
Sewing: A Boy and A Button
A child with a button in his hands can go a long way. Through this simple, practical and purposeful activity, my son learned how to sew a button. The activity also encouraged the further development of his fine motor skills, concentration and logical sequence of action. Lastly, it has taught him patience and perseverance in the process too.
Materials
Tray
Shelf liner (cut into square pieces)
Yarn (cut several 15-inch pieces)
Yarn needle
Large buttons
Scissors
Tape (optional)
Presentation:
1. Select a table to work on.
2. Show the child the needle and the yarn. (Tip: Roll a piece of tape at the edge of the yarn (like the end of a shoelace) to make threading easier.)
3. Thread the yarn through the eye of the needle so that both ends meet (creating two equal parts) and tie a knot.
4. Take a piece of shelf liner and a button.
5. Hold both together like a sandwich.
6. Show the child the holes in the button.
7. Have the child thread the needle through one button hole and the shelf liner.
8. Pick another hole (diagonal holes make an X on the button and parallel holes make an = sign on the button) and thread.
9. Flip the liner over to continue on the back side.
10. Thread the needle through the third hole, pull the yarn and continue to the last.
11. Once the button is secure and all the holes have been threaded, show the child how to tie the knot.
12. Cut off any extra yarn.
13. REPEAT!
Observations: Take time to watch out for the concentration, and the meticulous, careful, and deliberate nature of your child’s movements. He’s highly aware of the fact that he’s working with scissors, which are sharp tools used to complete the activity, and an equally sharp needle, which he understands and is careful to draw his own attention to as he cuts, and then sews. Also, note the order of the activity, and how the materials are positioned just so on the table.