Kumon activity books

My eldest is twelve so I have a few years of art supply shopping under my belt. And more than a few once-used sticker albums, colouring books and activity workbooks in a box in the kitchen. So I know what not to buy. Also its worth mentioning, my first three kids were all born within two years of each other, so there was rarely undisturbed one-on-one time, which is really essential for a lot of these activities. At least for my boys it was.

And now, here I am home alone in the mornings with a three year old. We can't sort socks (well we could, but we don't) and read stories all morning. About a year ago I saw Kumon books recommended for toddlers on a mommy blog. They  cost about three euros each, so I got two, Let's Sticker & Paste! and Let's Fold!, feeling that I knew in my heart of hearts they would rarely be used. Well, I am proud to say we are coming to the end of both of them. (I can't believe it actually - using something up? It feels very virtuous - which says a lot about the amount of waste I normally accept.)

They are nicely produced - good paper, nice colours and designs and the principal of both is simple. Practice cutting and practice folding. Great for both pincer grip and concentration. He loves them and for short periods of time, with a little starting off from me, can work alone. Which means the dishwasher sometimes gets emptied before lunch!

See? That's my cup of coffee and laptop! Sometimes I get to use them while he does something educational that does not involve Cbeebies. Awesome!