Button snakes have been popular for a while, and I finally made one for my toddler with a shape twist. It is a quiet busy bag that builds shape skills and finger strength at once.
What is a busy bag my toddler can do that will teach him how to button?
Button snakes have been pretty popular for awhile, but I finally got around to making one for my toddler. If you religiously follow my blog and remember every single detail of every post I write (not likely I know 😉 ), then you know that I planned to make a button snake not one but two times and it didn’t happen either time. That’s the life of a mom, right. Anyway, I finally got around to making a button snake and I’m really happy about how it turned out. I think you will enjoy making one for you toddler and watching them play with it.
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What you need
For your button snake you will need
Directions
You can start your button snake by making the shapes to button onto the button snake. Most people just use circles, but if you cut out multiple shapes there will be more than one way to play with the snake.
Create 5 shapes from 5 different colors of felt. Cut two of each shape in the same color. For example, you can cut two red circles, two orange triangles, etc. This way they won’t just learn how to button, they can also match the shapes or put them in color order. See, a lot of ways to play! You don’t need to worry about measuring, but make sure the shapes are big enough that they can have a button hole as big as the buttons you buy.
To make the button part of the snake, cut out a thin strip of felt and hot glued a button on each end. It is easier for your toddler when the buttons are bigger. Make sure to cut the strip of felt just slightly smaller than the size of your button. If you want to use wide ribbon instead of felt that will work just as well.
Make learning shapes simple
If you’re looking for playful, hands-on shape activities, the our downloadable Shape Activity Pack is just the thing! Just print off an activity whenever you want something fun for your toddler that is also educational.
While the hot glue on the felt strip are drying, cut slits in each shape so that they would fit over the button. If you know how, you can use a sewing machine and sew button holes, but if you don’t want to spend the time sewing a slit in the felt works just as well.
Playing with the Button Snake
To play, your toddler just needs to “button” the shapes onto the felt strip. This might be pretty hard for them at first, but that just means they need practice. I’m sure your toddler will be a pro at buttoning in no time. 🙂 Besides, since you made a few different shapes instead of just circles, there are lots of different ways to play with this buys bag!
Want more shape ideas? Visit our how to teach shapes page for everything in one spot.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I help my toddler tell a square from a rectangle?
Count the sides and corners together. A square has four sides that are all the same length, while a rectangle has two long sides and two short ones.
Where can I find shapes to point out to my toddler?
Everywhere. A plate is a circle, a window is a square, a stop sign has eight sides. Spotting real shapes helps the idea stick better than worksheets.
What age do toddlers learn shapes?
Most kids start recognizing shapes around age 2 and know several by age 3. Shapes usually come a little after colors, so there is no rush.