10 Fun Magnet Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers (That Actually Keep Them Off Screens)

As a modern parent, keeping your little one entertained, educated, and screen-free can feel like a juggling act. Thankfully, magnet activities offer an ideal balance between fun, learning, and independent play. Let's dive into creative magnet-based ideas designed specifically for toddlers and preschoolers!

Why Magnetic Play Is Great for Toddlers and Preschoolers

A young child in an orange shirt smiles while playing with colorful magnetic shapes on a table, including a heart, triangle, and house. The child holds a horseshoe magnet, and four circular icons around them represent fine motor skills, cognitive development, creativity, and independent play—all illustrated with simple, child-friendly symbols. The background features soft beige and warm tones, creating a calm, playful atmosphere.

Magnetic toys aren't just entertaining - they're fantastic educational tools. Here's why:

  • Fine Motor Skills -> Handling magnets helps improve grip strength, hand-eye coordination, and precision.
  • Cognitive Development -> Kids learn sorting, matching, and early math and science concepts.
  • Creativity and Imagination -> Magnets provide endless opportunities for open-ended play.
  • Independent Play -> Magnet activities naturally encourage kids to explore independently, fostering confidence and autonomy.

What Skills Do Kids Build with Magnet Activities?

A young girl with brown hair and an orange shirt smiles while using a red horseshoe magnet on a beige board. Around her are colorful magnetic shapes, including a triangle, square, and two circles. Four soft-toned circular icons hover in the background, representing skills like problem-solving, spatial awareness, cognitive development, and visual recognition. The scene is warm, playful, and set in a flat, cartoon-like style with a muted orange and beige color palette.

Magnetic play boosts crucial developmental skills:

  • Problem-solving and critical thinking
  • Spatial reasoning and awareness
  • Color and shape recognition
  • Hand-eye coordination and motor skills
  • Vocabulary and communication

10 Creative Magnetic Play Ideas (No Screens Required)

1. Magnetic Fishing Game

A toddler with brown hair and an orange shirt sits on a wooden floor, smiling while playing a DIY magnetic fishing game. The child holds a simple fishing rod made from a stick and string with a horseshoe magnet at the end, lifting a green paper fish with a small metal clip. Around the child are other colorful paper fish—orange, blue, and yellow—each with clips, set in a warm, screen-free environment that highlights creativity, coordination, and fine motor skill development.

Create a DIY fishing game using magnets, paper fish with metal clips, and a fishing rod with a magnet at the end. Kids practice coordination and patience.

2. Magnimoo Magnetic Wall (Featured Product)

Magnimoo

Magnimoo’s magnetic wall is perfect for vertical play, helping your child enhance motor skills, creativity, and focus. Just attach magnets, shapes, or letters and watch your toddler engage independently.

"My toddler plays with the Magnimoo wall every morning - it’s replaced our iPad time!" – Jamie, parent of a 3-year-old

3. Magnetic Shape Sorting

A young girl with brown hair and an orange shirt sits at a wooden table, focused on sorting colorful magnetic shapes on a metal baking tray. The tray is filled with neatly arranged circles, triangles, and squares in warm tones of orange, yellow, green, and blue. Additional shapes are scattered on the table around her. Soft sunlight filters through a window in the background, and a potted plant on a shelf adds to the cozy, home-based Montessori-inspired setting.

Use colorful magnetic shapes on a metal baking tray for easy sorting, matching, and pattern creation.

4. Alphabet & Number Magnets

A young child with brown hair and an orange shirt smiles while placing a colorful magnetic letter on a beige refrigerator. The fridge is covered with assorted magnetic letters and numbers in warm tones of red, orange, green, and blue. A shape-sorting tray with geometric pieces sits on the nearby table, and a shelf in the background holds a potted plant and books. Soft sunlight streams through a window, creating a cozy, Montessori-inspired playroom or kitchen environment.

Great for early literacy and numeracy. Stick these on your Magnimoo wall or refrigerator, helping your child recognize letters and numbers.

5. Magnetic Maze

A young child with brown hair and an orange shirt sits at a wooden table, intently guiding a small metal ball through a hand-drawn maze on a piece of cardboard using a magnet from underneath. The maze board is placed flat on the table, surrounded by additional play items like colorful magnetic shapes. A potted plant and arched window in the background add to the warm, Montessori-inspired home environment, emphasizing focus, creativity, and problem-solving.

Draw a simple maze on cardboard and guide a magnet-covered marble through the paths using another magnet from beneath.

6. Magnetic Dress-up Dolls

A young girl with brown hair and an orange shirt sits at a table, smiling as she plays with a magnetic dress-up doll. In front of her is a magnetic board displaying a flat doll figure, already dressed in a yellow shirt, brown shorts, and shoes. The girl holds a magnetic clothing piece, ready to add it to the doll. Surrounding her are additional magnetic outfits—hats, shirts, pants, and shoes—scattered on the table. A bookshelf with books and a potted plant in the background adds to the cozy, Montessori-inspired playroom setting.

Kids love dressing dolls or figures with magnetic clothing - great for imaginative play and fine motor skills.

7. Building with Magnetic Blocks

A toddler with brown hair and an orange shirt sits cross-legged on a soft play mat, carefully stacking colorful magnetic tiles into a tall tower. Additional magnetic shapes—triangles, squares, and diamonds—are scattered around the mat. In the background, a completed house-shaped structure made from blocks and a potted plant sit on a wooden floor. The room is softly lit with a warm, calming color palette, creating a cozy, Montessori-inspired play environment that emphasizes creativity and hands-on learning.

Stack, connect, and create structures with magnetic tiles or blocks, improving spatial reasoning and creativity.

8. Magnetic Sensory Bin

A young girl with brown hair and an orange shirt sits at a table, smiling as she uses a magnetic wand to explore a sensory bin filled with rice. Inside the bin are various hidden magnetic objects, including a small ball, magnetic letters, toy parts, and a horseshoe magnet. Additional magnetic items are scattered nearby. The cozy room features warm lighting, a potted plant, and a simple block structure in the background, creating a calm, Montessori-inspired setting that emphasizes sensory exploration and hands-on learning.

Fill a bin with rice or sand and hide magnetic objects. Toddlers use magnetic wands to explore and discover hidden treasures.

9. Magnetic Puzzle Pictures

A young child with brown hair and an orange shirt stands at a magnetic wall, carefully placing pieces of a colorful magnetic puzzle. The puzzle depicts a cheerful yellow animal, possibly a lion or bear, standing beside a simple house with an orange triangular roof. The child is holding two magnetic pieces—one with the animal’s face and another with the roof—while additional pieces rest on a nearby table. The scene is illustrated in warm, soft tones, capturing a playful and focused moment in a Montessori-inspired setting.

Create or buy puzzles with magnetic backs. Toddlers can piece images together on magnetic surfaces, enhancing visual memory.

10. Magnetic Car Race

Place magnetic cars on tracks drawn on metal trays or your Magnimoo wall for exciting races that boost coordination.

How to Set Up a Magnetic Wall for Kids at Home

Setting up your Magnimoo magnetic wall is easy:

  • Choose a child-accessible space.
  • Mount the Magnimoo wall securely following simple instructions.
  • Provide an assortment of age-appropriate magnets.
  • Encourage your child to experiment freely with placement and creation.

Tips to Encourage Independent Magnet Play

Encouraging your child to play independently can boost their confidence and creativity:

  • Start activities together, then step away gradually.
  • Rotate magnet toys regularly to maintain interest.
  • Set a comfortable, distraction-free area for magnet play.
  • Celebrate their creations and ask questions to encourage further exploration.

Want to expand your toddler’s learning space? Check out these Montessori playroom tips.

Ready to Boost Your Child’s Playtime?

Magnetic play not only engages toddlers and preschoolers in meaningful activities - it’s also screen-free fun that supports essential developmental skills.

Discover how Magnimoo turns everyday play into learning. 

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Enjoy watching your child's creativity and skills flourish through magnetic play!

As they build, sort, and explore, they're developing fine motor coordination, problem-solving abilities, and spatial awareness - without even realizing it.

Each session of magnetic play encourages independent thinking and boosts their confidence as they bring their imaginative ideas to life.

It's a joyful, screen-free way to nurture both cognitive growth and playful curiosity.

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