20 early years static & magnetism experiments

Copyright Samrat Jain 2009 - Creative Commons

I love the way that every baby delights in the discovery of gravity ... "If I drop this from my chair or buggy or cot it will fall and mum will have to pick it up". (Although, I don't remember Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation having too much to say about the latter!)

I suspect the sheer delight in their first "experiment" is also why older toddlers and pre-schoolers are so fascinated by playing with magnetic and static forces that seem to defy that first learnt law.  "Oh, wow, look ... things don't always fall!"


We've certainly had lots of fun with static balloons and magnets and we know that we can use their force to make some things "stick together" and to stop them falling but over the next few months am really keen to see if we can:

• Work out what things we can stick together and what we can't?
• Stick together things that aren't touching?
• Make things move towards other things?
• Make things move away from other things?
• Change whether or not things stick together?
• Use them to "bend" things?
• Make things jump up and down?
• Use them to "break" things up?
• Use them to find our way?

In advance of this I've been having lots of fun reading around other blogs for some pre-school friendly experiments we can pillage.  I've pinned lots of fab ideas on our magnetism and static boards but this is a list of some of my big faves that I think will best help us answer our questions:

1. A simple tray & jars for sorting magnetic objects - Sonshine Kids
2. Moving magnetic objects through a plastic tub - Inspiration Laboratories
3. Creating magnetic sculptures - Home School Escapade 
4. Making a simple compass - Kids Activities
5. Exploring different metals - All for the Boys 
6. Magnetic sensory box - Creekside Learning
7. Measuring how far magnet moves things - Camp Slop
8. Making pipe cleaners in a plastic bottle move - Sunny Day Today Mama
9. Extracting paper clips from a jar of water - Mommy Me - The Wonder Years and Early Education and Cuba Antek (this is in Polish so you need to get your browser to translate but then some great visuals & ideas)
10. Magnetic bottles - Familylicious
11. How many paper clips can you pick up with one magnet - Kid Spot
12. Lifting up a dollar bill - Kids Activities (curious to discover if works with the £!)
13. How many balloons will stick to your head? Blog Me Mom
14. Picking up paper with balloons - Mrs Mouthy & Making ghosts dance - Life in the Unknown
15. Moving a can with a balloon - Play Based Learning
16. Popping balloons - Play Based Learning
17. Bending water - Life with More Babies and Frugal Fun 4 Boys
18. Separating pepper from salt with static - Frugal Fun 4 Boys
19. Moving paper in a static bottle - Getting Messy with Ms Jessi
20. Jumping pop corn - Raising Sparks

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