Help children enhance their classification skills through activities that involve sorting buttons. Provide plenty of buttons in a variety of colors. The method the children use to sort the buttons is up to you. For instance, you may ask the children to sort the buttons into piles by color, number or size. To sort by color, provide buttons in a few colors and ask the preschooler to sort them into piles. To sort by number, ask the children to look at the number of holes in the center of the button. Buttons with one hole go in one pile; buttons with two buttons go in a separate pile, and so on. To sort by size, provide buttons in a variety of sizes and then encourage children to categorize the buttons as small, medium or large.
Cut a piece of wide elastic for each preschooler that will fit around his wrist. To measure the elastic, wrap the elastic around her wrist and then cut the elastic at the point where it overlaps. Provide a wide assortment of buttons. Encourage preschoolers to select buttons for their bracelet. Then show or help the preschoolers use glue to secure buttons to the elastic, leaving the ends of the elastic free from buttons. Allow the bracelets to dry. Next use a thread and needle to sew the ends of the bracelet together.
Line up 10 baskets and a large number of buttons. Write a number on a piece of paper and attach one to the front of each basket. Encourage the children to add the same number of buttons in the basket as labeled on the front of the basket. For example, if the basket says 10, the preschooler will add 10 buttons to the basket. When the children are done adding buttons to the baskets, count the buttons in each basket aloud with the children.
In this game, one person will hide the button as the other children search for the button. Hide a button while the hunters put their heads down on their desks or hide their eyes. As the hider of the button, walk around the room pretending to hide the button in one area but place it somewhere else to throw the children off as the children can most likely hear the direction of your footsteps. Next the hunters can search for the button. Provide verbal cues to help children know when they are getting close to finding the button, such as "Arnold is getting warmer" or "Jane is getting cold." The preschooler who finds the button becomes the next to hide the button.