The answer to a rainy day with a toddler and preschooler always seems to be button play! Buttons just have a little magic, don’t they? Running your hands through a pile buttons feels like a treasure of rare and beautiful coins. But did you know that simple button play is invaluable for building motor skills, organizing skills and sparking creativity? All you really need are a bunch of buttons, a muffin tin, and maybe some string, and then back away. The kids will start playing and learning all on their own!
Notice how they organize the buttons differently. My daughter likes to separate them by color and “sparkly-ness” while my son seems to notice texture and size. This is a Montessori practice where they are in charge, it is fascinating to see what they come up with.
Stringing the buttons develops fine motor skills, I’m always surprised how young they can start doing this on their own.
These strings with the stiff, plastic-coated ends come with Melissa & Doug wooden beading sets. We re-use them over and over for beading and button stringing. I’m not sure if you can get them without a set, but they are totally worth investing in and keeping around.
I remember spending hours playing with my mom’s antique button collection as a child. She had a 1/2 gallon jar of the most beautiful glass, ceramic and bone buttons that truly were treasures. I found a box of colorful plastic buttons at Joan’s one day for just a few dollars, which my kids love just as much.
