
Lyrics
(Folk song)
Button you must wander, wander, wander,
Button you must wander everywhere.
Bright eyes will find you, sharp eyes will find you.
Button you must wander everywhere.
Game
Formation: Students sit in a circle on the floor with one student in the middle (“It”). Before starting the song, “It” closes eyes while the teacher gives a button to one student in the circle. Tell the other students to be “sneaky” and pretend to hold the button in their hands.
When the singing starts, “It” opens eyes while students in the circle pass the button around the circle. The students without the button pretend to pass a button, so it looks like everyone is passing the button.
At the end of the song, the class stops passing and chants, “Button, button, who’s got the button?” “It” gets three chances to guess who ended up with the button.
See also
- Activities: passing games
- Harmony: chords I, IV, V
- Melody: la
- Rhythm:
/
- Scale: pentatonic
- Timbre: voices
- Tones: drmsl
YouTube
or purchase here (printables only)
- Printable & Digital Visuals, Worksheet for Solfege


- PDF of song with chords + Lesson ideas
- MIDI file
- Listen to the song


11 thoughts on “Button You Must Wander”
Your blog saved me again today – I needed to find this song quick before the kids came in. Instead of digging through my books, I ddi a quick google search for the song. You were there to rescue me!
Thanks, again!
Yay! Thanks so much for sharing! It helps me keep going! 🙂
Beth, you have save me many, many times. As a former high school teacher turned into elementary music teacher I have looked to your blog for assistance over and over again. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise with the rest of us. Really appreciate your work! I love how you have taken often used songs, added activities, the written music and even video links. Use your blog all the time. Thanks!!!!
I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for letting me know!
Your songs have been so awesome!
Yay, I’m happy to hear this! 🙂
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Where is this song from?
I don’t know what the origin of this song is.
I made a game adaptation during COVID when we couldn’t sit in circles and touch! My kids love it so we’ve stuck with it instead. Using 3 plastic cups and a large button I play a “shell game” while the students sing the song. At the end if a student can find the button they take over the cups. Today we broke into small groups and the played until each person got a turn to move the cups. It was wonderful to hear them singing in each small group and engaged in this melody!
Great idea! Thanks for sharing!