As a working Mom, I have great anxiety to making sure that my little one is learning everything he can, especially because he’s not in a daycare learning center, but being taken care of out of our home. I’m constantly reading up on what learning milestones should toddlers reach by certain ages, (which will be a future blog by Cally Will of raisingwills.com).
My son has always loved to look, feel and listen to us reading him books ever since he was a baby. As posted in many magazines and journals including this article in Parents Magazine, there are great benefits to reading to your infant. We’ve always tried to read to him daily since he was a newborn and he loves to cuddle up on my lap and read his favorite story of the day, (really who am I kidding – this kid will sit and listen to me read 5-6 books at a time).
While recently reading a few parenting blogs I noticed that some toddlers were starting to develop their vocabulary through the utilization of flashcards. So I went online to start researching which products I think would be the best fit for Jimmy. Knowing that he loves his touch and feel books, I wanted to incorporate this in my choice of flashcards. I found a product on Amazon.com called, DK My First Touch and Feel Picture Cards (First Words). After reading a review from a father of a 16 month old child who loved them, I thought, let’s give this a try!
When I received the box the first thing I noticed was the sturdy construction of the box and the Velcro closure which kept all the cards secure in the box. The box is small enough for a diaper bag so it’s a great travel toy. The cards are made from a harder card stock than I would have anticipated with a laminate on the front of them, in case your little one spills on the cards. The touch and feel aspect of the cards is really nice for little ones who might not be as verbal yet, but can still listen to you read the cards and feel the touch sensations.
I got these cards for Jimmy when he was about 12 months old and from the first moment we opened the box he loved them. I would take them out one by one and tell him what the item was on each card. He would look at it, feel it (sometimes taste it), and then we’d move on to the next. After a few weeks of doing this, he was hooked on flash cards. Now, he opens the box, dumps all the cards out and finds his favorite ones to play with around the house.
I’ve notice that through this playful and educational interaction with him, he is starting to become more verbal and attempting to say more words than before: Shoe, Sock, Boot, Dog (his favorite). And while not saying all the words on the flash cards, he is starting to recognize the pictures. We’re playing a game now when I put about 3-4 cards on the floor and I can ask him to identify a particular item from the cards. For example, if I ask him “which one is the baby?” He’ll pick up the card with the baby on it, give it a hug/kiss and then toss it to the side for the next item. It’s so much fun!
Two-Minute Mom rating – Five out of Five Bottles! These cards are great for early learners and very easy to use for parents.
The Two-Minute Mom 