DIY - 🧲 Magnificent Magnets at Home!
Create your own Magnificent Magnets at home!
Try this mess-free project at home, perfect for little artist(s) ages 3 and up! Color, cut, and stick it’s as easy as that with this easy to assemble DIY project. Encourage your little one to use many colors and brainstorm shapes to cut out together.
We use these magnets on our sensory easel station in the Minni studio, but these can stick like any traditional magnet and can be super fun for your kiddos to decorate the fridge with! If you’re wanting a temporary work station, we recommend using a metal baking tray to stick the magnets to.
Follow along to try it out at home.
Materials:
Metal baking sheet
Printable magnet sheet
Markers (or another art making material, such as collage paper and a glue stick, or tempera paint and paint brushes)
Scissors (for grown-ups)
Optional: additional assorted magnets (we love letters and shapes! just be sure they do not have loose parts and are larger than 1.25 x 2.25 inches, so they are not a choking hazard, and always keep a close eye on your toddler while they play to stay safe)
Let’s get started!
Steps
1. Invite your little artist to start by decorating the white paper side of a printable magnet sheet using markers. Encourage them to create repeat patterns and fill all the white space with color!
Adaptation: For a messier version, collage a sheet with small scraps of tissue paper or recycled artwork, using a glue stick, or invite your artist to paint the back with tempera paint! Just be sure to let it dry before proceeding with the next step.
2. When the white space is filled with patterns and color, use a pencil to trace shapes, then a grown-up should carefully cut out the pieces.
We recommend making medium and large shapes, to reduce choking risk of small pieces, but always supervise toddlers while they play.
3. Invite your little explorer to experiment with sticking the magnets to the metal cookie sheet, and pulling them off. What do you notice about the magnets? Encourage your little artist to create patterns or combine shapes to make new ones!
