Try This Awesome Button Button Game With Your Kids

Updated: July 11, 2023 by Olivia Mittak | Leave a comment

Buttons aren't just for coat fronts anymore!

Tired of your run of the mill birthday party games geared to the tot set? How about those overly complicated games requiring hours of preparation and about 500 lbs of game supplies?

Button, button, Who’s got the Button is an uncommon, yet simple game that the little ones just love.

Key Points

This game is extremely simple to prep for; it just requires players and a button!
This game is best suited for children between three and seven years of age.
Keep an eye out for any child who is having difficulty with losing or being overly competitive.

©CC0 Public Domain / Pxhere – Original / License

Where is the Button?

Items Needed for Button, Button

The best news is that the only thing you need to play is a button! Go search those lint filled corners in the laundry room, find a button and let’s play.

Ages Appropriate for Button, Button

Button, Button, or Who’s Got the Button, is a very simple game. This can be played with children as young as three; children up to the ages of six or seven still find it entertaining.

How to Play Button, Button

The object of this game is simply to pass the button from ‘it’ to another person secretly. Everyone tries to guess who has the button.

Gather the children into the circle with the birthday child in the center. Each child should hold their hands together with palms and fingers touching.

‘It’ or the child in the center holds his or her hands in the same way, but they are concealing the button in their hands. To make the exchange, ‘it’ walks around the circle gently putting their hands between the palm to palm hands of each player. Before the circle is completed ‘it’ secretly drops the button into someone else’s hands by pulling their palms apart, just a little and letting the button fall into the palms of the other player’s hands.

With the circle complete and the exchange made, it is important for each of the children to keep their palms together. Remember, they are keeping a secret. The children say “Button, Button Who’s Got the Button?” If a child thinks they know they may add “[player's name] has the button!” When they are correct in their guess they win and are now ‘it’ and the game starts again. If no one is able to guess then the child who has the button wins and becomes ‘it’.

A simple, engaging game that will entertain your party goers and not drive you insane with endless hours of prep! Sit back, enjoy and let the birthday party games begin!

Playing party games with young children is a lot of fun. By playing party games, you'll entertain them and make lasting memories for all of you. But, there can be potential challenges that arise when young kids get together to have fun. It's important to be prepared for these!

First, there's always a risk for sore losers. No matter how hard you try, it's inevitable that somebody will eventually get frustrated or disappointed. Young kids don't know how to handle these emotions appropriately, so temper tantrums may ensue! If this happens, pull the child aside and talk to them. Explain that everyone wins and loses, and that losing doesn't make the fun you had playing a game worthless. It's important to be happy for the person who won, rather than upset over losing.

Second, some kids can get overly competitive. While Button, Button, is not a game that's likely to get rowdy, players still may get intensely competitive with one another. Make sure to emphasize that the goal is to have fun, and step in if you notice any players getting too invested in trying to win the game.

Third, some young kids may try to cheat at the game. Very young children may not understand that cheating is bad. If you notice any player skirting the rules, pull them aside and talk to them. It's possible it was an innocent mistake, but either way you'll want to be sure it doesn't happen again. Every player deserves to have a fun experience!

By keeping all of these potential problems in mind, you can be ready to do what you need to in order to create a great experience for everyone. Your kids will love being able to play a good game of Button, Button! They'll likely end up asking to play it again and again.