As a homeschool family, we've picked up our share of flashcards. (I'm the lady you see at Target rooting through the dollar bins every time "Back to School" season starts.) We have packs of cards for math facts, history dates, U.S. presidents, geography, and, well, a lot more.
We received this product for free and I was compensated for my time. All opinions are my own.
Then an opportunity to review these fact cards from Silver Dolphin Books (developed in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution) came along.
We received two sets: one designed for Grades K-1
My children range in age from newborn to 13. And, with the exception of the newborn, all of my children have been seen playing with these cards or just sitting and reading them at one time or another since they arrived in the mail.
More Than Just Flashcards
These cards are beautiful: large and colorful. They are larger than usual flashcards, so they'd make great wall displays or additions to a bulletin board if you have one in your homeschool space.
Despite their size, they still fit nicely into younger hands.
They're sturdy so you don't have to worry when a pre-pre-k younger brother decides he needs to study some cards too:
Hey, a boy never knows when he might have to share his knowledge of a great inventor with someone.
Packed Full of Information
These sets includes 275 cards on subjects like Outer Space, Our Solar System, The Five Senses, Opposites, Animal Homes, Money, 50 US States, U.S. Presidents, Weather Wonders, Planet Earth, Biomes and Ecosystems, Food Facts, Dinosaurs, Amazing Mammals, Feathered Friends, Underwater Animals, Insects and Spiders, Amphibians and Reptiles, Geography, Inside the Human Body, and more.
(Note: both sets include cards about the U.S. Presidents but only the K-1 set includes the 50 states.)
There are 20 categories in the K-1 set and 16 in the 2-3 set.
There are a few cards which mention something like "millions of years" or things along that line. Not many, but it is there and I want you to be aware of it. Our family uses flashcards or books with lines like this as an opportunity to discuss the subject. (You could also easily remove any objectionable cards if your family is stricter about this. With 275 cards in each set, the objectionable cards really are minimal.)
My kids have enjoyed just sitting and reading these to each other. Which has meant a lot of "Hey, did you know..." type conversations.
Other ways we've used these fact cards (so far!):
- Displayed on the wall
- Hung on our lockers (a magnet board would work)
- Inventing trivia games
- Quizzing each other
- Sorting into categories
When these came in the mail my kids were, of course, excited to open the package. I told them I needed their help to review this product for other homeschool families (or any family who enjoys educational materials with their kids). One of my daughters asked, "When do we have to give them back?"
I told her they were ours to keep.
"It's like a birthday present when it's not your birthday!" She said with a huge grin.
I'd say that's a pretty ringing endorsement of a product, wouldn't you?
You can find out more about Silver Dolphin Books and their products (and some great free resources!) on their blog: Silver Dolphin Books Blog. You can also find them:
- Facebook at Silver Dolphin Books
- Twitter @SilverDolphin
- Pinterest at Silver Dolphin
- Instagram at Silver Dolphin Books
Silver Dolphin Books is also giving away 10 Card Sets. The winner can choose which set (K-1 or 2-3) they would like. (Shipped only to U.S. addresses)
Combine Fact Cards with Notebooking Pages to Double the Possibilities:
