Workbook Fun (!)

You know the rule, workbooks are dull and boring, practical activities are much better for younger learners.
When I started out on home ed with the boys I was especially keen on the practical activity approach, especially for maths. I'd read a lot about it. The written work they did in the reception year was mostly about learning to write the numbers. I worked hard on making lists of practical maths activities and games to cover areas of counting, pre-addition and shape. The next year these activities were further worked on with some other children and eventually I typed up the lists into a set of activities sufficient to occupy the whole reception year. I worked through these activities with Ia when she was aged 4-5. Now it is U's turn.
Today I had ready a pre-addition activity involving sticking pieces of ribbon of two colours into sets to show different ways of making 5. Yesterday I had ready an activity to show the distribution of 5 spots over a butterfly's wings, using a cut out and cubes. Does U want to do these activities? No. She wants to do a workbook. She wants a workbook for maths.
As for letter forms and alphabet, this morning, maashAllah, as she came downstairs still half asleep she was saying something about "that workbook with the snake on...". The Fun With Letter Forms book, which she wants to do everyday. How about all those activities for learning the alphabet and letters, the cutting out and sticking, the lap n note. Thankfully I didn't go and buy aCD rom for this as well, because U does not want to do jigsaws, colouring, cutting or sticking to learn about letters. She wants to do a workbook. Oh, yes, Education City is acceptable too.
Alhamdulillah, I am not complaining, because it doesn't matter which way she learns as long as she enjoys it. It is just so surprising though!