Fun With Felt

I'm making an instructive toy which should be fun but will help the Flumlet learn to do up buttons. 
I have cut strips of felt, which will have a button sewn on one end and a slit made at the other, the next strip can be threaded through the resulting loop to form a chain. I know these won't be as exciting as most of his toys but he might be persuaded to try a few loops and maybe enjoy mixing the colours. 
If he takes to them I can make more strips, the limitation not so much my supply of felt but of suitable matching buttons - having raided my button tin I have already 'borrowed' a couple of special buttons which were gifts but which match perfectly, though I have reservations of what the Flumlet will make of them, as they are square. It's the perfect excuse to trawl through charity shops looking for more!