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Magnetic Floating Ghost

Stem Activities

Ages: 3-5

Less than 30 minutes

Grownup needed

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Try this simple magnetic STEM activity! This experiment requires very few materials and is super simple. Children will learn about gravity and magnetic force while having fun.

Materials Needed

Clear tape
Double-sided tape
Coloured paper
Pencil
Markers
Magnet
String
Paper clips
Scissors

An assortment of craft supplies lies on a wooden table. These include rolls of clear and brown tape, a red piece of paper or cardstock, a pencil, a white marker, scissors, a small magnet, some white yarn or string, and several colorful paper clips. These items suggest preparation for a craft project.

Step-by-step tutorial

Step 1

Fold the coloured paper in half and draw your favourite design with a pencil.

On a light wood-grain surface, two hands are engaged in a crafting activity. In the background, a white piece of paper features a simple drawing of a ghost, and a green piece of paper displays a drawing of a leaf. In the foreground, a hand holds a light blue piece of paper while the other hand, holding a blue and white polka-dotted pencil, draws a cloud shape on it. The scene suggests a paper crafting or drawing project.

Step 2

Carefully cut out your design using scissors, keeping the paper folded.

Two hands work on a crafting project on a light wood-grain table. One hand holds a light blue piece of paper with a drawn cloud, while the other hand uses scissors to cut out the cloud shape. In the background, there's a white paper with a ghost drawing and a green paper with a leaf drawing, suggesting a themed crafting activity.

Step 3

Cut three pieces of string, each about 20cm long.

Two hands are shown on a light wood-grain surface working with a small ball of white yarn and a pair of black scissors. One hand holds the yarn, from which a length of string extends. The other hand holds the scissors and is in the process of cutting the string. This image likely depicts a step in a crafting or DIY project.

Step 4

Take a paperclip, thread one piece of string through it and tie a knot. Repeat with the other two Pieces.

Two hands manipulate a piece of white string on a light wood-grain table. A red paperclip is attached to the string, and the hands appear to be in the process of tying a knot or securing the string with the paperclip. This suggests a step in a crafting, DIY, or household task.

Step 5

Place double-sided tape on the bottom of one of your cut-out designs and peel off the backing.

On a light wood-grain surface, two hands interact with light blue cloud-shaped cutouts. One hand points towards a completed cloud, while the other hand peels the backing off of an adhesive strip attached to another cloud cutout. This suggests a crafting or decorating activity involving adhesive stickers.

Step 6

Attach the paper clip with string to the double-sided tape, then stick the other piece of coloured paper on top to sandwich the paper clip.

A hand interacts with a crafting project on a light wood-grain table. Several small paper cutouts, including a ghost, a leaf, and two light blue clouds, are attached to lengths of white string. The hand holds one of the cloud cutouts. A small blue paperclip is attached to another cloud, suggesting they are being linked or hung together. The scene depicts a simple mobile or hanging decoration being assembled.

Step 7

Use clear tape to attach the other end of the string to your table.

A light blue paper cloud cutout is attached to a white string that trails down onto a light wood-grain surface. A hand at the bottom of the frame holds a small piece of clear tape, preparing to attach something to the string. This image likely depicts a stage in a crafting or decorating project.

Step 8

Hold the magnet above your paper creation and experience the magic of magnetic attraction!

A hand holds a stack of magnets above a paper cloud attached to a string. The cloud is suspended in the air, seemingly floating, due to the magnetic force repelling it from the magnets held above. This demonstrates a simple physics experiment involving magnetism.

The Science Behind It:

Magnets are objects that create magnetic fields and can attract or repel other magnetic materials (like iron and iron products, such as paper clips). This activity demonstrates the competition between magnetic force and gravity. When your ghost floats, it means the magnetic force is stronger than gravity. If the ghost falls, gravity has won! Have fun experimenting!

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