Are your kids at home during the holidays and are you looking for exciting ideas or activities to do with the kids? Activities that are fun, with an educational touch, and that won’t cost you much? How about crafting a compass together? It is a fun activity that you can all engage in. Here is how to craft a compass for kids!
Contents
Materials You Will Need To Craft A Compass For Kids
- A large sewing needle
- Strong magnets
- 1 cork
- A medium-sized or large bowl with a few inches of water
- Pliers
- Plenty of patience
- Adult supervision
Step By Step Tutorial
The process is straightforward and should not take you very long. Make sure your kids are old enough and won’t put anything in their mouths. The needle is sharp and swallowing magnets is extremely dangerous. They may get stuck inside because of the magnetic forces and have to be removed in a hospital procedure.
Step 1: Magnetize the needle
Use the magnets to magnetize your needles. You simply need to stroke one side of the needle along the length of the magnet several times. The stronger the magnets, the faster it will magnetize. Allow the kids to take turns until you achieve the results you desire. It could take up to 50 strokes, so let them share the task.
Step 2: Magnetize the other end of the needle
Now flip the needle in your hand and flip the magnet as well. Use the other side of the magnet to magnetize the other end of the needle.
Step 3: Cut the cork
Prepare your cork by cutting off a large chunk, about 1-inch thick.
Step 4: Pierce the cork with the needle
Now take your pliers and cork. You might want to do this particular task because it can get a little tricky. Push the needle through the center of the cork. Your compass is now ready.
Step 5: Place the cork in the water bowl
Place it in the bowl of water
Step 6: The needle will align to the North
How To Use A Standard Compass
- Determine the direction you’re facing by finding North
- Ensure you use it on a flat surface so that the needle seats correctly
- Remove any metallic object that will affect the magnet and mess up the readings
- When using a map, it helps to know the direction of your destination. The travel arrow on your compass should point to where you are going.
- Now twist the azimuth ring to align the North and orienting arrows.
- Remove the compass from the map. Whichever way you turn, the North and travel arrow should align. This should be the direction you follow to your destination.
What Are The Four Cardinal Directions?
A compass has four cardinal directions. They are north, east, south, and west.
How Does the Compass Work?
The Earth has a magnetic field due to its iron core. The composition is partly solid and partly liquid. The liquid part experiences a lot of movement resulting in the magnetic field. The two main magnetic fields are the North Pole and the South Pole.
A compass allows the magnetized needle to react to the Earth’s magnetic field. The ‘opposites attract’ rule applies; the North Pole will naturally attract the Earth’s magnetic south. So what does it all mean? Simple, the compass will always point you to the North. It allows you to know where you are every time.
Have some family fun times learning how to craft a compass for kids!
As a parent of a five-year-old inquisitive boy, I have gained a lot of experience finding fun activities and toys to help him understand science and understanding our world in general. On this blog, you’ll find an extensive amount of tutorials, guides, and toys about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math based on my personal experience to help your child develop critical STEM skills.
