Simple magnet toy

I don't know what it is with magnets, but they are so fun. Do you remember those days from elementary school when you got to play with magnets? I still remember learning about the north and south pole of magnets and being so fascinated with how they stuck together.

Along those lines, I saw this simple toy just using a plastic container, a magnet and cut up pipe cleaners.

I used a plastic crystal light container and a magnet from our fridge. Then I added some pipe cleaners I had cut into smaller pieces. Here's what I came up with:

When I made it, my two year old would hardly let me take a picture. She loved moving the magnet around and seeing how it made the cut up pipe cleaners move.

When she is older, we will talk about the science behind this. Until then, I'll just let her discover magnets on her own.

A few tips for making this toy: Make sure the bottle or container has flat sides. If your magnet isn't that strong (the one we used isn't), it won't attract the pipe cleaners very well through all the curves of the bottle.

Also, the stronger the magnet, the better.

Enjoy your magnets!