Fun With Buttons

Natalie, mother and creator of Tired, Need Sleep, has designed a wonderful learning tool for young children. Buttoning, next to tying shoes, is one of the hardest skills to master. It takes quite a bit of coordination and dexterity to fit these small objects into their proper place. A great way to strengthen this skill is to make a button board where children can practice.

Supplies You’ll Need • Large piece of corrugated cardboard • Fabric • Bright Buttons • Felt sheets in assorted colors • Kids scissors • Craft glue • Needle and thread Begin with a scrap piece of fabric that covers the entire surface of the cardboard piece you’ve selected. Within the limit of the cardboard, plan and place small dots onto the fabric where you would like to place buttons. The number and spacing isn’t important unless you plan to make it a matching activity.

Use a needle and thread to sew buttons to the fabric and then paste the piece of fabric to the corrugated cardboard. Fold any excess fabric around the edges of the board and tack in place with glue. Cut shapes from the felt, adding a slit big enough to fit a button in the center of each. With the finished product, students will develop fine motor skills, practice color and shape recognition, and reinforce other concepts like sorting and matching.

Tired, Need Sleep.: Button Board

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