My Favorite Toddler Workbooks

I use the term "workbooks" loosely.  Because I'm not a fan of workbooks.  I think they're boring, and to me they bring back distasteful memories of homework.

But when I came across these workbooks for 2-3 year olds, I thought ingenious!  These workbooks are perfect for working moms, and let me tell you why.

Kumon's The First Steps Series

At first I couldn't believe that they were from Kumon.  Because I'm also not a fan.  Two summers ago, I witnessed a 6 year old being told to do his Kumon worksheets by his yaya.  And oh my, was the poor little guy in pain.

But I love these workbooks because they're fun practice on beginning fine motor skills of cutting, folding and pasting.  Best of all, they're perfect for leave-behind activities while momma is at the office.

This is a cheap two-tier tray which holds activities torn from three workbooks

Top view.  The left side is the folding work (done), and right one is cutting:

So simple and intuitive.
We did a few together during floor time play and then started the leave-behinds.

I leave three at a time, and each workbook goes from super beginner...:

Folding

... to a gradually increasing skill level:

The sticker-and-paste (completed) worksheets :

These are more time consuming because you need to cut out the puzzle pieces first.
I leave them in a bowl (the purple one, five pictures ago) , ready for pasting.  

And my favorite one for my little leftie: cutting work!

The good news is that it's only ~350 pesos per book.  So it's a nice way to mix up cutting practice leave-behinds.

The bad news... I found these in Hongkong and Singapore only.  So this post is a shout out to the Manila bookstores to please carry these discoveries.  You guys only have the versions for 4-5 year olds which are way too hard for toddlers:

We've tried them all when she was 3 and a half and shelved them.

I wonder why they don't carry the First Steps series locally?  Kids have to start somewhere.

Moms, too.

Working moms, more.