Button Flowers

Ages/Grades

Preschool, Early Elementary

 

Learning Domains

Language, Fine Motor, Social Emotional, Math

 

Materials

• Craft stems

• Buttons

 

Ready, Set, Create!

Place all of the materials out on your tray or work surface.

 

Organize the buttons in groups from largest to smallest.

 

Show children how to thread a craft stem through a hole in the largest button. Then, do the same with the next largest button, and so on, until the child adds their smallest button.

 

Push all of the buttons down until there is enough craft stem at the top that the child can fold it over and thread it through another set of holes in the buttons.

 

Children can twist the leftover stems together to secure them.

 

To add leaves, children can either bend part of their long stem into a leaf shape and twist, or cut another stem into smaller pieces and twist them into leaf shapes.

 

Use your colorful craft stem flowers to decorate your classroom or home!

 

 

Engage Children in Conversation

Comment on what you observe, such as “I notice you used all red buttons." or “What do you think will happen if you add the smallest button first?”

Ask children open ended questions that encourage critical thinking, such as:

Which color craft stem will you use for your leaf?

Will you use all of the same color buttons or different colored buttons?

Will your flower have many leaves or one leaf?

For very young children, try asking “either/or” questions, such as;

Are you using the green or the yellow button next?

Will your flower have one leaf or two?

 

Extensions

This activity encourages children to sort by size, and they can also sort by color.

Children can decorate a vase or pot and fill it with button flowers, or glue their flowers to a drawing of a field, vase, or other place where one would find flowers.

 

Modifications

Use buttons with large holes or very large buttons for younger children, or those with fine motor challenges.