Who's Got the Button?

Practice sequencing with pattern cards & buttons.

 

  In the box: 16 cards (32 patterns), 48 buttons, 1 answer key card, instruction sheet with additional ideas

 
Who's Got the Button has been renamed, because the name on my box is Box of Buttons. It's available on the Discount School Supplies website.

The plastic buttons are 2.5" in diameter and they come in the four colors you see above. The shapes are triangle, hexagon, oval, square and circle. All buttons have four holes.

The two-sided, laminated cards are 15" long and 4" wide. Each card has six spaces for buttons. Some will show the actual button and you place the same button on top. Other spaces show question marks and you finish the pattern by adding the correct buttons. The patterns are graded and color coded into four difficulty levels.

• Level 1 - 8 patterns - All AB patterns. One or two question marks on 6 cards. Seventh card shows six question marks (red, green, red, green, grey, green). Eighth card shows six question marks (blue, yellow, blue, yellow, blue, grey).
• Level 2 - 9 patterns - AB, ABB, ABC. One or two question marks per card.
• Level 3 - 10 patterns - AB, ABB, ABC. One or two question marks per card.
• Level 4 - 5 patterns  - ABB, ABC - The next to last pattern shows only the first button and the rest grey question marks. The last pattern shows all grey question marks and you make up your own pattern.

All patterns are by both shape and color. 

Try this:

• Cover all the buttons behind the one you are working on if the individual has trouble keeping track of where he is working.
• Lay the buttons all flat, not piled, for picking up off a flat surface.
• Pile the buttons so parts are hidden to work on visual form constancy and figure ground.
• Sort the buttons into piles by color or by shape (or both).
• Emphasize the pattern by reading it aloud and pausing after each sequence. For instance green blue - pause - green blue - pause - green blue - pause.
• Put the buttons in a bag so they can't be seen. Call out a shape and ask the individual to put his hand in the bag, feel the buttons and pull out one of that shape. Or ask the individual to put his hand into the bag and pull out all the squares he can find, or three squares, etc. Or ask the individual to put his hand in the bag, feel a button, and tell what shape it is before pulling it out to check.
• Skip the cards and make a long line of buttons with your own sequence and only one attribute, like square circle square circle, omitting the color.
• Place one button upside-down in the individual's palm. Ask him to flip it right-side-up, in-hand, before placing. Continue for the whole sequence.
• Work on visual discrimination, figure ground, visual form constancy, sequencing, manual dexterity, fine motor precision, in-hand manipulation, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation
  

Hello Kitty Make A Match

Hello Kitty Make a Match

The Hello Kitty Make a Match game differs from other memory/match games that include cards because it also includes a charming plastic figure of Hello Kitty herself. You can see her in the bottom left hand corner of the box in the image above. Each game card pictures one Hello Kitty character surrounded by a flower border (see image above). 

Object:
Have the most points at the end of the game.

Set up:
Mix the cards and place them in a grid between the players. Place the plastic Hello Kitty nearby.

Play:
Players take turns turning two cards face-up. If they match, the player takes the set off the table and places it next to him. If not, the player turns the cards back over and the next person plays. Continue this way until all cards have been removed from the grid. Players then count their matches and the one with the most matches is the winner. Hello Kitty is also played this way with these exceptions:

• Take Hello Kitty - Place her on the table to start. There are five pairs of cards that say Take Hello Kitty. Anyone making this match takes Hello Kitty from the player who has her. At the end of the game, the player who has Hello Kitty adds four points to their score.
• Wild card - This card and any other card in the game will count as a match.
• Lose a pair - This set will require you to put one of the matches you have won back in the box. Sorry, no points.

To read more about why memory games are so popular, read my post Memory Games. Why are They so Popular? This post also has links to the other memory games I have blogged about. 

Try this:

• Reduce the amount of sets you play with if 48 cards is too challenging. Add back in one set at a time to increase the challenge over time.
• Turn all the cards face-up and find the sets for a simpler matching game without the memory component of a memory game.
• Lay one card from each set face up on the table. Give one attribute at a time until the player narrows down and finds the card. Example, this character is wearing pants, this character is a boy, etc.
• Lay one card from each set face up on the table. Place the remaining cards face down on the table. Choose one face down card, look at it, and see who can find its match first.Leave all the cards on the table and give the one card to the individual to keep score.
• Ask the individual to look to remember. Wait a few seconds before turning the card face-down.
• Watch the individual for leaning when crossing midline, leaning as little as possible.
• Empty the box on the table. Ask the individual to place the cards all face down in preparation for play. Request that he pick up each card as it lays and turn it in-hand to the correct side and orientation for placement.
• Put the cards away at the end by picking up one card, stacking it on top of another and picking up both cards, stack those on top of another and pick up the three cards, etc. Keep going and see how many your hand can hold without dropping.  
• Lay the cards all face-up in preparation for play. Take turns removing sets by giving directions of each cards placement. For instance, three rows down and two cards in from the left.
• Work on visual discrimination, visual memory, visual form constancy, figure ground, spatial relations, visual scanning, eye-hand coordination, manual dexterity, in-hand manipulation, pinching, distal movements, fine motor precision, bilateral coordination, executive functioning skills, process skills, socialization skills, play and leisure exploration and participation  

If you are interested in purchasing this game or just want more information, click on the image below.

In the box: 48 cards, 1 Hello Kitty figure