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!