Your children are going to have such fun exploring this magnetism for kids activity! They will color their own figure skater, decorate their own skating rink and then make the skater move around the rink.

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Before your children explore the magnetism for kids activity, you may want to read them a book about figure skating. The booksA is for Axel: An Ice Skating Alphabet, Little Red Gliding Hood, or Dream Big, Little Pig! They are all focused on figure skating! Each would be fun to read to or with your children.

Getting Ready for the Magnetism for Kids Activity

Printing Out the Skater

The first thing you will need to do is print out  Making the Figure Skater Skate Printables from the download. You will find a colored version and black and white version of the figure skater. The black and white version will allow your children to decide the hair and skin color of the skater.

Gathering Supplies for the Magnetism for Kids Activity

You will need:

• Skater Printable
• Crayons
• Metallic Markers or Traditional Markers
• Brass Fasteners
• Magnetic Wand
• Light Weight Metal Pan
• White Card Stock
• Packing Tape

Getting Started with the Magnetism for Kids Activity

Decorating the Skater and the Backdrop

Your children will need to color their figure skater and the backdrop for the skating rink. They can use crayons or markers

First, they will need to decide what color of their skater’s skin, hair, dress, and skates. They may decide to make a skater that looks like them or one that looks like a skater they have seen on television.

Next, they will need to decide on the location of their skating rink.  They create an audience sitting in the stands for an indoor rink. If they want an outdoor rink, they could create trees or a field. It would make it look like their skater was skating on a pond.

Finally, they will need to color the backdrop. We used crayons to color ours. When it is finished the backdrop can be taped to one side of the metal pan.

Making the Skater Skate

Your children will need to break off a prong from the brass fastener. Then they will need to glue it to the back of the ice skater. The metal prong will attract the magnet and allow it to make the skater move.

Then your children will need to place the skater in the pan.

Next, they will hold the magnet wand under the pan. When it is the skater, it will make the skater move.  They can make her jump, spin and glide around the skating rink.

Hint: If your children are having trouble with the magnet wand under the pan. They can hold the wand on top of the skater. They will be able to guide her around the pan that way.

This is part of a series of winter sports activities that your children can do before or during the Winter Olympics. Below you will find a list of the other activities in the series.

Interactive Paper Plate Crafts -Snowboarding Downhill

Paper Plate Ski Lift with a Pulley