Styrofoam Button Bouquet
- Play time:
- 10 to 15 minutes
- Setup:
- 2 minutes
- Where:
- Table
Why it helps
This activity encourages your preschooler to use both hands to build something beautiful. Threading the buttons onto the fuzzy pipe cleaners helps with focus and hand-eye coordination. Pushing the stems into the styrofoam block builds hand strength and helps them learn how to control their force. Choking risk: buttons can be a choking hazard. Stay within arm's reach, and keep them away from children who still put things in their mouths.
Steps
- Use markers to draw a bright green field on your styrofoam block.
- Pick up a colorful pipe cleaner with one hand.
- Use your other hand to slide a large button onto the pipe cleaner.
- Fold the top of the pipe cleaner over the button to make a flower.
- Hold the styrofoam block steady with your helper hand.
- Use your other hand to push the pipe cleaner stem deep into the foam.
- Repeat until your garden is full of beautiful button flowers!
Safety tip: Always supervise your child during play. Small buttons are a choking hazard. Keep materials away from the mouth.
Make it easier
- Use buttons with big holes, which are easier to thread.
- Poke starter holes in the foam with a pencil so the stems slide in more easily.
- Hold the pipe cleaner for your child while they slide the button on, then switch jobs.
Make it harder
- Thread two or three buttons on each stem, from biggest to smallest, to make layered flowers.
- Sew the button on: push the pipe cleaner down through one hole and back up through another.
- Plant the flowers in rows by color, or from shortest to tallest.
What to watch for
- Notice how your child lines up the pipe cleaner tip with the small button hole, and which hand holds the button.
- Watch where your child grips the stem to push it in. A grip close to the foam keeps the stem from bending.
- If the squeaky feel or sound of styrofoam bothers your child, plant the flowers in a block of playdough or a sponge instead.
Where this helps in daily life
Threading a stem through a button hole uses the same aiming and two-hand teamwork kids need to feed a shoelace through an eyelet and to sew on a button with a big plastic needle.
Need personalized support?
While these activities are great for home practice, nothing replaces the guidance of a licensed therapist. If you are in Irvine, CA or the Orange County area and have concerns about your child's Bilateral Hand Use, we invite you to connect with us.
Contact Tumble N' Dots Therapy →These activities are for home practice and don't replace the guidance of a licensed therapist.
