playing cards with a toddler

Parents tend to freak out about what precisely their toddler / preschooler knows. Don’t google “what should my preschooler know.” Children progress at different rates and respond differently to different environments, so let children develop a love of learning! Learning is fun when all parties are enjoying it, so here are a few enjoyable learning tools we’ve experienced. Things like: books, books, books {Homegrown Gifts, Introducing Books Early, Books for Holiday Gifts}, music and music (Music and Its Impact, Popular Music in Our House}, no screen time {Damage of Screen Time on Babies}, and craft play and bean play {Jumpstarting Toddler Imaginations, Developing Fine Motor Skills}. We all want our children to want to learn, explore, and take delight and pride in their accomplishments. Create an environment without distracting screens, disruptive music, and disengaged adults and you’re on track! That all being said, this is how we’ve introduced numbers and letters in a way that has worked for SuperBoy to be obsessed with them and love finding them: 1) Music + Flashcards. We played the Sesame Street ABC CD during breakfast for about 5 months probably starting a little after a year old. During each letter, I’d stand up the corresponding plain black & white flashcard (buy white index cards, and use a black magic marker–simpler is better). Not within reach, which was traumatic at first, but which preserved the cards from death by mauling. After a while of sitting there, looking at them, with someone feeding him his oatmeal, and singing along to…