Preschool Art Activities ~ Magnet Painting

My kiddos are fascinated with magnets. They had so much fun playing with magnets in our Pixy Stix tray, so I knew they would love painting with them. They had a blast making trails in the paint. This is quickly becoming one of our favorite preschool art activities. I love that it blends art and science by using magnets, paint and found objects.

Magnet Painting Materials:

Paper Plate
Strong magnet ~ We usd magnetic wands
Metal objects ~ paper clips, lightweight chains, small screws, bolts and nuts
Paint ~ we used yellow, red and blue

The idea then is to put a few drops of paint on top the paper plate along with a few metal objects. The kids loved experimenting with paper clips, lightweight chains, small screws, bolts and nuts. You may find thinning the paint with a little with water will make the objects glide through the paint easier.

The kids then paint by holding the paper plate in one hand and a magnet wand under the paper plate. The kids “paint” by slowly moving the magnet and dragging the metal objects around through the paint.

This fun activity combines art and science (magnetic attraction).

Tips and Tricks:

Instead of squeezing paint onto the paper plate, place the paint into bowls. Have the kiddos drop the desired metal objects into the paint. The kids then can pick-up the objects they want and drop them on their painting surface. Making the project more child led.
Make sure you keep the magnet wand against the paper plate. We had a few paint objects drop to the table.
The focus of Magnet painting is the process. The finished products are a colorful abstract mass of tracks, and the kids love them!
You may find that as the metal object becomes covered in paint, it is harder to move through the paint. You can either wash the paint off the object, or thin the paint with a little water.