🔬 Ready for Class 1 · Science & our world · Ages 6–7 · about 3 weeks Dates: to

Materials and Magnets

Goal: Describe how materials feel, say what things are made of, and test which things a magnet attracts.

For parents: Magnets attract some materials, including iron and many steels, but not every metal. Use only a large intact magnet that an adult keeps control of. Skip the magnet activities if no suitable magnet is already available.

Do together

  1. Magnet test

    You need: A large intact magnet held by an adult, a large metal spoon, a wooden spoon and an unbreakable cup

    Your child predicts whether each object will be attracted. The adult brings the magnet close while the child observes. Record the actual result; different metal spoons can behave differently. Keep the magnet away from mouths and younger children, and put it securely away immediately afterwards.

  2. Sort our results

    You need: Paper and a pencil

    Draw the objects tested in the previous activity. Put their pictures into attracted and not attracted groups using the recorded results. Explain why guessing from a shiny appearance alone did not tell us the answer.

  3. Texture hunt

    You need: The house

    Find something rough, smooth, soft, hard, bendy and stiff. What is each one made of?

Talk about it

  • Which objects did our magnet attract, and how did we check?
  • What is a window made of? Why is that a good material for it?
  • Can you find something bendy and something stiff?

Words to use

  • magnet
  • attract
  • metal
  • rough
  • smooth
  • bendy
  • stiff

Play (optional)

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wasilearn.com/learn/class-1-ready/materials-and-magnets · free home learning, ages 2–7