Preschool Button Snakes

Button snakes are a super fun Montessori-inspired preschool activity that you can easily make yourself!  When I started planning our Letter S day, I knew that one of our must-do activities would be button snakes...after all, "S" is for "Snake!" 

Besides being insanely fun, button snakes are also fabulous fine motor exercise and great for letting your preschoolers practice buttoning!  You can talk with your children as they make their button snakes to review colors, shapes, and patterns too!

Simple Supplies:

* 8-12 inch elastic for each snake (You can also use ribbon or a piece of fabric.)

* a large button for each snake

* 8-20 squares of felt for each snake

* scissors

Easy How-to:

1.  Preparation:  Sew or hot glue the button ("head") to one end of the elastic.  Cut the felt squares.  Cut a slit just bigger than the buttons in each square.

2.  Present your children with their snakes and the felt squares.  Invite them to choose the color of their snake by putting the felt over its head!  After they put their first square on, help them tie a knot by wrapping the tail around the first square.  Alternatively, you could put a button on each end of the elastic. 

3.  Let your children work until they are happy with their snakes!  We had some pattern snakes, some random snakes, and some all-one-color snakes!  When they finished, they immediately began playing with their snakes!

You could always save the pieces and put them in a busy bag or Montessori basket!

Has your preschooler made a button snake before?

 

I may share at any of these parties!