"F" stands for Freeway not Farm

November 3, 2009 2:26 PM

Is there a set of Urban Alphabet Flashcards? Alternatively, I'd like to create my own for my kid.

Time to begin teaching the little one letters and things, and I guess I'd like the flashcards to provide me some entertainment value too. Many are dry and they often have a pastoral bent, which seems unhelpful given the urban landscape we live in. Know of any creative/funny/atypical sets?

If I can't find something, I plan on making them myself. Your helpful suggestions for what "A," etc. should stand for appreciated.

posted by MasonDixon to Education (15 answers total)

Best answer: Or, alternatively, H is highway.

Some others:

B - bus
C - cat (cats are still urban), computer
D - downtown, dog
J - jogger
L - library
M - mall
O - office
P - police officer, park
T - train (could be public transit train or intercity, depending on the services in your city)
W - water fountain
posted by Kurichina at 2:36 PM on November 3, 2009

Best answer: Airplane
Bus
Car
Dog
Egg
Flower
Garbage
House
Ice
Jacket
Key
Lamp
Motorcycle
Nail
Orange
Pot
Quarter
Road
Scissors
Television
Umbrella
V
Water
Xylophone
Yo-yo
Zipper

I couldn't think of a good v word.
posted by Night_owl at 2:42 PM on November 3, 2009

This question reminded me of Sweet Juniper's alphabet, using photos of graffiti to represent letters. Definitely a more creative way to teach the kiddo their P's and Q's. A full printable set is at the link.
posted by caveat at 2:42 PM on November 3, 2009 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Not urban, but super cool.
posted by i_am_a_fiesta at 2:57 PM on November 3, 2009

Best answer: to add to Night_owl's list: V is for Vespa!
posted by dizziest at 4:13 PM on November 3, 2009

It's a slightly different take, but you might like Heidi Cody's American Alphabet.
posted by oulipian at 5:07 PM on November 3, 2009

Best answer: T is definitely taxi.
Z, zoo
F, fountain
S, subway
E, elevator
H, high-rise
M, museum
N, nightlife
posted by rabidsegue at 5:18 PM on November 3, 2009

Best answer: A, alley
C, crosswalk
C, coffeeshop
M, manhole cover
M, Mayor
N, No Parking Sign
P, parking meter
P, pushcart
S, streetlamp
T, Token
posted by jeanmari at 6:46 PM on November 3, 2009

B, Botts' dots
posted by clorox at 10:07 PM on November 3, 2009 [1 favorite]

i must be too urban, i immediately thought 'v - vagrant'
posted by headless at 11:00 PM on November 3, 2009

Best answer: okay, i'll try the whole thing, kinda nyc ish

Apple
Building
Child
Doorman
Elevator
Friends
Grocery
High (like the empire state building) or Horse
Intercom
Julliard
Key
Lamppost
Museum
Neighbor
Open
Park or Pizza
Quiet (something you will never know)
Restaurant
Statue
Train
Umbrella
Vagrant
Wonder
X-ing
You
Zip code or Zoning
posted by headless at 11:16 PM on November 3, 2009

Best answer: Alley
Bank
Crane
Door
Elevator
Footbridge
Garden
Hospital
Imam
Juggernaut
Kick
Laundromat
Mansion
Non-smoking
Oyster bar
Pigeon
Queens
Railroad
Skyscraper, Skyline
Truck
Upper West Side
Van
Workman
X-rated
Mr. Yuck
Zoo
posted by matkline at 11:42 PM on November 3, 2009

Response by poster: I love some of these. (Still hoping for more suggestions though.)
posted by MasonDixon at 6:24 AM on November 4, 2009

Assuming "creative/funny/atypical" was asking for ideas other than urban, here's a link to a set I want: the science alphabet flashcards.
posted by artifarce at 6:49 AM on November 4, 2009

Best answer: This is a book, but I highly recommend Alphabet City. All the letters are in an urban setting.
posted by peep at 9:40 AM on November 6, 2009 [1 favorite]