Everyone remembers those flashcards they had as a kid. Maybe they were for multiplication, or maybe addition. They were boring ways to drill math facts into the head of unsuspecting children. Thankfully, flashcards have evolved. Now there are as many different types of flashcards as there are ways to use them. Not only can they add to what your child knows, but they are small and are easy to pop into a diaper bag or glove compartment, so you always have something fun and educational to grab and go. Consider these age-appropriate cards for your child.

Infants

In their first year, your baby is learning about everything. However, her vision isn’t fantastic, especially in the beginning. It’s important to take this into account when looking for baby flashcards. High contrast cards are best. This gives your baby the chance to learn to differentiate between the image and the background. In addition, babies love looking at other babies, so look at these High Contrast Flashcards, that feature photos of babies on one side and high contrast patterns on the other. To use these cards best, hang them from the stroller or prop them on the floor so that your child can see them clearly.

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1-year-olds

As your child begins to learn words, you can give them a wider range of cards. Look for simple cards that encourage your child to say the words pictured. My First Words Touch and Feel Cards offer a wide range of activities for your curious toddler. The front of each card features a photograph of something familiar. In addition, each card has a different texture for your child to feel. On the back of each card, there are questions you can ask to encourage your child to talk about the item. You can sit with your child and go through each card. Encourage the full sensory experience and say the name of each item the first time. The next time, try laying out two or three cards and asking your child to hand you a specific picture. Finally, as your child becomes more verbal, cue her to say the name of each item.

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2-year-olds

Your 2-year-old is far more interactive that she was on her first birthday. So, choose cards that reflect her new skills. The Water Coloring Cards encourage your little one to put together ideas such as shape, color and number. The cards feature a word or number at the top. The child uses a special “pen” which is simply a marker that you fill with water, to reveal what that word or number means. For example, if the top of the card shows the number 5, then your child can scribble over the area beneath to see how many items that number means.

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3-year-olds

By the time he’s three, your child is becoming more interested in the alphabet. So encourage his new interest by exploring Mudpuppy’s alphabet flashcards. The cards are held securely on a plastic ring, keeping them from scattering all over your car or home. It also keeps the letters in their alphabetical order. Ask your child to identify each letter. The picture on each card will help give clues to not only the letter’s name, but also what sound each letter makes.

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4-year-olds

Your preschooler is ready to move past simple letters. Children who starts kindergarten with even a small number of sight words starts school with more confidence. You can help your child by working with him daily with these sight word flashcards. Start with the Pre-K set and work with just a few at a time. Add new cards as your child masters his words. See how many your child can read before he starts school.

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5-year-olds

When your child starts school, there are lots of new things to learn. She will learn letters, numbers and new concepts in the classroom. But there are other lessons that are even more important for her. Lessons that she will use for the rest of her life. Unfortunately, few schools actually teach these lessons. These are social and emotional lessons: how to get along with others; how to balance the needs of self with the needs of the group. These What Do I Do flashcards can help you and your child begin the long process of developing your child’s social IQ. The cards feature issues that she will probably run into in a normal day, such as what to do when someone does, or doesn’t wants to play. Together, you can brainstorm different ways for your child to handle these situations. That way, when your child is faced with problems with other children, she will have a range of solutions to draw upon.

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6-year-olds

One of the skills required for first grade is understanding money. This is a very complex set of ideas. First of all, your child has to learn what each coin is called. Then, he has to learn how much each coin is worth. Finally, your child has to understand how to add the amounts together to get a total. These Money Pocket Flash Cards can help your child gain confidence when dealing with money. Simply show your child the side of the card with the money. Start by helping your child identify each coin and say how much each is worth. Then move on to adding the coins together. Check his work against the number on the back of the card.

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7-year-olds

Flashcards offer so much more than just ways to explore words and math. Studies have shown that children that learn to appreciate art have better observational and critical skills than their counterparts. You can encourage these gifts in your own child. In the Artists of the World Flashcards Kit, you and your child can explore the artistic masters Van Gogh, Da Vinci, Monet, Michelangelo, Picasso and Warhol. Many of their paintings are represented in the cards, so you and your child can try to match the artist with his work. There are also facts to explore on the back and games you can play together.

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