Forces and magnets
Grade 2 · 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 Grade 2 science game about magnetic materials, with a printable game and worksheet.
Play Magnetic materials: will it stick?
Learning about forces and magnets
In this Grade 2 science collection, you can practice 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 practices 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?
This game shows four everyday objects and asks which one is attracted to a magnet, or which one is not. It uses objects whose material is clear: a steel paper clip, an aluminum drinks can, a brass key. We have left out coins and stainless-steel cutlery on purpose, because some are magnetic and some are not, which makes a great investigation but a confusing quiz question. Try those at home with a fridge magnet.
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 aluminum can and a steel tin side by side. Both are metal; only the steel tin sticks.
Practice 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
Magnetic materials: will it stick?
Suggested grade 2 practice, selected by skill and reading demand. US states and schools teach these topics in different grades; this is not a state-standards alignment claim.
Next Generation Science Standards teaching connection: PS2.B: magnetic interactions. Predicting which materials attract a magnet is introductory background. The linked Grade 3 expectation asks learners to investigate forces; use real magnets and test predictions after playing. Read the framework.
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. These games provide focused practice. Grade suggestions do not replace your school’s curriculum, and any Common Core connection applies only to the skill described.