Go to the Do Science Store See how AC current shakes with a magnet. Most hardware stores carry ceramic magnets that you can buy for a buck or two. Elongated bulbs like decorative bulbs or ones that are used in appliances work well. While the bulb is turned on, hold the magnet next to the bulb. Watch what happens to the filament.
Electricity flows one direction then switches and flows the opposite way.
A wire carrying electricity creates a magnetic field. If the direction of the electricity changes so does the magnetic field. The wire or filament inside the bulb does this. The hot glowing wire creates an alternating magnetic field. Two magnets held near each other attract or repel each other.