Forces and magnets
Year 3 · Science
Look closely, sort your discoveries and ask why things happen.
Choose a game
Take your time, try a game and collect stars.
Magnetic materials: will it stick?
Will a magnet pick up a paper clip, a drinks can or a brass key? A free Year 3 science game about magnetic materials, with a printable game and worksheet.
Play Magnetic materials: will it stick?
Learning about forces and magnets
In this Year 3 science collection, you can practise Magnetic materials: will it stick?. Choose a game above for a short activity, or explore the examples below before you play. The full guide for each game explains its controls, gives more examples and includes a free printable for practice away from the screen.
Talk it through
Start with something you can observe. Ask your child to describe the evidence for a choice, then compare a second example. A game practises vocabulary and reasoning; practical observation and investigation matter too.
Ask: “What clue helped you decide?” Give your child time to explain. Return to an example after playing and ask whether they would approach it differently.
Magnetic materials: will it stick?
A magnet pulls on some materials and not others. In Year 3, children test everyday objects, sort them into "attracted to a magnet" and "not attracted", and learn to name some magnetic materials. The big surprise is that being a metal is not enough. Iron and steel are magnetic, but most other metals, such as aluminium, copper, brass, gold and silver, are not.
Try an example: Which of these is attracted to a magnet: a gold ring, a steel paper clip, a plastic ruler or a glass marble?
Only one of these contains iron. Paper clips are made of steel, which is mostly iron.
Show the answer
The steel paper clip.
What to look out for
Thinking all metals are magnetic. Test an aluminium can and a steel tin side by side. Both are metal; only the steel tin sticks.
Practise away from the screen
- Go round the kitchen with a fridge magnet and test ten things. Make two piles: sticks and does not stick.
Curriculum connections
These games support selected practice connected to Forces and magnets in the National Curriculum in England. Use your school’s sequence to decide when to introduce and revisit each skill. A game covers selected examples, rather than assessing every requirement.
Questions families ask
Where should we start with forces and magnets?
Start with Magnetic materials: will it stick?. Look at the worked example together, then try a round. If the task feels unfamiliar, use the full game guide or its free printable before trying again.
Does this cover everything taught at this level?
No. This collection brings together the games currently available for this learning area. It supports selected skills and does not replace the full programme of study or practical teaching.