Children don’t always need the shiniest toys with the most flashing lights and the loudest music to be entertained.  Sometimes the simplest objects will occupy them for an entire morning.  On one of my trips to the dollar store, I picked up a package of curling rollers.  I put the caps in one basket and the rollers in another, then put the baskets on a tray on L’s manipulatives shelf.  I wasn’t sure what she would think of it, but it was a hit!  L will easily spend 20 minutes putting the curling rollers together and taking them apart again.  This may be the easiest work I’ve ever prepared!