Montessori Activity: Buttoning & Unbuttoning

A cardigan with big buttons serves this function very well...

...than buying this expensive Montessori Dressing Frame - Buttoning:

http://amzn.to/1Uo4nlW

Age: From 3 years old

Objectives:

1. To train the child’s hand-eye coordination skill.

2. To train fine motor skills.

3. To teach practical life skills.

Materials:

1. 1 cardigan with big buttons
2. I tray or basket

Directions:

1. Show your child how to insert the eyelet of the felt cloth through the button.

2. Encourage your child try it.

Additional Information:

J (3Y3M21D) tried this today 24 June 2012. He could button very well now compared to when he tried buttoning activity last yer around this time. He did 3 rounds of buttoning and it was completed very fast. However, it was more challenging for him to unbutton. It took him a longer time to do it, but he succeeded.

Joshua buttoning

Yes, success!

Joshua unbuttoning

Montessori Activity: Dressing Basket

Inspired by Counting Coconuts

Age: From 3 years old

Materials:

1. Shirt with buttons
2. Baby-clothing with snappers
3. Sweater with zipper
4. Belt with buckle
5. Shoe with laces
6. Jeans with hook & eye
7. Shoes with velcro
8. Pants with drawstrings (bow)
9. Basket or box

Tips:

Instead of presenting the whole basket, take out each piece of item and demonstrate it on a tray as an activity for younger preschoolers. Thus, the above items will provide 8 activities :-)

Additional Information:

It is not necessary to buy the expensive Montessori dressing frames. Create your own Dressing Basket for your child with real items instead.

References:

http://countingcoconuts.blogspot.com/2010/12/dressing-basket.html
http://www.montessoriworld.org/praclife/pdress.html

Montessori Activity: Buttoning Frame

Make this Ribbon Button yourself instead, which is actually more fun and effective according to other mommies' experiences...

...than buying this expensive Montessori Dressing Frame - Buttoning:

Inspired by Counting Coconuts

  http://amzn.to/1pi4fXY

Age: From 2.5 years old

Objectives:

1. To train the child’s hand-eye coordination skill.

2. To train fine motor skills.

3. To teach practical life skills.

Materials:

1. 1 ribbon 25 cm long

2. 1 button approx. 2.8cm in diameter

3. 6 pieces of felt rug cloth approx. 9 x 6.5cm

4. Big large safety-pin

Directions:

1. Show your child how to insert the eyelet of the felt cloth through the button.

2. Encourage your child try it.

How to Make:

1. Sew the button to the end of the ribbon.

2. Fold the felt piece into half, and cut a slit 1.4cm long.

3. Pin a safety-pin at the end of the ribbon as a stopper.

Additional Information:

I saw this today, and went right away to sew one for J. I can't believe that I actually sewed for J!!! I really dislike sewing and failed the Home Economics class in secondary school because the doll I sewed looked more like a handicapped person than a beautiful doll. Well, I haven't done too well here, I didn't manage to sew the stopper. I pinned a safety-pin as a stopper at the end of the ribbon instead. But it is good enough to serve its educational function for J.

It is expensive to buy felt in Denmark, but I used a clean and new rug that is made of similar "felt" material.

J (2Y4M26D) tried this today. He really liked it, but it was too challenging for him to insert the button through the eyelet. I assisted him with that. Once the button was through the eyelet, it was home-run. I will try out this activity again in a couple of time's time.