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: Stringing Buttons

Age: From 3 years old

Objective(s): To train find motor skills

Materials:

1. 1 bowl with buttons of different colours.
2. 1 string
3. 1 tray or mat.

Directions:

1. Tie a knot in the string with a last bead.

2. Show your child how to string a few buttons.

3. Encourage your child to try.

Additional Information:

J (3Y3M9D) tried this today 14 June 2012 and at this age, he could do it well compared to when he was two years old.

Montessori Activity: Sorting Buttons

Age: From 2 years old

Objectives:

Materials:
1. 1 bowl containing 10 buttons of 4 different colours each.
2. 4 smaller clear containers or bowls.
3. 1 tray or mat.

Directions:
1. Demonstrate to your child by the buttons by colours into the smaller containers.

2. Invite your child to try.

Additional Information:
Joshua (3Y3M9D) requested to look into his Montessori book today and picked this activity. At this age, he could sort the buttons very well. In a sense, it was not challenging enough for him, but I have run out of ideas for more challenging activities. Joshua said that those buttons look like coins and requested the next Montessori activity to be on real coins and buying things. Hmmm... I would have to think about how to design such an activity.

All Done

I got this idea from below:

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.