Magnet Science: STEM Activity for Kids

Try this easy-to-assemble magnet science STEM activity for kids! This magnet science project for kids is especially fun for a wide variety of ages. We had a preschooler, kindergartener, first grader, third grader, and fifth grader all doing it together!

Kids (and let’s be honest adults too) are sure to enjoy this magnet science activity because magnets are mesmerizing! Doesn’t it feel a little bit like magic when you can move something without touching it?!

STEM skills can be fostered at any age, and magnets are a great, hands-on way to investigate a scientific concept. Young kids are naturally curious which is the key ingredient to making science FUN!

This magnet science STEM activity is a great way for young learners to experience the magic of scientific discovery! The best way to learn about the way the world works by experimenting, exploring, and observing things. This magnet activity encourages all of these!

Introduction to Magnet Science Activity

What is magnetism? Magnetism is an attraction that two items may have that can make them stick together!

Magnets can find each other because of their magnetic field, even from a distance. The invisible area around the magnet that attracts other magnetic material is called a magnetic field.

A non-magnetic item cannot stick to a magnet (without glue). What’s magnetic? What isn’t magnetic? Let’s find out!

Set Up Magnet Science STEM Activity

Here’s what you’ll need to gather for this magnet science experiment for kids:

5-10 metal objects (large enough to not be a choking hazard if young kids are around)
5-10 non-metal objects (again, large enough…)
1 magnet wand per child– technically you could use any other magnet, but a magnet wand is highly recommended as it protects the children from any chance of swallowing magnets.. and it’s really fun to use!

Instructions For Magnet Science Kids Activity

Mix your magnetic and non-magnetic items together, either on a table, the floor, or in a bin. I spread a whole bunch of objects all over our table because I had 4 kids doing the activity and wanted them to move around.
Give your child a wand and let them investigate the relationship between the objects and the wand.
After some investigating, talk through what a magnet is with your child – we’ve done this activity several times and we always read this book when working with magnets! See talking points below for more ideas!

Magnet Science STEM Activity Talking Points

Here are a few additional experiments within this activity, as well as a few questions to ask your child while you play!

Ask if they think a certain item might be magnetic or not. Why do they think it is or it isn’t? This is a great opportunity for kids to learn about making predictions.
Is the item magnetic or not magnetic? Have a “yes” and “no” pile for items to go into after they have been tested.
Repeat until all items are tested.
How many magnetic items can they pick up at once? Have them count the items that are stuck to the wand!
How far away from an item can they get with the wand and still have it “fly” to the magnet?
Be sure to allow some time for open-ended exploration and play!

After my kids completed the initial activity, I asked them to go through the house and find 2 objects each – one object they had to predict would be magnetic and the other object needed to be one they were predicting would be non-magnetic.

My favorite part of this experiment is when they realize not all metal objects are magnetic!

Be mindful about keeping this magnet science project open ended and fun! Some children might be fascinated and want to do the activity over and over again- try not to rush them! Encourage that exploration!

If your kids lose interest after 15 minutes, that’s okay, let them move on. It only takes a few minutes to learn something!

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