Magnets & Materials: A Magnetic Exploration at Home

This experiment pairs with the Magnets & Materials lesson. Your child will test materials around the house, discover which ones are magnetic, and explore how magnets attract and repel.

What you need

• 1–2 magnets (fridge magnets work, but bar magnets are better)
• 15–20 small objects: paper clip, coin, aluminum foil, wooden block, plastic spoon, key, nail, rubber band, pencil, glass marble, fabric scrap, staple, brass fastener, eraser, bottle cap
• A notebook and pencil for recording predictions and results
• A bowl of water and a cork (for the compass activity)
• A piece of paper or thin cardboard

The experiment

Part 1: Predict and test

Lay out all your objects. For each one, have your child predict: Will the magnet stick to it? Write down "yes" or "no" for each prediction. Then test each one. Were their predictions right?

Make two piles: magnetic and not magnetic. Look at the magnetic pile. What do these objects have in common?

Part 2: Attract and repel

If you have two magnets, let your child hold one in each hand and bring them close together. Flip one magnet around. What happens?

• What does "attract" mean? What does "repel" mean?
• Can you feel the force before the magnets touch?
• Does the distance matter?

Part 3: Through materials

Can a magnet work through things? Test it:

• Hold a paper clip on one side of a piece of paper. Can you move it with a magnet on the other side?
• Try the same with cardboard, then a thin book, then a thicker book.
• Try it through a plastic cup. Through the bottom of a table.

How thick can the barrier be before the magnet stops working?

Part 4: Make a compass

Rub a needle or paper clip along the magnet 30–50 times in the same direction. Place it on a small piece of cork floating in a bowl of water. Watch it slowly turn. Which direction does it point?

The Earth itself is like a giant magnet. Your magnetized needle is pointing toward magnetic north.

Discussion questions

1. What material do most magnetic objects seem to be made of?
2. Why do you think aluminum foil is not magnetic even though it is metal?
3. What would happen if you cut a magnet in half? Would each piece still be a magnet?
4. Where do people use magnets in everyday life?

What they are learning

This activity reinforces the Magnets & Materials lesson: magnets attract certain materials (especially iron and steel), magnets can attract and repel each other, and magnetic force can pass through some materials. Not all metals are magnetic — this is a key distinction that surprises many kids.