Any Ideas on Good Flashcards for My 21 Month Old Daughter?

I saw a set today at the La Habra Children's Museum that were the best I've ever seen. They were called Photo Flash Cards, and were from Lakeshore Learning Center. It had just about every animal you can imagine on one side, and then easy to understand concepts about them on the other side. My almost 3 year old son loved them, as did my 1 year old daughter.

I know there is a Lakeshore store in Fountain Valley.

I bought Baby Einstein flash cards when my six year old was a baby, and all three of my kids have loved them. They're very simple with a picture and a word. On the back there's stuff for parents. I haven't seen them lately, but since I already have them, I haven't been looking for them. Good luck!

I am sure you have had tons of responses, but I have a "mom owned Business" Usborne Books, and we have amazing flashcards along with our books. They are very sturdy and have multiple uses so they will grow with her. I have sold them to speech therapists, preschools,daycares, and moms. Everyone loves them. Please feel free to check out my website www.duckduckbooks.com or email me directly. Sorry to self promote, but I have had such great response, I think in this case it is the right thing.

Hello C.,

Make your own flash cards. This is what I have been doing for my son since he was about 3mns old. I first started out with pictures of our family members, example: Mom, Dad, Grandparents, Dogs, Aunts (our sisters) and Uncles (my brother.) I wrote the name of each person on each flashcard and within 2 week I would ask where is Aunt Monique, where is Uncle Matt, etc. And he would point them out.

Its simple, plus I noticed that you are a Go Green person, AWESOME!!! You could use labels of items, so you are finding a second use for items in your home.

Our children are young and don't need the fancy things. Again my son is 3yrs old and he can spell over 20 words, has a vocabulary that amazing the doctors and can hold full on conversations and be able to understand the adults. And I have done this all on my own, well my husband has helped but he is a full-time worker and I am the full-time stay at home Mom.

But, again just use things around the house, actual objects work as well. Also, just in case you haven't done this hit the library. I take my son for storytime every Wednesday at our local library, he got his first library card when he turned two. Its great.

Hope this helps,
M.
Mom to a very bright little boy (man!)

Dear C.,
I always found that "word" books such as Richard Scary's Best Word Book, Arthur's Word Book, etc. where really great. I would sit and point to pictures and say the name. If the little bear was crying...I would say cry and make crying sounds. If it was a cow, I would say cow and then "moooo!" They have pages with everything from kitchen utensils to instruments, to different kinds of clothes, different kinds of trucks. It would take too many flash cards to fit all the vocabulary in that is in the books. My sons would then point to pictures that they wanted me to say the name to. They also like specific pictures and pages better than others (being boys the ones with cars, trucks and motorcycles were their favorite). Look in any good bookstore or Toys R Us and see what word book appeal to you. Also just having her interact with you when you talk a walk, pointing out all that you see, showing her different things in the grocery and clothes stores are really good vocabulary builders. I really think flash cards more as a drill for when my children were learning math facts. I have three boys and did not push reading with any of them. They learned to read at 6 years old and were some of the best readers because they enjoyed books and knew many words. Interacting with the children and building vocabulary and enjoyment for books is far more important that trying to have them learn words or the alphabet on flash cards too. Enjoy your little girl. She will pick up vocabulary fast at her age and is at such a fun age for playing with dolls, blocks and other toys. Just one other suggestion, use the real names of items, not names that the child will have to relearn the correct name to. My middle son was extremely good at vocabulary and wanted to be a veterinarian (not pet doctor:) and knew that babies (human and animals) grow big and develop in a special place in mommy that is called a uterus until they are big enough and ready to be born (not woo-woo or stomach like I have heard others tell children).
Enjoy expanding the vocabulary and creating a desire to learn through reading, exploring the world, and interact with you little girl in play activities and include her in your household activities too:)
H.

i've bought some at walgreens (picture on one side, first letter & name on the other side; colors & shapes were a big hit, too) that were fantastic when my daughter was 18mo & up--she's 3 now & still enjoys them some, but prefers more complex "opposites" cards (dora the explorer--target, etc--great). IMHO, keep it relatively simple to start with--some have texture, words, first letter, picture, etc on one card--too complicated. you can get the little packs at most drug stores for a couple of dollars & get a good variety.
best of luck!

At first I thought "FLASHCARDS for a 21 month old????" that is too young to start that. But if it is used in a fun way just playing and talking as you look at the pictures then that would be o.k., no stress or anything. We actually used picture cards with my little ones that we got, of all places, at the 99cent store!! They were a little bigger than regular playing cards, had picture and name of everyday things on them; cake, hat, car, bird, etc. I actually bought 2 sets so we could do a matching game with them too.(my child was a little older at the time)Anyway, I would check places like that first as you don't want anything expensive. You know she will bend them and lose some of them, she is 21 months old!! :-)

I would suggest Lakeshore. You can also look on the internet or make your own. As a Kindergarten teacher, I would suggest you find some great songs and sing to/with your children.

Baby Einstein has a whole series of wonderful flash cards for babies. We LOVED the animal cards... each card was a full color photograph of an animal/insect/fish/bird and the word associated with that animal/insect/fish/bird was written on the front. On the back of the card were fun facts about the animal/insect/fish/bird, which was nice because you could share more and more as the child got older. There are several sets in the series... Language Discovery, Nature, Numbers and Shapes, Animals, Seasons, etc. All are terrific and run about $9.99 for approx 29 cards.

Not sure where you live, but in the LA area, we have Lakeshore Learning. They have lots of options for flash cards and educational toys. Check there!

baby einstein products have great flashcards. 21 months is alittle young for actual learning/memorization so just have fun looking at the pictures

I made our own flashcards. I took pictures of family members, pets, or other things my kids know and printed them on post card paper which you can find just about anywhere. I did it for letters, small words and numbers.

You asked for inexpensive Ideas right? Well then baby Einstien dosn't fit into that catagory... Have you been to big lots or even the dollar store. these places both have kids stuff and basic abc and 123 flash cards. I have also gone online to the kids places like PBSKIDS or First Five these websites have plenty of printable tools for learning...
Google "learnign tools"
I also beleive that reading to your child is probably the thing you can do with her... not just kids books but you can read novels but keep it within her interests Like if she likes Horses read somthing like The Black Stallion You will also enjoy it.

as a school teacher, I would advise skipping the flashcards and do lots of talking, explaining, pointing out,looking at the world and then do the same thing some more. It is amazing what 2 year olds pick up whether it be from television (good or not so good) or from you and your family and your world. have fun!!!!!!

I would ask, what is your intention for starting a child this young on flashcards. It is much more important to explore the world in a kinesthetic way and dialogue on what is discovered. Let your child lead you to to what she finds interesting.

C.,

Lighten up and let your daughter be a kid. It is a myth that kids will be left behind if they can't read by age 2. The best way that kids learn is through play and interaction with others. In Germany, where I live, kids don't learn their alphabet or to read until they're 6 or 7 and in first grade. By the time they're in second grade, German kids are ahead of the American kids (at least the ones at the school on the US military bases) in both reading and math. The key is that Europeans wait until kids are developmentally ready to learn. If you push your daughter too early, then she will resent school and learning later on. Let her learn by exploring on her own.

You saw the flashcards on an informercial. Think about what the people putting on the informercial and who made the cards want to do....make money. They don't have your child's interests at heart. They are playing on American parents' fears that their kids will be left behind.

The truly best way to expand your daughter's vocabulary is to talk to her and read to her. Talk about the things that she sees outside and in the house. If her attention span is long enough, read a variety of children's books. Any respectable teacher would recommend reading as the best way to expand a kid's vocabulary.

The Dollar store has great flashcards made by fisherprice and others with disney characters. Just watch out for them with the 5 month old who I am sure would love to eat them. The cards would be a good at the table game with your daughter or during your son's nap time.

Just read to her...That was a favorite "nursing activity" for my daughter. She would sit next to me and hold the book and turn the pages while I was nursing our baby. Flash cards are so limiting, but books will engage her imagination and are exciting.