BUTTONS




Button Rings

Set out pipe cleaners and buttons with shanks. Have each child select a button and string a pipe cleaner through its shank. Then help the child wrap his or her button ring around a finger. Let the children make and wear as may rings as they want.




Button Pictures

For each child, glue buttons on a piece of construction paper. Hand out the papers along with felt-tip markers or crayons. Let the children draw pictures on their papers and encourage them to use the buttons as part of their pictures. For example, a button could represent a flower, a tire, or the sun.




Counting Buttons

Give each child a small pile of buttons. Select a number and have the children count out that number of buttons from their piles. Repeat, using numbers the children are familiar with.




Sorting Buttons

Collect different colors, sizes, and shapes of buttons and put them into several small boxes. Set the boxes on a table. Have the children sit around the table. Give each child a styrofoam food tray or other shallow container. Ask the children to decide what kinds of buttons they wish to sort out. For example, they could choose buttons that are red, buttons that have two holes, or buttons that are square. Then have the children look for the appropriate buttons in the button boxes and place them in their trays.




Matching Buttons

Select twelve pairs of buttons. Glue one button from each pair to he bottom of an egg cup in an egg carton. Put the remaining buttons in a pile. Then have the children take turns placing the buttons from the pile into the cups that contain matching buttons.




Our Button Song

Sung to : "Did You Ever See a Lassie?"


Let's sing a song of buttons,

Of buttons, of buttons.

Let's sing a song of buttons

That fasten our clothes.

There are big ones and small ones,

With two holes and four holes.

Let's sing a song of buttons

That fasten our clothes.




Jenny Has Buttons

Sung to : "Mary Had a Little Lamb"


Jenny has buttons on her shirt,

On her shirt, on her shirt.

Jenny has buttons on her shirt,

Let's all count them now.

(Count buttons.)


Substitute the names of your children for "Jenny" and, when necessary, the names of other articles of clothing for "shirt".




Button Talk

Collect a handful of unusual buttons and give one to each child. Let the children take turns describing their buttons. If necessary, ask questions such as these: "What color is the button? How many holes does it have? What shape is it?"




Raisin Buttons

Give the children gingerbread people cookies, frosting, popsicle sticks, and raisins. Let the children spread the frosting on their cookies with the popsicle sticks. Then have them add raisin "buttons" to their cookies before eating.

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Visitors since July 4, 1998