A few months back I told you how very excited I was about our new days of the week preschool boxes.  These boxes, with carefully chosen themes, labeled and made available for the three year old, would hopefully keep her busy, learning and hold her interest.

They did all those things!  Until...I didn't have time to change them...or replace missing parts...or argue with her over which day she wanted to play with!

After coming to a few profound conclusion, such as...

1.  She keeps busy enough.

2.  She is interested in everything!

3.  She is self-motivating, creative and messy (these must go together!)

...I determined to come up with a workable plan that did not involve the idea:  "free-for-all"!

So, this is what I came up with, and you will have to wait to a) never hear about it again and thus know it was a huge success.  Or, b) hear that I am once more sorting the free-for-all piles (and piles, and piles, that she makes!)

After clearing the bottom two shelves in our school room, and the floor underneath, I began arranging all of her "activities", preschool games, crafts, etc.  One after another I lined them up on the shelf with the idea that they would be neat and tidy--everything having it's own place.  Next, I cut 3x5 cards in half and wrote large numbers, in different colors, on them.  Ours happened to be 1-16.  I then numbered each item on and under the shelf (in order).  The plan is that she will learn her numbers by either being assigned, maybe drawing a number (as in from a hat), or choosing a number herself and telling me that number, in order to play with that item!

She just saw the bright numbers and loves them.  As usual, we shall see..