Magical magnets
By : Eri Akbar
Senior Tutor , Early Years Educational Services
Magnets hold much wonder for preschoolers . Invite investigation with a variety of everyday objects and discover which objects attract a magnet . This is an excellent opportunity to learn about the properties of objects around us . You can take the excitement level a notch higher by putting a barrier between the magnet and the objects .
For example , put a magnet under the table or over a glass water and then test its power by seeing which object it can ‘ pull ’ along with it . How about putting a magnet at the end of a fishing rod and encouraging children to retrieve metallic objects ? Or create a magnetic painting where a child ‘ directs ’ the flow of paint on paper plates by moving a metallic object underneath it ? Finally , introduce children to the idea of like poles repelling each other and set them thinking !