What makes magnets attract or repel each other?

Magnets have special parts that make them stick together or push each other away, just like how your toys behave when you play.

Imagine a magnet is like a little robot inside a toy block. On one side of the robot, it has a red hand, and on the other side, it has a blue hand. If another magnet comes near with its red hand up, the two red hands push each other away, just like when you both try to grab the same toy at the same time! But if the other magnet has its blue hand up, the red and blue hands hold hands and pull the magnets together, like best friends hugging.

Every magnet has two ends: one is a north pole, and the other is a south pole. The north pole of one magnet will push away from the north pole of another magnet, but it will pull toward the south pole. It’s like having two friends who either want to be together or want to stay apart, depending on which hand they show!

So, magnets are just like your toys with special rules about how they say hello or say goodbye.