our magnet wands are one of our most used pieces of science kit and are perfect for all kinds of magnet experiments and investigations. When my children were little, they wandered around the house “testing” things to see if they were magnetic, and then we went through a phase of magnet-powered cars , boats and anything else we could make move.

Magnets are great for experiments and investigative activities as children can feel the force between them but can’t see it, which can feel almost magical!

If you like these, don’t forget we’ve got 100s more free science experiments and activities to try.

Magnet Experiments for Preschoolers

Magnet maze.

Magnet mazes are fantastic as they are super easy to make and can be themed to the child’s interest. We’ve had lots of fun with mini magnet mazes over the years, but there’s nothing to stop you from making a giant version!

LEGO magnet mazes are great fun too!

Crazy Pipe Cleaner Hair

Draw a head of a person and give them a new hairstyle using a magnet wand and some pipe cleaners.

Magnet Scavenger Hunt

We love this magnetic scavenger hunt from Inspiration Laboratories.

Another idea is to hide magnetic items and add clues or codes for children to break, leading them to the next thing.

Magnet Sensory Bottle

Sensory bottles are great fun for little ones, and these magnet sensory bottles are extra special. Move the magnet wand up and down, and the objects that are attracted to the magnet also move up and down!

How strong is a magnet?

Find out how strong your magnet is using felt squares. Investigate how many felt squares it takes to stop two magnet wands from being attracted to each other.

Another idea is to set up an investigation using different types of magnets and materials.

Ice and Magnet Experiments

This ice and magnet activity from Little Bins for Little Hands looks great fun.

Car Track Magnet Game

This car track magnet game is brilliant fun for young children. Print the track and cut out the cars to make it super easy, or draw your own track.

Find a story to recreate

We recently watched an episode of The Clangers where the Iron Chicken gets trapped in a pile of space rubbish. Straight away, my little girls disappeared to recreate the scene with our magnets and a stash of toys.

They created a magnet fishing rod using a stick and some string. Used plastic toys for space rubbish and made an ‘Iron chicken’ using kitchen foil with a magnet inside. It wasn’t entirely accurate to the story, but they did very well with the resources they had.

During the episode, Small and Tiny first use nets to clear the space junk to free the Iron Chicken, but their nets break. We used the opportunity to discuss materials that might have strengthened the nets. Major Clanger then uses a magnet to collect the space rubbish. The girls predicted correctly that the space rubbish would weigh down the flying music boat!

Magnet Experiments for Older Children

This magnetic slime and electromagnetic train Frugal Fun for Boys looks AMAZING!!

Extract iron from breakfast cereal . Remember to be very careful using strong magnets.

Babble Dabble Do has some incredible magnet tricks that are like magic!

Did you know you can use magnets to defy gravity ? Can you see how the cardboard and paperclip seem to be floating?

If you’re looking for a great magnet set, this one from Learning Resources is our absolute favourite!

Can you think of any more magnet experiments for us?

Last Updated on October 17, 2023 by Emma Vanstone

Safety Notice

Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources.

These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely.

Reader Interactions

July 15, 2015 at 9:22 am

Great set of ideas for magnetism – do you have any recommendations of where to get good magnets for kids from that allow open-ended exploration?

July 18, 2015 at 10:43 am

Wow! I just discovered your site…so much great science stuff! My 3yo says that he is a science kid (like Sid!) so thank you for all of the great ideas even for the little ones!

July 23, 2015 at 6:17 am

I read your tips to learning about magnetism is very helpful to connect two magnetism each other Also read your baby picture made so cute in television

October 29, 2015 at 2:10 am

😀 that idea of moving picture is nice. Amazing article. Enjoyed reading.

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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 easily at home or in the classroom. Most of these projects include items you will have on hand to make putting them together even easier.

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:

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!

Build Magnetic Sculptures

Provide small, cylindrical magnets, magnet tiles, or other magnetic building blocks, and let kids build creative magnetic sculptures by stacking and arranging them in different ways.

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.

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!

Magnetic Fishing

Attach paper clips to plastic fish or other small objects, and use a magnet as a fishing rod. Kids can “fish” for the objects in a container of water.

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.

What other uses can you think of for magnets?

More Fun Science Topics To Explore

• Gravity Experiments
• Simple Machine Projects
• Potential & Kinetic Energy
• Static Electricity

Get The Printable Magnet Activities Pack

Grab the complete MAGNET PACK here and prep an amazing magnet lesson plan or theme week. (Includes book list too!)

Your kids will be blown away by the power of magnets with these playful science activities! The suggested age range is Kindergarten through Second Grade (3rd and 4th will enjoy it too)! 

What’s Included:

10+ projects include supply lists, directions, basic science information, and pictures to create science fun with magnets quickly!  Favorite activities include magnet mazes, sensory bottles, painting with magnets, and making a magnet.  Plus, video tutorials!

• 10 fun and creative magnet projects (using a basic magnet set)
• Word Search
• Crossword Puzzle
• Vocabulary Cards
• Suggested Books

Designed by an early elementary school STEM teacher for Little Bins for Little Hands!

Subscribe to receive a free 5-Day STEM Challenge Guide

~ projects to try now ~.

Babble Dabble Do

4 Easy Magnet Experiments That Will Amaze Your Kids

January 30, 2015 by Ana Dziengel 16 Comments

This super simple set up yields 4 easy magnet experiments that kids will absolutely love! And it just so happens these project are a great tie into Valentine’s Day though honestly they are fun any time of year! So what does magnet science have to do with Valentine’s Day? Well….

This project was originally part of the sensory series Playful Hearts: Valentine’s Inspired Play & Learning. For more projects in the series scroll to the end of the post.

Have you ever noticed that some of the common sayings people use to describe love and attraction are based on the scientific phenomenon of magnetism? Here are some examples:  They had a magnetic attraction.  He exudes animal magnetism.  They are polar opposites.  I was drawn to her.  She has a magnetic personality.

It makes sense that love and magnetism are synonymous. Love is that indescribable feeling you get with certain people that makes you feel all warm and gushy. In the case of romantic love perhaps it makes your heart race, your palms sweat and you can’t help but feel its strong force.

Magnets have a similar effect. Magnets are objects that exude a strong force field around them that causes them to attract ferromagnetic materials and other magnets themselves. Strong magnets are drawn immediately together when placed in close proximity. And did I mention that this magnetic field is invisible, just like love? You can’t see it but you can certain feel it, and it’s a fun sensory experience for kids to try and “touch” an invisible force. For our post today we made a simple pyramid structure that will give you the chance to explore the invisible and strong attractive force called magnetism.

This post contains affiliate links to products I recommend to my readers.

Magnet Magic: Easy Magnet Experiments

Tips before starting: .

• One of the ways we have fine tuned this project over the years is to substitute modeling clay for the loom bands. It’s MUCH easier for kids to put together on their own.
• We also made our own wands with a pencil and ceramic disc magnet hot glued to the end.
• Ceramic Donut Magnet
• 12″ Bamboo Skewers
• Rectangular Ceramic Magnets
• Magnetic Wands  OR use a pencil with a ceramic disc magnet hot glued to the end
• Small rubber bands (loom bands )  OR Substitute modeling clay or play dough!
• String or yarn

Instructions

• Step One Cut a piece of string about 8” long and thread through a donut magnet. Tie tightly.
• Step Two Connect the ends of two skewers by overlapping them and wrapping a loom band around the joint.
• Step Three Repeat Step Two to connect a third skewer and form a triangle base.
• Step Four Connect two additional skewers first to each other and then to the base to form one side of a pyramid. Before forming a full pyramid with the last skewer wrap the top connection with the loose end of your string. The goal is to have the donut magnet hang from the center point of the skewer pyramid. You want it to hang about 1 ½” from the base
• Step Five Add your last skewer to complete the pyramid shape. Wrap the joint tightly with a loom band.

The Modeling Clay Version:

To make the clay version:.

• Give each child (2) strips of modeling clay. Ask them to tear each strip in half and the roll the halves in a clay sphere. They will need (4) spheres in total.
• Construct the triangular base with a clay sphere at each joint.
• Once the base is complete, add a skewer to the top of each sphere and collect at the center point to form a pyramid. Use the last clay sphere to connect the top three skewers.
• The magnet on a string may be pressed into the top clay sphere to hold in place at the desired height.

The Easy Magnet Experiments

This little DIY pyramid structure can be used to make several different observations about magnets. I loosely divided them into 4 mini experiments you can first watch in this video and then read about below.

Easy Magnet Experiment #1: Follow That Force

Can you move something without even touching it? Magnetic force is very strong when magnets are placed in close proximity to each other. To see just how strong it is try this: Take two rectangular magnets and place them under the center point of the hanging donut magnet. Gently slide the rectangular magnets around and watch as your donut magnet follows the magnetic force. Twists and turn the donut magnet by twisting and turning the rectangular magnets beneath. Seemingly defy gravity by suspending your donut magnet at an angle!

Easy Magnet Experiment #2:   The Indecisive Magnet

Magnets have a north and a south pole. This means that one end of a magnet attracts and the other side repels if placed next to another magnet. This is a fun observation to make with magnets of any kind. To see how this repelling and attracting can drive a magnet crazy try this: Place one ceramic magnet under the center point of each bottom chord of your triangle base. Now gently lift your donut magnet and let it swing. It will bounce back and forth between the three magnets’ fields as it encounters the different polarities. It will look like a wildly indecisive magnet that has no idea where to go! Move the rectangular magnets around to see what happens to the center magnet and how it swings based on its proximity to the different magnetic fields.

Easy Magnet Experiment #3: An Invisible Dance Partner

This is my favorite experiment. Let the donut magnet rest as still as possible at the center of the pyramid. Now take a magnetic wand (or a strong magnet) and begin gently waving it near the donut magnet (don’t get too close or the magnets will stick together). Watch as the donut magnet begins to sway and twirl. You can really make that donut magnet shake it’s groove thing simply by moving your wand nearby! Because our donut magnet is suspended by a string it amplifies the twirling action. And for any doubters who think that the slight breeze generated by waving your hands is causing the magnet to dance, try waving your hand nearby without the wand. The donut stays put.

Easy Magnet Experiment #4: The Jitters

Place two rectangular magnets underneath the donut magnet. Gently pull on the donut magnet to release it from the magnetic field then let it drop and swing over the rectangular magnets. It will quickly be caught right back in the magnetic field and move quickly back and forth in a jitterbug dance.

Leon Theremin .  How many of you know and are fascinated by the musical instrument known as the Theremin? If you don’t know what I am talking about please go watch this video RIGHT NOW  of the most well know Theremin performer Clara Rockmore.

The Theremin is the only musical instrument that is played without physical contact. It was invented in the 1920s by Leon Theremin and is based on the phenomenon that interrupting an electromagnetic field can produce audible frequency changes. Essentially the Theremin has two antennae that broadcast a signal to each other and when you wave your hands between the antennae you interrupt the magnet field between them causing the signal to change. Here is a great little video demonstrating it .

Leon Theremin was a Russian scientist who discovered this phenomenon when working on proximity sensors for the Russian government. He went on to patent this electronic musical instrument and it’s eerie sound can be found in many a sci-fi movie soundtrack from the 1950’s. Though it became associated with campy film soundtracks in the 1950’s it was actually used in some classic films like Spellbound and The Lost Weekend and is most famous in popular music in the song Good Vibrations from the Beach Boys.

Magnets are one of my favorite materials to work with and these easy magnet e xperiments are simple to set up and kids  love to watch them in action! Magnetic attraction is seemingly magical and I haven’t met someone yet who isn’t momentarily mesmerized by it’s power and behavior, just like love.

Ready for more Valentines Inspired sensory fun?

Check out my fellow bloggers posts related to sensory play and discovery for Valentines Day:

The impossibly sweet  Hanging Hearts Creative Threading Activity  from Childhood 101.

An awesomely touchy feely Textured Heart Sensory Bin from Toddler Approved 

A smart Valentine’s Math Station from NutureStore.

Spread Creativity like Wildfire: Pin this!

Meri cherry says

January 30, 2015 at 7:37 am

That video is AWESOME Ana!!!!!Cant wait to share it!

Ana Dziengel says

February 4, 2015 at 4:11 am

Love you mama!

March 9, 2016 at 11:40 am

Love you too! <3

Sonya Shulga says

October 12, 2016 at 7:55 pm

That’s cool i am going to do that for the science fair!

January 30, 2015 at 11:22 am

Ev loves the video!

Jeanette Nyberg says

January 31, 2015 at 6:20 am

Awesome! I love the magnets and love tie-in. And the video is amazing! It brings the whole thing to life and makes me want to run home and set this up. I *think* we have the magnets and skewers, but this is totally worth a trip to the store.

Thank you so much Jeanette!

February 10, 2015 at 2:25 pm

Very cool, Ana

August 10, 2015 at 10:08 am

I would like to do the same magnetic experiment with my little students. But, I failed. Would you mind give me some hints? Or advice me the dimension of the rectangular magnet and donut magnet?

September 8, 2016 at 11:21 am

I work for a hands-on exploring museum in MN, and I was scrambling for an alternative project. The one I had planned on using just wasn’t as fun, easy or amazing as I had hoped. Then I found your post!

We already had all the materials on hand, so I jumped in and had a camp full of kids try this. I was a little anxious, since a lot of the campers were upper elementary aged, and I worried they might be “too old” for a magnet game.

I let each camper choose if they would make the pyramid out skewers (like your example), regular plastic straws (colorful of course!) or giant bubble-tea straws. Then each figured out how to hang their magnet from the peak using string, and how they would like to attach or control the side magnets.

I was so pleased that everyone had fun designing and building this project, and then playing with it! (*Playing with something just created is always the test for how awesome it was!)

Thanks so much for sharing this fabulous idea! I love your blog and suggest it to everyone who asks for ideas. You are the BEST!

September 8, 2016 at 12:09 pm

Oh Sonia I am so happy to hear this!!! Woo hoo! Do you have pics? I’d love to see some of the camper’s work! Thank you so much for the kind words 🙂

October 12, 2016 at 7:58 pm

That’s cool i am doing that for the science fair at my school with my friend Alexa

October 12, 2016 at 7:59 pm

Its so FUN!!!!!!!!

November 26, 2016 at 8:54 pm

I’m surely gonna chose this as my science experiment. It’s really good!

December 9, 2016 at 5:39 am

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40 Fun Magnet Experiments and Play Ideas

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FUN Magnet Science Experiments and Activities

Magnetic Marble Mazes : For this activity you need magnet wands and magnetic marbles , plus my printable mazes !

Animal Magnet Face Drawings : These are reminiscent of the old funny face magnet toy I had as a kid. It’s fun & easy to make, plus kids love it!

The Magnet Bell Game : We used our magnet wands for this one, too, as well as some small colored bells . This does NOT have to be a Christmas game. 🙂

This Cow Magnet in a Bottle Experiment was loads of fun! My kids LOVED this magnet experiment.

Stacking Levitating Magnets : this magnet experiment uses  ring magnets , a wooden skewer and play dough.

Milk Cap Magnet Boats : Save your milk and bottle caps for this playful magnet experiment in water.

This  Magnet Pendulum : another great use for the magnet wands! This experiment tests to see which direction the wand swings when you move the magnets around. The magnetic force makes the wand swing in different patterns. It’s so fun to watch and to play with! Watch it in action:

Magnet Science Fun for Kids – The magnet bottle experiment is an easy one to put together with things you may already have in your house You just need an empty plastic bottle, pipe cleaners, and a strong magnet that will attract the pipe cleaners. The attractive force of the magnet will pick up the pipe cleaners through the bottle!

Simple Machines Gear & Magnet Play for Kids : Use magnets to attach gears to a white board.

My kids like to collect small household objects and see which ones stick to the magnets.  You could chart them in two columns.

You can have them try to put the same poles of the magnets together and see what happens.  Then try with opposite poles- what’s the difference? Teach them the terms repel & attract.

See if they can make them move things with magnets. There is a fun experiment to get cars moving with magnets on this website.

Here are directions to make your own compass out of a magnet.

More Awesome Magnet Teaching and Play Ideas:

Former school teacher turned homeschool mom of 4 kids. Loves creating awesome hands-on creative learning ideas to make learning engaging and memorable for all kids!

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New follower from the Friday Blog Hop! 🙂 Jen @ My Secret Home

Thanks for linking up to the NOBH:). My kids love magnets too. Going to check out the site on making your own compass my 2 would love that:)

Magnets are alot of fun and love your ideas! Thanks for linking up to NOBH! Happy Mother’s Day!

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