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Treasure in a Bottle

Kids can go on the job at home with this toymaking activity! While creating a fun, easy-to-make magnetic game, Iittle toymakers will start to understand how magnets push and pull as well as what objects are magnetic.

IMPORTANT NOTE TO GROWN-UPS

Please supervise young children when using small magnetic objects. An adult should always monitor a child’s activity with magnets so they do not swallow any of these items. When finished with the activity, make sure to clean up any magnets and small objects, storing them away from children.

What They’ll Learn

Physics

On the Job: Toymaker

What You'll Need

Instructions

  1. Invite kids to add items to the bottle – including both magnetic and nonmagnetic objects.
  2. Help kids fill the bottle most of the way with rice, beans, sand or water – you can also leave it empty!
  3. Close the bottle with its cap.
  4. Show kids how to put a magnet next to the bottle and move the magnet around, pulling up “treasure” items. Which objects move towards the side of the bottle and the magnet? Which do not?
  5. After the activity is over, make sure you clean up any magnets and small objects, storing them away from children.

Parent Tip

  • You could ask your child, “Why do some objects come to the side when you use the magnet and some do not?”
  • “See how the magnet pulls and pushes the items? It’s because some items are magnetic!”
  • Help kids sort the items into magnetic and not magnetic piles.

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Kid-safe & ad-free

New content added weekly

Accessible on multiple devices

Downloadable books & games for offline play