How to do Buttons
As buttons come in different sizes and are on different fabrics. Sometimes the child can’t even see the button if it is at the neck of a shirt. There are commercially available toys that have a button fastening as part of a range of fastenings but one button isn’t enough practise and it is very different fastening a button on a toy to fastening it on yourself. Fastening a button may seem simple but there several stages/aspects of handskill that are necessary to fasten a button easily.
Practising carefully graded activities and specific tasks can help to make fastening those tricky buttons a lot easier.
Ready to Learn?
In order to fasten buttons the child needs to have fine manipulative skills. Check the following before starting to practise fastening buttons.
- Has the child got a strong pincer grip in both hands? Can the child pinch thumb and index finger tip together keeping the other fingers curled up out of the way
- Can the child manipulate small items using a pincer grip?
- Can the child pinch and feel items without vision?
- Is the child interested in fastening buttons?
Hand Preparation Skills
Practise the following activities regularly to develop a strong pincer grip, and isolate finger thumb movements:
- Tell a story using finger puppets on index finger and thumb; wiggle the correct finger as the story is told.
- Pinch off small pieces of playdough and roll into a small ball. Squash the dough balls between finger and thumb.
- Tear paper into small pieces and roll or screw up into tiny balls.
- Open and shut clothes pegs between thumb and index finger. Place the pegs around a card.
- Put clothes pegs on the child’s clothes at shoulder and collar level; get the child to remove using touch and a pincer grip.
- Get the child to hold a piece of paper A4 or A5 size using both hands between finger and index finger. Try to pull it away from them.
- Ask the child to pick up and place pegs into a pegboard using only fingers and thumb to pick up, orientate and place the peg.
- Scrunch up small pieces of paper into a ball (sweet wrappers are good for this), and flick into a goal.
- Make two matching ‘feelie bags’ with small 5cm squares of different textured papers and fabric. Ask the child to find matching squares by touch only.
- Pick up small coins or counters from the table and post into a moneybox.
- Assemble small nuts and screws.
- Spin small tabletop spinning tops.
- Pop bubble wrap.
Top Tips for Practising Buttons
- Practise when there is time, during the morning rush can be too stressful.
- Consider the size of button and weight/stiffness of fabric. Metal buttons on Jeans can be very tricky. School polo shirt buttons can be stiff nad the button hole tight or fryed.
- Sometimes the buttonhole can be too small and it is difficult to squeeze the button through, equally a too large buttonhole can cause the button to fall out.
- Make sure the buttonhole is well stitched; a frayed buttonhole can be problematic.
- Try sewing buttons on an old shirt with a slightly longer, loose thread to make fastening easier.
- Consider how the child sits when practising. Sitting on a small chair or on the floor can be better than standing.
- Try using coloured buttons on a white shirt and outline the buttonholes with a coloured felt tip. Once the skill is mastered practise on a regular garment.
- Practise large buttons first, then medium, and finally small buttons.
- Sit next to the child, and put your hands in their hand position when demonstrating.
- Break into small sections.
Rest the thumb on the top of the button hole. The other hand pushes the button onto the thumb through the hole. The finger and thumb can then pinch the button whilst the other hand wriggles the fabric over the button.