If you're short on kids' science activities, pick up some small magnets from your local hardware store.

They're inexpensive and lots of fun. In addition to keeping your child's full attention, magnets also: Arouse a sense of wonder Expose your child to science and scientific laws of nature Stimulate self-motivated desire to explore and experiment Raise questions and generate discussion Provide a means to additional activities such as counting and grouping

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Here are some basic magnet activities to get you started. Be prepared--during the course of these activities, your child may suddenly decide to go around the house pressing a magnet against things, or may empty and pick up a box of staples five times in a row. Be flexible. Allow for this kind of variation. Your child is conducting research at her own level. Try these activities for starters: -Fill your kitchen sink with water. Drop nuts, bolts and paper clips into the water. Make a fishing pole: tie a string to a stick. Attach a small (donut hole) magnet to the end of the string. Let your child go fishing. Have your child place the items into groups as she catches them. (Advanced: play the part of a purchaser from the market. Tell your child you only purchase items in groups of three. Let your child arrange the items into groups of three for purchase.) -Fill a glass with water and drop a paper clip into it. Have your child try to take the paper clip out of the glass using a magnet (along the side of the glass). Repeat the activity with a tall vase with a narrow neck. (Use an inexpensive one from a thrift or dollar store.) The vase should be dark in color so the contents cannot be seen. Your child will love the challenge of navigating the unseen paper clip to the top of the vase. (Advanced: count five paper clips with your child. Drop them into the vase. Now let your child retrieve the paper clips with the magnet. Continue the activity until all five are retrieved.) -Cut out construction paper fish with your child (colors should vary). Tape a magnet onto each fish. Place the fish on the living room floor and let your child go fishing with her magnetic fishing pole. This time have her group the fish by color. (Advanced: group the fish by size or fin type.) -Take a poster board (or large sheet of paper) and make an line down the middle using a marker. Make small dots in pairs on either side of the line. Place magnets on the dots. Have your child use her finger or a Popsicle stick to try to push a magnet along the line without attracting any of the magnet pairs. Repeat the activity with a wiggly line instead of a straight line. (Advanced: have your child make the line and then allow her to mark where the magnet pairs will go. Let her set up the course the way she's planned it. Allow her to predict whether you'll be able to navigate the course she's made. Allow her to adjust her strategy as a game maker by creating a new course. Continue to play on her terms. Put a check mark on the courses you navigate successfully. When you're finished, review the results.)

-Of course, there's also the time honored favorite: let your child use a magnet under the table to move objects on top of the table. This is a great starter activity and provides ample opportunity for your child to amaze mom or dad, or a neighbor with the seemingly magical properties of magnets. Magnets are a great way to introduce your child to the world of science. They're inexpensive, easy to get out and clean up, and provide enough variation to stimulate your child's curiosity for years to come. Consider supplementing magnet activities with easy to read, age appropriate books on the subject. Don't overshoot the mark with complex material explaining the properties and significance of electrons. It's enough that your child is exposed to the wonders of magnets and has fun playing with and exploring their unique characteristics. Enjoy!

Magnet activities are a fabulous way to introduce kids to the world of physical sciences. The games are wholesome in nature, easy to set up and fun to play. Best of all, the unusual properties of magnets do a wonderful job keeping your childs full focus and attention. Pick up some magnet discs from the hardware aisle of your nearest home improvement store. (Each one is about the size of three pennies in a stack.) A couple dozen is more than enough to get you started. Here are some games and activities to play: Herd the Sheep: Play this game on your kitchen or dining table. Before the game starts, let your child practice moving a magnet on the tabletop using a stack of magnets under the table. This is very easy to do. Now let your child practice pushing a cotton ball around (using the same procedure). Pushing a cotton ball is the equivalent of herding a sheep in the game to follow. To play the game, place two magnets approximately eight inches apart on your table top. These are fence posts. Place ten cotton balls on one side of the fence. Place one magnet on the other side of the fence. Now let your child try to herd the sheep through the fence posts. Take care not to get too close to the fence posts or the sheep herder will snag his coat (and the sheep will run away, etc.). The game ends when all ten sheep have been herded. Use a timer and try to improve the results. (Variation: decorate the landscape using construction paper cut-outs; use string or Popsicle sticks to complete the fence in area where the sheep will be herded.) Watch You Tube video of Herd the Sheep: game:

Stack the Sticks: Play this game on your kitchen or dining table. Before the game starts, let your child practice moving a Q-tip around using the procedure described above. Once your child is

comfortable with this, place ten Q-tips randomly on your table top. Now let your child try to arrange all ten Q-tips neatly into a stack. (Variation: keep in mind that with any of these table top games you can decorate the magnet that sits on top of the table.) Watch You Tube video of Stack the Sticks: game:

Cotton Ball Table Top Race: To play this game, two players sit on opposite sides of your kitchen or dining table. Tape a piece of string across the table for a start line. Tape another piece of string for the finish line. (Start and finish line should be a foot or so apart.) Now each player places five cotton balls at the start line. Each player also has one magnet on top of the table and a stack under the table (as described above). At the word go race to see who can push all five of their cotton balls across the finish line first. Tin Can Table Top Race: Next time you have canned goods, save the cans. Youll need them for this activity. To play, use the same start and finish line from the last game, and sit in the same manner. This time, use the stack of magnets under the table to roll a tin can across the finish line. You can also race back and forth three times. To do this, fold a dish towel a little way past the start and finish line in order to stop the can. This will allow the players to easily reverse directions. The first player to travel back and forth three times wins. Magnet activities for kids are a fun and easy way to introduce your child to the world of physical sciences. During the course of play, your child will come to appreciate some basic magnetic properties (such as polarity as well as the relationship between number of magnets and strength of pull). Dont be surprised if your child suddenly begins investigating something out of the blue. Try to be flexible. After all, half the fun of the activities is that they arouse curiosity and invite further exploration. Have fun!

What are magnets?

Magnets can be made by placing a magnetic material such as iron or steel, in a strong magnetic field. Permanent, temporary and electromagnets can be made in this manner. The atoms forming materials that can be easily magnetized such as iron, steel, nickel, and cobalt are arranged in small units, called domains. Each domain, although microscopic in size, contains millions of billions of atoms and each domain acts like a small magnet. If a magnetic material is placed in a strong magnetic field, the individual domains, which normally point in all directions, gradually swing around into the direction of the field. They also take over neighbouring domains. When most of the domains are aligned in the field, the material becomes a magnet.

Before magnetization

After

magnetization

What are temporary magnets?

Soft iron and certain iron alloys, such as permalloy (a mixture of iron and nickel) can be very easily magnetized, even in a weak field. As soon as the field is removed, however, the magnetism is lost. These materials make excellent temporary magnets that are used in telephones and electric motors for example.

What are permanent magnets?

Other kinds of alloys such as alnico (an alloy of aluminum, nickel, iron, cobalt), make excellent permanent magnets. Ferrites (ceramic like materials made of iron oxides with nickel and cobalt) also make excellent permanent magnets. In these materials the domains are more difficult to dislodge, once they are aligned.

What are electromagnets?

Electromagnets are used when really strong magnets are required. Electromagnets are produced by placing a metal core (usually an iron alloy) inside a coil of wire carrying an electric current. The electricity in the coil produces a magnetic field. Its strength depends on the strength of the electric current and the number of coils of wire. Its polarity depends on the direction of the current flow. While the current flows, the core behaves like a magnet, but as soon as the current stops, the magnetic properties are lost. Electric motors, televisions, maglev trains, telephones, computers and many other modern devices use electromagnets.

What are superconductors?

These are the strongest magnets. They don't need a metal core at all, but are made of coils of wire made from special metal alloys which become superconductors when cooled to very low temperatures.

How did it all begin?

There are many legends accounting for the discovery of magnets. One of the most common, is that of an elderly shepherd named Magnes, who was herding his sheep in an area of Northern Greece called Magnesia, about 4,000 years ago. It is said that both the nails in his shoes and the metal tip of his staff became firmly stuck to the large, black rock on which he was standing. This type of rock was subsequently named magnetite, after either Magnesia or Magnes himself. Stories of magnetism date back to the first century B.C in the writings of Lucretius, and the magical powers of magnetite are mentioned in the writings of Pliny the Elder. For many years following its discovery, magnetite was surrounded in superstition and was considered to possess magical powers, such as the ability to heal the sick, frighten away evil spirits and attract and dissolve ships made of iron! Unlike amber (fossilized tree resin), magnetite was able to attract objects without first being rubbed. This made magnetite far more magical. People soon realized that magnetite not only attracted objects made of iron, but when made into the shape of a needle and floated on water, magnetite always pointed in a north-south direction creating a primitive compass. This led to an alternative name for magnetite, that of lodestone or "leading stone".

Who discovered magnets?

The first attempt to separate fact from superstition came in 1269, when a soldier named Peter Peregrinus wrote a letter describing everything that was known, at that time, about magnetite. It is said that he did this while standing guard outside the walls of Lucera which was under siege. While people were starving to death inside the walls, Peter

Peregrinus was outside writing one of the first 'scientific' reports and one that was to have a vast impact on the world. It wasn't until the experiments of William Gilbert in 1600 that significant progress was made in the understanding of magnetism and it was another century or so before other scientists began, by experimentation, to understand the phenomenon.

Who were the scientists who helped us to understand magnets?

It was William Gilbert who first realized that the Earth was a giant magnet and that magnets could be made by beating wrought iron. He also discovered that the induced magnetism was lost if the iron was heated. In 1820, Hans Christian ersted, demonstrated for the first time (at a public lecture), that there was a relationship between electricity and magnetism.

What is magnetite?
Magnetite is found in rock strata associated with iron deposits and has been found in the ocean floor dating from 2 to 55 million years old. Magnetite is magnetic because its molecular structure has allowed it to retain the alignment of particles caused by the Earth's magnetic field during its formation millions of years ago. When heated to high temperatures magnetite loses its natural magnetism. Not all iron deposits are magnetic, however, which for many years posed a question. Why is magnetite only formed in certain iron deposits? Recently an interesting theory has emerged concerning an anaerobic bacterium, GS-15, which has been shown to convert ferric oxide into magnetite. It is thought that GS-15, could be responsible for the creation of magnetite layers in many iron formations.

What are magnetic force fields?

The area of force (magnetic field) surrounding a piece of magnetite or a bar magnet can be represented (visualized) by the lines of force as shown below, although these lines are no more real than the lines of latitude and longitude on a map or globe.

What is the rule of magnetism?

Like poles repel and unlike poles attract.

Lines of force are three-dimensional, surrounding a bar magnet on all sides.

When opposite poles of a magnet are brought together, the lines of force join up and the magnets pull together.

When like poles of a magnet are brought together, the lines of force push away from each other and the magnets repel each other.

How does a compass work?

The north and south ends of the Earth are called the north and south poles. Because of the Earth's iron-nickel core, the Earth behaves like a magnet. The Earth's magnetic poles are near the geographic poles. A compass needle is also a magnet, with north and south poles. One pole of the needle is north-seeking and is marked "N", that is, it always points to the Earth's magnetic north pole. Similarly, the other pole of the compass needle, marked "S", is south-seeking and always points to the Earth's south magnetic pole. The Earth itself acts as a magnet with two poles and an enormous magnetic field. At some places on the Earth's surface, its magnetic force is greater than at others. Moreover, the magnetic strength changes with the passage of the Moon around the Earth. The magnetic poles also shift their positions slightly from year to year. The Magnetic North Pole and the Geographic North Pole do not coincide.

Who first used a compass?

Hundreds of years ago Chinese sailors used pieces of magnetite, made into needles, to help them find their way if they were lost. A piece of magnetite, or a bar magnet, when freely suspended, generally comes to rest pointing in a north-south direction (a compass needle is a magnet). The Earth is like a giant magnet and behaves as if there is a huge bar magnet in the centre.

Digging deeper into terrestrial magnetism

For centuries travellers used compasses for navigation without understanding how they worked. For many years it was assumed that the magnetic and geographic poles were the same, a misconception that led to the early discovery of North America by Christopher Columbus in 1492. At the magnetic poles the field lines point straight up and down and so a compass there is useless. Like all forms of magnetism the Earth's magnetic field is produced by electric currents. One theory accounting for the production of these currents is that deep in the Earth's core, hot molten magma rises, cools and sinks. Then, the whole process repeats itself. It is thought that within these rising and falling masses of magma the rotation of the Earth creates organized patterns of circular electrical currents, called eddies. The interior of the planet in fact acts like a giant dynamo. Geophysicists have found that some of the Earth's magnetic field reversals occurred within a few 10,000 years of each other, and others, tens of millions of years apart. Lately the field has been reversing on the average, every 200,000 years, although it hasn't happened in the last 800,000 years. It is not known whether this reversal occurs gradually, or whether there is a period of time when there is no magnetic field at all. This latter possibility could have devastating effects for life on Earth, as it is the magnetic field which protects the Earth from deadly solar radiation. In fact, there appears to be good correlation between magnetic field

reversals in the past and extinction of certain species. It is not known why these reversals occur, but it is as if the 'dynamo' in the Earth's core is turned off and turned on again in the opposite direction. The Earth's magnetic field is also involved in the production of beautiful lights over the north pole called the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis.

What are some uses of magnets?

The discovery of magnets was very important as they are used to make electric motors and generators. Things that would disappear if we had no electricity are telephones, lights, electric heat, computers, televisions. Some uses of electromagnets: Maglev trains, car crushers, scrap metal sorters, telephones, computers, doorbells, tape recorders etc. Maglev trains operate without wheels as they 'float' above the track due to magnetic repulsion between electromagnets in the track and underside of the train. Maglev trains can travel very fast, up to 480 km/h (300 mph).

Basics of Magnetism
by Ron Kurtus (revised 6 October 2006) Magnetism is a force of attraction or replusion that acts at a distance. It is due to a magnetic field, which is caused by moving electrically charged particles or is inherent in magnetic objects such as a magnet. A magnet is an object that exhibits a strong magnetic field and will attract materials like iron to it. Magnets have two poles, called the north (N) and south (S) poles. Two magnets will be attacted by their opposite poles, and each will repel the like pole of the other magnet. Magnetism has many uses in modern life. Questions you may have include: y y y What is a magnetic field? What are magnets? How is magnetism used?

This lesson will answer those questions. There is a mini-quiz near the end of the lesson.
Useful tools: Metric-English Conversion | Scientific Calculator.

Magnetic field
A magnetic field consists of imaginary lines of flux coming from moving or spinning electrically charged particles. Examples include the spin of a proton and the motion of electrons through a wire in an electric circuit. What a magnetic field actually consists of is somewhat of a mystery, but we do know it is a special property of space.

Magnetic field or lines of flux of a moving charged particle

Names of poles
The lines of magnetic flux flow from one end of the object to the other. By convention, we call one end of a magnetic object the N or North-seeking pole and the other the S or Southseeking pole, as related to the Earth's North and South magnetic poles. The magnetic flux is defined as moving from N to S.

Magnets
Although individual particles such as electrons can have magnetic fields, larger objects such as a piece of iron can also have a magnetic field, as a sum of the fields of its particles. If a larger object exhibits a sufficiently great magnetic field, it is called a magnet. (See Magnets for more information.)

Magnetic force
The magnetic field of an object can create a magnetic force on other objects with magnetic fields. That force is what we call magnetism. When a magnetic field is applied to a moving electric charge, such as a moving proton or the electrical current in a wire, the force on the charge is called a Lorentz force. (See Magnetism and the Lorentz Force for more information.)

Attraction
When two magnets or magnetic objects are close to each other, there is a force that attracts the poles together.

Force attracts N to S

Magnets also strongly attract ferromagnetic materials such as iron, nickel and cobalt. (See Magnetic Materials for more information.)

Repulsion
When two magnetic objects have like poles facing each other, the magnetic force pushes them apart.

Force pushes magnetic objects apart

Magnets can also weakly repel diamagnetic materials. (See Magnetic Materials for more information.)

Magnetic and electric fields

The magnetic and electric fields are both similar and different. They are also inter-related.

Electric charges and magnetism similar

Just as the positive (+) and negative () electrical charges attract each other, the N and S poles of a magnet attract each other. In electricity like charges repel, and in magnetism like poles repel.

Electric charges and magnetism different

The magnetic field is a dipole field. That means that every magnet must have two poles. On the other hand, a positive (+) or negative () electrical charge can stand alone. Electrical charges are called monopoles, since they can exist without the opposite charge.

Summary
Magnetism is a force that acts at a distance and is caused by a magnetic field. The magnetic force strongly attracts an opposite pole of another magnet and repels a like pole. The magnetic field is both similar and different than an electric field.

Exploration with magnets is a fun way to teach scientific concepts to kids. Hands-on activities put the kids in charge of drawing conclusions about how magnets work and interact with other materials. Once they begin playing with the magnets, they are likely to expand the activities to create further experiments and games. Encourage this free thinking and creativity in the kids.
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1. Object Search
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Send the kids on a search for objects that are attracted to magnets. Magnetic wands, which include a plastic handle with a magnet at the end, work well for this activity. Have the kids make a list of the objects that are attracted to the magnets. Encourage them to try all sorts of items even if they think they won't stick to the magnet. As an alternative, gather the materials ahead of time that you want the students to test, selecting both items that will and will not stick to a magnet. Create a tracking sheet so the students can mark whether or not the item stuck to the magnet. If you have lots of kids participating, gather them as a group after the activity to discuss which items were attracted to the magnet and which were not. Help the kids draw conclusions about magnets.

Magnet Strength
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Use a pile of paper clips to test the strength of various magnets. One at a time, place a magnet just above the pile of paper clips and pull it away. Count the number of paper clips that cling to the

magnet. Repeat the process with all of the different magnets you have on hand to determine which magnet is the strongest of the group. Arrange the magnets in a row from weakest to strongest.

Magnet Cars
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Attach small magnets to toy cars using tape, placing them so some will attract and some will repel another magnet. Provide each child with a magnet. Let him move the cars around with the magnets by either attracting and pulling it or repelling it, forcing it to go the opposite direction. Let the kids have car races using the magnets as the force. For a more challenging option, attach the magnets to the bottom of the cars. Draw a race track, city or parking lot on a piece of thin cardboard. Place the cardboard between two tables, reminding the kids not to push down on the cardboard. Have the kids place the cars on top of the cardboard. Placing their magnets underneath the cardboard, the students use them to guide the cars around the track, city or parking lot.

Educational Games to Play With Magnets

By Ashley Leary, eHow Contributor

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Rare Earth Magnets Magnet Coil

Magnets are a popular science unit for children. The way that magnets attract and repel makes students feel like they are experiencing magic. Once the world of magnets is opened to children, they love seeing the connections in magnetic and non-magnetic things in their lives. There are many fun games that teach students about magnetism.

Magnet Mystery
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This game is played in groups of two and teaches students about magnetic attraction. Each group is given two bar magnets (one has a red dot), a paper clip, a piece of wood and aluminum foil. The students must place their red dot magnet at the end of a desk. The object of the game is to get the magnet to the other side of the desk without touching it with their hands. They may use the objects given to them and nothing else. Groups can achieve this goal in several ways, such as attracting the paper clip to the magnet and pulling the paper clip to the other side. Or they can use one magnet to repel the other forward.

How Many Paper Clips?

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Give each group of two or three students a handful of paper clips and a small rod magnet. Students must guess the number of paper clips they think the magnet can hold. Record the guesses. Then one student holds the rod magnet about a foot off the table and carefully places a paper clip on one end, leaving it dangling. The other students in the group continue adding one paper clip at a time and build a chain. When the magnet won't hold anymore paper clips, check everyone's guesses and declare a winner. .

Magnetic or Non-Magnetic?
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This game is played as a whole class. Explain that magnets are everywhere in our daily lives. Write the word "Magnetic" on a piece of paper and post it in a corner of the classroom. Post a "NonMagnetic" sign in the opposite corner. Hold up items such as a trash can or pencil. Students who believe the object is magnetic or non-magnetic must stand in their respective corners. Then you call on a couple of students to test out each item.

MAGNET MAGIC
Try these fun magnet experiments with your children. Then let them experiment with some magnets on their own. Set out magnets, paper clips, toy metal cars, other small metal objects.
MAGNET CARS Attach bar magnets to the fronts of small toy cars with masking tape. Make sure that the magnets are attached, so that some will repel and some will attract. Let your children play with the cars. Ask them to roll two cars toward each other. What happens? Can they figure out a way to push a car without touching it? MAGNETIC RACE TRACK Children will need to take turns with this activity. Draw a simple race track on a sheet of thin cardboard. Glue a strong magnet to the bottom of a toy car. Place the car on top of the race track. Hold a magnet underneath the cardboard, directly below the car. Slowly move the magnet along the bottom of the cardboard to make the car move. Race the car around the track as fast as you can without running off the track. TRICKY PAPER CLIP Put a large glass filled with water on a low table. Have one of your children drop a paper clip into the glass. Ask your children to think of ways to get the paper clip out of the glass without putting anything in the water or dumping the water out. Then show them a strong magnet. Hold the magnet against the side of the glass until the paper clip attaches to it through the water and the glass. Then slowly pull the magnet up the side of the glass. The paper clip will come out of the water without the water being touched.

Let your children take turns putting a paper clip in and getting it out.

DANCING PAPER CLIPS Fill a jar with water and drop two or three paper clips into the water. Tell your children that you can make the paper clips dance up and down in the water without touching them. Then move a magnet up and down outside the jar to make the clips move. Let each of your children have a turn making the clips dance. Explain that the magnetic force from the magnet passes through the glass and water to make the clips move. COMPASS FUN Explain to your children that a compass has a magnet in it to make it work. The north pole has a magnetic field, and the magnet in the compass is attracted to that field. So no matter where a compass is held, the needle in the compass will point to the north. Set out several compasses and let your children experiment with them. Make sure that your children hold the compasses somewhat apart or the magnetic fields will be disturbed.) Encourage your children to make the needles move around. Then give them small magnets to hold next to the compasses. What happens to the needles? (The magnetic fields from the magnets are closer and stronger than the one from the north pole, so the needles on the compasses will point to the magnets instead of the pole.)

MAKING A COMPASS Set out a straight pin, a strong magnet, a piece of cork, and a bowl of water. Magnetize the pin by rubbing it in the same direction across the magnet at least 25 times. Push the pin through the cork. Have your children watch as you place the cork in the bowl of water. The pin will point north. Let your children check this with a compass. Twist the bowl around; the pin will still point north. MAGNET SORT Collect items that can be picked up with a magnet, such as a metal paper clip, a frozen juice can lid, a washer, and a screw, and items that cannot be picked up by a magnet, such as a rubber ball, a cotton ball, a small plastic toy, and a piece of paper. Let your child use a magnet to sort the items into two piles, picked up by a magnet and not picked up by a magnet. What did the items the magnet picked up have in common? (They were all metal.) HUNT FOR MAGNETS Collect several refrigerator magnets. Hide magnets on metal surfaces throughout your home, such as the refrigerator, the stove, a file cabinet, the washing machine, and a metal toy. Tell your child that you have hidden magnets all around your home. Help your child think of things in your home that are metal where a magnet might "stick." Then let him or her go on a hunt to find the magnets. Magnet Games Collect a variety of novelty magnets or make your own by cutting pictures out of greeting cards and attaching magnets to the backs. Then play the following games with your child.

I Spy-Describe one of the magnets to your child. Have your child try to guess which one it is. Give

as many clues as needed. Then let your child describe a magnet for you to guess. Patterning-Help your child arrange the magnets in a pattern. For example, you could try a pattern of big-small-big-small or red-blue-red-blue. Which One Doesn't Belong-Select four magnets, three of which have something in common and one of which is completely different. For example, you might choose three food magnets and a dog magnet. Ask your child to tell you which magnet doesn't belong.

Fun Magnet Facts for kids

Learning about magnets is great fun. Magnets are used every day all over the world. Did you know most fridge magnets use ferrite magnets to keep them attached to the fridge? Use our fun magnet facts to start learning how magnets work.

Magnets have invisible magnetic fields which attract and stick onto steel items.
One end of a bar magnet is a north pole and the opposite end is aSouth Pole If you attach a bar magnet to a piece of wood and float it in a bowl of water, it will slowly turn and the magnet s North Pole will point towards the Earth s North Pole.

A compass has a tiny bar magnet in it and it works in the same way, so that explorers can find their way If you put a bar magnet under a sheet of paper and sprinkleiron powder lightly over the top, you will suddenly see the invisible magnetic field as the particles stick to it. The North Pole of one magnet willrepel and push away the North Pole of another magnet. The South Pole of one magnet willrepel and push away the South Pole of another magnet. The North Pole of one magnet will attract and stick to the South Pole of another magnet.