I rarely use flashcards, once in a while they are fun, but songs with finger movements like the itsy bitsy spider are great. I have 100 of those. Jumping around and pretending to be animals, stretching tall like a giraffe (then use your flashcard) slithering like a snake, growling like a lion, these are all simple learning tools for a young group. Put on the firefighter hats and pretend to put out fires, there are so many role playing things you can do if you think about it.

Science is all around us, shapes, textures, tastes, fingerpaints made from flour, water and food colouring is nice and safe, hiding things like seashells in a container of pasta shells, home made playdo is safer than storebought. I use the washable markers for little children because they get better results than they do with crayons. Go outside and pick up pinecones, leaves, smell the flowers, explore, look at the ants.

Just a few ideas! As soon as babies start with me, even if they are not a year old yet, they participate in everything we do. I chatter away inside and outside and they are absorbing everything.