Many people enjoy decorating their homes in a cow theme.
Cow magnets of all sizes and shapes can be used to decorate your home, office or car. Cow magnets entertain and educate by providing visual cues that are fun and easy to manipulate. Another use for cow magnets is for communication purposes, either by attaching a message to a refrigerator or magnetic whiteboard, or by giving the cow magnet itself a specific meaning. Does this Spark an idea?
Decorating
Decorating is probably the most common use of cow magnets. Many kitchens have a country theme, and cow magnets are a great way to liven up refrigerators, stove hoods and other metal appliances and accessories. Wooden, plastic, rubber or ceramic magnets in the shape of cows are available for purchase in specialty shops and online. Large black patches from simplybovine.com can be applied to a white refrigerator to make it resemble a Holstein cow. Oversized vinyl cow magnets can be applied to the sides of cars and trucks to convey the driver's interest in cows.
Storytelling
Using cow magnets to tell stories to young children is an entertaining way to teach about farm animals. Children enjoy moving the cow pieces around on a magnetic whiteboard or refrigerator. Individualized sets from educational accessory sites such as childwoodmagnets.com give kids the opportunity to see the actions of the characters in a story such as Jack and the Beanstalk. A magnetized wooden cow in a toy pickup truck set also adds fun to stories about living or working on a farm.
Communication
Cow magnets can be used on a magnetic message board to fasten notes in offices, schools or homes. They can also be set up as signals to household members or friends and neighbors. A specific message can be assigned to a cow magnet---e.g., "we're out of milk" or "we've gone to our country home for the weekend." Leaving the cow magnet in a conspicuous and agreed-upon location---on the refrigerator or on the mailbox by the street---can convey information in a way strangers probably won't notice or understand if they do.
Education
Specialized magnets are sometimes used as teaching tools. Educators can present cow magnets to students when teaching a multitude of subjects---the role of dairy and meat in the food pyramid, the importance of grazing animals in the food chain and cattle ranching in American history. For children with special needs, the manipulation of objects such as cow magnets during a phonics or reading lesson can augment verbal and auditory learning methods.
Tags: magnetic whiteboard, theme magnets