Educational refrigerator magnet toys to teach kids physics

June 29, 9:42 AMChicago Children's Toys ExaminerRenée Carver

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  Gearation Refrigerator Magnets can help kids experiment
with how to transfer motion. (© Tomy/International Playthings)

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Chicago parents can give children practice with physics concepts like motion and simple machines with refrigerator magnet toys that use gears and ramps. Through play, children can learn why physical objects in the world move as they do and how people can direct and channel the forces of motion.

Putting magnetic toys on a refrigerator makes learning communal. Kitchens and fridges are often located at the heart of a home, and kids can play and learn with toys on a fridge while spending time with their families. Parents and older siblings can easily join in the play and learning, encouraging kids to discuss what they observe happening while they experiment with the magnetic toys.

Refrigerator magnet toy gear sets

Gearation Refrigerator Magnets can be used like regular fridge magnets to stick papers and drawings to the refrigerator, or kids can experiment with how to arrange these 6 plastic magnetic gears to get them to move in different ways. The large central gear has a battery-powered motor that can be used to rotate the other gears once their teeth are meshed with its teeth. This toy is aimed at kids ages 3 to 7.

Learning Resources Gears! Gears! Gears! Magnetic Goofy Grins Motorized Set is a 118-piece building set that includes magnets on the base so kids can make gear constructions on a refrigerator or other magnetic surface. A motor moves the gears once a construction is complete, and themed pieces like eyeglasses, a mouth, and flashing lights allow kids to create funny faces. This toy is aimed at children ages 5 to 9.

Kids can experiment with inertia and gravity with
Frigits magnetic marble runs. (© Frigits)

Magnetic kinetic toys for refrigerators

Frigits sets teach children about concepts such as inertia, simple machines, and kinetic energy. Kids stick the ramp pieces to the side of a refrigerator or any other magnetic surface to create a vertical marble run. The marbles drop down rails, chutes, buckets, and even a Ferris wheel. This toy is aimed at kids ages 7 and up.

• The Frigits Original Set comes with 7 pieces – 4 rails, 1 bucket, and a Ferris wheel, plus 12 marbles and a catch box.
• The Frigits Deluxe Set comes with 11 pieces – 4 rails, 2 buckets, a Ferris wheel, a tornado, and 2 Serpentine chutes, as well as 12 marbles and a catch box.
• The Frigits Extension Launcher Set offers a special pinball-action U-shaped tube launching piece, and the Frigits Extension Corners piece allows kids to build marble courses that loop around the side of the refrigerator.