Before getting into the topic of ‘Flashcards for toddlers’, I will give a brief on Matt. Hence it would be easy to understand why I chose flashcards instead of the block books.
Matt is at a stage of exploring and learning by himself. Matt likes to be independent and we encourage his independency. Recently he has started to learn words. He also picks words from our conversation. When we take our kids out, we naturally show and tell to kids like ‘that’s a car’ or ‘that’s a bird’. The same way we started our ‘show and tell’, Matt loved learning and repeating at his terms(If he doesn’t want to repeat, he would action a no). He will listen to the words and repeat only when he feels like it. We also didn’t push him to learn but we still encouraged it.
Now coming to the flashcards, most of you might be familiar with the vinyl wall stickers. We also did various vinyl stickers of animals on our bedroom and living room walls. Matt did learn those and I also felt like introducing new ones to him. Adding more stickers would make the walls look busy. Books are also a big no-no for Matt. He will not sit and turn a page, he might sit on a book, tear the pages or dunk the book in the water. So I got those non-tearable and washable flashcards. Yet again he doesn’t have the patience to look at the pictures. He would just try to fold or tear it. That’s when I started putting a few on the walls. I used the wall-safe or mess-free tapes to stick the flashcards.
Matt doesn’t repeat or learn everything on the wall. He will recognize the things he sees around. For example, I did put up a few fruit pictures on the door. Matt took brought a real banana from the fruit basket and showed it to us pointing at the picture. Then I did the ‘show and tell’, Matt it’s a banana. He grasped it quickly. So the point of flashcards is to familiarise and learn.
Why is chose flashcards?
- Flashcards are easy to travel with.
The COVID situation has made me rethink what I buy for my use. When I have to travel back and forth from my mom’s place, my in-laws and my home. Flashcards could be Matt’s constant plaything.
- Can swap or add more flashcards to the wall.
Always try to stick flashcards on the wall with a mix of both familiar and new ones. This kindles the learning spirit. Kids would want to learn the new ones next to the familiar flashcards.
- Flashcards for a memory game.
You can ask kids to group similar cards of animals or birds. This is ideal for preschoolers.
- Flashcards for puzzles.
For the next developmental stage, you can DIY puzzle pieces with the old flashcards.
- Flashcards will last longer.
Invest in a good quality card, that is washable and non-tearable.
I know it is hard and safe to go out to shop. Amazon does have a list of good quality flashcards. The one I use is Zigyasaw.
Cardamom Twist 