How-To Corner

What can you do with a button? Lots of things!

Since factory-made toys were not available to many pioneer children in the Ozarks, simple household items were often used for homemade fun.

Button on a String: String a big button on a long piece of twine, then tie the ends of the string together. With the button in the middle, grab both ends of the string and twirl the button until you have built up twist in the string. Pull the string outward, then let your hands come together, then pull outward again. Repeat as long as the string keeps its twist. The button will not only twirl very fast, it will make a neat humming noise as it whirls! In the 18th century, it was called a whirligig because of the sound it makes.

Button Charm Bracelet: Find odd buttons and string them on a piece of string or elastic. Children once made keepsake bracelets from buttons given them by their friends.

Button, Button, Who Has the Button? was a popular game in early days. Sit in a circle with your friends, sending one player out of the room. Somebody takes the button in his or her closed fist and pretends to be passing it around. When the person who is "It" comes back into the room, everybody is pretending to pass the button around the group. "It" only gets one guess as to who has the button. If "It" guesses right, the person holding the button becomes "It." If it is a wrong guess, "It" must leave the room again and come in for another try.

Buttons can be used to play checkers, make eyes for a rag doll, and as counting pieces or tokens for games. What other ideas can you think of? Email them to Pody Gay, our Education Coordinator, or Hope Amason, our Education Assistant.