Penguin Magnet Maze

Explore the force of magnetism with this simple magnet maze.

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things you will need

  • Thick card
  • 1 x wooden lolly stick
  • 2 x magnets (we used some old fridge magnets)
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Printer or pens
  • xxx
1

Make the maze

  • Print out a circle maze of your choice on thick card.
  • Print out two penguin images (one larger for the middle of the maze and a smaller one for the lolly stick.
  • Cut out the circle maze and penguin shapes.
  • Glue the larger penguin to the middle of the maze.
  • If you don’t have a printer, simply cut out a circle (about 18cm) and draw your own.

Top tip

Enter simple circle maze into a search engine or use a free image website like Pixabay.
2

Prepare the magnets

  • Glue a magnet to one end of the wooden lolly stick.
  • Glue the remaining magnet to the blank side of the small penguin image. 
  • IMPORTANT: Make sure the top of the magnet attached to the lolly stick is facing so it is attracted to the bottom of the penguin magnet.
!

Safety first

Never put magnets near or in your mouth and keep them away from electrical devices.
3

Try it out

  • Once the glue has dried, your magnet maze is ready.
  • Place the small penguin at the entrance to the maze.
  • Place your magnet wand underneath the card so it attracts the small penguin.
  • Challenge your family and friends to see who can return the baby penguin to its parent in the fastest time.
4

How it works

  • Magnets produce an invisible force called magnetism.
  • This force will pull some metals towards the magnet (metals that contain iron, nickel and cobalt).
  • All magnets have two polar (opposite) ends – these are called the north and south poles.
  • Two poles of the same type (e.g. North and North( will always repel each other. This is described as magnetic repulsion.
  • Two poles that are different (e.g. North and South) will attract each other. This is called magnetic attraction.
  • Magnetic attraction is used in this project to return the little penguin back to its parent.

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