Young children have a lot of fun sorting and arranging buttons. Here are some ideas you may not have tried:

		arrange the buttons by size - largest to smallest, smallest to largest, thickest to thinnest, etc.
		sort the buttons by the number of holes in each, or by colours, shapes or textures. Zip-lock bags or clean styrofoam meat trays work well as convenient sorting containers.
		organize buttons into groups which are alike in one way, in two ways, in three ways.
		cut paper plates in half to make simple jigsaw puzzles. On one half of each plate sew a number of buttons, and on the other half print the numeral matching that set. If the plates are cut in interlocking patterns, the puzzles are ready for self-correction.