Fold a piece of construction paper in half (hotdog style) to create a stand-up ‘Postbox’. Glue the edges shut.
Use scissors to cut a short, narrow slit (about 1.5 inches long) in the middle of the ‘Postbox’.
Place a pile of assorted buttons on the table next to the postbox.
Use a strong pincer grasp (thumb and index finger) to pick up one button.
Hold the paper box steady with your helper hand. Push the button into the narrow slot.
Try to fill the entire ‘Postbox’ with buttons!
Safety Tip: Ensure the buttons are large enough not to be inhaled or swallowed. Always closely supervise the child, especially when using small manipulative objects and sharp tools like scissors.
Use markers to draw a simple target or bullseye onto several index cards. You can assign point values for older children.
Secure the index cards flat onto a table using masking tape around all four edges. This prevents the card from moving.
Place a small pile of colorful buttons from the container near a designated start line on the card.
Show your child how to use the pad of their thumb to gently flick the button forward. The thumb should use the pointer finger as a stabilizer (thumb opposition).
Challenge your child to flick each button until it lands completely inside a target zone. If the button flies off the table, try using less force.
Safety Tip: Buttons are small items that pose a choking hazard. Maintain constant, close adult supervision throughout this activity. Ensure all buttons are collected immediately after play.
Buttoning is a fun fine motor skill to work on! It is more motivating when it involves our children’s favorite characters; in this case, Noodle & Pals from Super Simple Songs on YouTube!
Here, we created peek-a-boo buttoning boards that progressed from easy to more challenging buttoning skills.
Preparation:
Step 1: Cut up a piece of cardboard of your desired size (Our cardboard is the blue & white checkered print in the photo).
Step 2: Cut felt to your desired size. Ensure there will be enough overlap between the felt pages when you close the buttoning board.
Step 3: Glue the edge of the felt to the edges of the backside of the cardboard.
Step 4: Glue/sew the buttons on one side of one of the felt pages.
Step 5: Cut out slits to match the sizes of your buttons on the other felt page.
Step 6: Optional – take a marker & outline the edges of the button openings (the slits you just cut), so it makes it easier to visually identify the location of the buttonhole opening.
Step 7: Print, cut & glue on your child’s favorite character at the top of the cardboard sheet.
Tips and Grading Options:
Warm-Ups:
Insert popsicle sticks through slits on a coffee cup lid.
Insert coins into piggy banks.
Pick out buttons from playdough.
To make it easier:
Start with fewer buttons.
Create larger buttoning hole openings.
Highlight the buttoning hole openings by drawing around them (such as the black markings in the photo).
Use larger buttons.
Demonstrate how to button & use simple language.
To make it more challenging:
Increase the number of buttons.
Create smaller buttoning hole openings.
Use smaller buttons.
Use fabric with busy patterns.
Use fabric with flimsier material.
As always, ensure safety in all activities. Provide assistance and supervision as needed.
For this activity, you will first need to create the button container using plastic containers with lids. Use the scissors to pierce a hole in the lid.
Take one button and insert a 3-inch pipe cleaner through 2 of the button holes.
Insert each edge of the pipe cleaner through the lid hole that you pierced and twist the 2 edges together on the bottom of the lid. This will hold the button in place on the lid.
Close the container with the lid so the button is at the top of the container.
Using a marker, mark a shape on the container.
Cut out pieces of felt in the same shapes that you marked the containers with. You can also use fabric for this.
Using the scissors, cut holes in the middle of each shape.
Provide the child with the button containers and the felt shapes. Ask the child to sort the felt pieces and button them on the right container marked with the matching shape.
For grading, you can use different sized buttons or you can also use one container with no marked shape and have the child follow a pattern from a visual model (i.e. button a circle, a triangle, and a rectangle in a repeated order).
