A few years ago, a post on the Miquon-Key to math group led me to a link forThe Cuisenaire Activity and Exploration Book
Miranda Hughes just re-posted it today so you can get a copy of it and the cards at her website.
This morning M and I agreed to do simple school while B finished his chores, so that M could quickly go play with his new Christmas Legos. After memory verses, and spelling dictation from SWR, I dug around in the file box of stuff the boys need me to do with them daily and found the zip lock bag of Cuisenaire Rod Activities for pre-Miquon kids I picked the page of 2-layer Rectangles. M liked it so much he kept playing even with those Legos waiting for him!
He especially liked how the "rod trains" of the two rectangles (say 3 orange 10cm rods and 10 green 3cm rods) would always come out the same length. It was like magic. M was charmed. I was charmed. What a lovely morning.
(I have two other file boxes in the kitchen, the art stuff box to go with the Barry Stebbings books, and the history/geography box for Story of the World The lockable lids let us keep them on the floor without worrying that K will get into them. I started this system when M was the baby, but I think I saw it first in a Practical Homeschooling article.) The daily-stuff-with-mom-box reminds me of what I need to do, but I also have a list on the back of the little white board. B has a box he keeps in the living room under his desk with his independent work stuff in it, he brings it into the kitchen when it’s his turn to work with me.
Good housekeeping leads to cheerful improvisation. Now if only I can learn good housekeeping in other parts of my life…