Daily STREAM Activity: Magnetic Magic

Explore magnetism!

Activity best for children age 2 and up

Explore magnetism in this fun do-it-yourself activity. Magnetism is all about the attractive and repulsive forces between two objects. Objects that have a magnetic field around them will either stick to or move away from another object. Today, you’ll get to test out different magnet strengths, materials, and shapes to better understand magnetism and all of its magic!

Materials you’ll need:

Magnets

Paper Clips

Playing card

Directions

STEP 1
Test magnets of different strengths and see how many paper clips different magnets can attract.

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STEP 2
Take a playing card and put the magnet on top of it. Then lift the card up and see if any paper clips stick onto the paper. Why do you think this works?

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STEP 3
Stick one paper clip onto the magnet and then create a chain of paper clips. See how many paper clips you can add to your chain.

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STEP 4
Carefully remove your paper clip chain from the magnet. Does it still hold together or does it fall apart? Why do you think this happens?

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Blog post by Raina, San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum Volunteer