WonderWorks: Magnets (outreach edition)

What do magnets stick to?

Supplies:
variety of large, non-choking hazard magnets
iron filing cases
a tub full of a mix of things that would stick to a magnet and things that won't stick

small objects in plastic jars with lids (some metallic)

What we read:

Stuck / Jeffers, Oliver
(while not strictly about magnetism, this book is way more fun to read than any book about magnets and hey, magnets get stuck on things so....)
What we sang:
Icky Sticky Sticky Sticky Bubblegum Song



What kids did:
tried out the sealed plastic jars (I think this one has thumbtacks inside)

 figured out which objects would stick to a magnet and which wouldn't.

 This fork spun in the most mesmerizing circles, just dangling there!

 Their magnetic marker board was a favorite play spot this time

 My magnet can stick to your magnet!

 Let's see how closely I can swing these two magnets together before they magically pull together!

 Hey, this wall is magnetic!  (hooray for metal framing!)

 This wooden table is not magnetic.

 These flowers stick to my magnets!

 This young man spent a loooooong time at this table with these materials!  First, he tried this paintbrush on top of the magnet board (which I borrowed from my daughter's daycare.  Sorry, I don't know who made it!).

 Then, I"ll use the magnets to play with the iron filing cases

 What happens if I touch this magnet to this other magnet?

 Why isn't it working??

 Oh, I have to use the other side.  The side with the magnet on it.

 I love how he carefully moved all the filings to the bottom edge of each case, then lined up the cases in a row.

 

One of my favorite things was when one of the kids ran to another part of their classroom to find these magnetic "fishing poles" to add to our activities.  Hooray for making connections!

 The toy car in the magnetic exploration box was popular.

 Hey look, this ring fits over this ball!

 This young girls remembered the activity I'd brought last time and pulled out the box of pompoms and an egg carton to do it again.  Great recall!

 How many pulleys are there?  One, two, three, four!

 Do you like my crown?

This activity didn't hold all of the kids' attention for very long, but I'm not sure if it was the activity choice or if it was just a squirrelly kind of day. 

Variations:  Woolly Willy toys or magnetic picture makers would also work well with this theme.