B is for Buttons

• Button sorting
1. With a bunch of colorful buttons of different sizes, put them in a sensory bin (bin filled with uncooked rice, beans, oatmeal, sand, etc) for the preschoolers to play with and find. Use tweezers to pick them out!
2. After they have been sorted by color, sort by size.

• Stinging buttons
1. With the same buttons used above and a pipe cleaner, string the buttons! They can string them:
• randomly
• patterns
• by color
• by size
• etc.

• Make a button tree
1. Gather your supplies. We used:
• empty toilet paper roll (filled with newsprint) and a base of cardboard glued to the bottom
• sticks from outside
• hot glue gun and extra glue
• BUTTONS!
2. Arrange the sticks and add dots of glue to the branches, applying a button to each one before it dries.
3. Another option is to glue the branches to a piece of paper so it is flat instead of 3D.

**Find more BUTTON inspired preschool activities HERE**

B is for Buttons

• Read “Corduroy” by Don Freeman … this fuzzy little bear in green overalls goes looking for his missing button.

• Preschool Journal B page
  1. Practice writing letter B and ‘Buttons’
  2. Use glue dots to stick buttons to the page.

• Button Sorting with Corduroy … loved the idea of pairing this activity with this book … from the Princess and the Tot

 

• Button Bracelet … the pipe cleaners make it easier to string the buttons, but the ends are a little scratchy. A piece of yarn taped at the end would work too!
1. Use a pipe cleaner and several colorful buttons
2. String the pipe cleaner through two button holes. I love how my 4-year-old strung tons of buttons on his bracelet too (on his left hand in the picture.)
3. Twist the ends together to make your bracelet!

• Button Lacing Card
  1. Use a clean yogurt or cottage cheese lid.
  2. Punch holes all around the outside edge.
  3. Let the kids “sew” the button (just like Lisa in ‘Corduroy’) by lacing in and out of the holes. I used a couple of my husband’s extra shoe laces and that worked great!

• Button Matching Game … both of my kids loved doing this over and over. Really a fun game! 
  1. Make a color copy of several buttons. I just placed them on my printer’s copy screen.
  2. Place all of the buttons in a ziploc baggie.
  3. Number the button paper and bag of buttons so you know which goes with which.
  4. Repeat with several different button pages.
  5. To Play:
     • Have the kids carefully pour the buttons out on the table.
     • Match the buttons to the printed buttons on the page!

• Button Snake … a fun way to practice buttoning with just a little parent prep!
  1. Cut a length of ribbon and several circles of felt in a variety of colors.
  2. Use hot glue to sandwich one end of the ribbon between two buttons (the snake’s head).
  3. Sew a felt circle to the other end of your ribbon snake.
  4. Cut a small slit in the middle of each felt circle (just fold in half and make a small cut on the fold) … just big enough for the buttons to fit through.
  5. Have the kids kids string the felt circles onto the ribbon snake. Unstring (unbutton) and try it again!

Buttons

• Glue B page ... draw a large letter B, trace with glue, and glue on buttons
• Sort buttons in a muffin tin
• String buttons & beads on pipe cleaners

• Read “Corduroy” by Don Freeman … about a little bear who realizes his button is missing and spends the night searching for it.
• Button, Button, Where’s the Button?
  1. After you read, hide a large button (or 2 or 3) & find it just like Corduroy.
• Which Button is Missing?
  1. Use about 10 very different buttons.
  2. Lay them out on a tray.
  3. Let the kids look at them for a minute.
  4. Have them close their eyes and remove one of the buttons.
  5. Open their eyes and see if they can remember which button is missing.
• Wear pants & shirts with buttons on them ... count everyone's buttons
• Do button or bead pattern cards
  1. On an index card draw the start of a pattern (blue button, red button, blue button)
  2. Punch a hole on the edge of the card & attach a string so the kids can continue the pattern by stringing on buttons or beads.

Snack Idea: broccoli & ranch dip