Drones, toy trains, and colorful building tiles. What do these toys have in common? They all contain magnets!

Magnets can pull and push other magnets without touching them. Magnets can also pull certain kinds of metals. It feels like magic. But it’s really because of an invisible force called magnetism.

Let’s check out some of these toys to see how magnets make them so much fun!

All magnets have a north and a south pole. Opposite poles pull together. The same poles repel. This diagram shows two types of magnets. The black lines are the areas affected by magnetism.

Building toys like Magna-Tiles use magnetism to hold the pieces together. Each tile contains magnets along its edges, arranged so that both north and south poles face outward on each side. That way any two pieces attract. So you don’t need to guess which sides match up. You can just build!

Putty is fun to sculpt and stretch. Magnetic putty does something else! Place it near a strong magnet, and it moves like it’s a living blob. It might even swallow the magnet whole! Most magnetic putty contains fine powder made of a magnetic metal like iron. The powder is attracted to strong magnets, giving this putty the power to be extra silly!

From drones to remote-controlled cars, many toys that move have a motor. A motor contains a permanent magnet (A) that has an electromagnet (B) inside it. When electricity flows through the motor, the electromagnet’s poles flip rapidly. They switch between being attracted to and repelled by the outer magnet. That makes the electromagnet spin. It can attach to wheels or anything else that needs to quickly twirl!

Magnetic drawing toys, like the Magna Doodle, have three magnetic parts. The pen’s tip is a magnet. The drawing pad contains tiny magnetic particles that sit beneath a thick white liquid. Touching the pen to the pad pulls these particles to the surface. The thick liquid holds them in place to make the marks you see. When you erase, another magnet pulls the pieces back under the white liquid and out of sight!

Magnetic train sets are classic kids’ toys. They have magnets on the front and back of each car. If you gently pull the front car, magnets help the cars behind it stay connected. But you have to make sure each train car is facing the right way. Cars with the same poles facing each other won’t stay together, no matter how hard you try. Instead, they push each other apart.