Make ASL flash cards showing letters and simple words using drawings and photos; practice finger spelling and matching games to learn American Sign Language.



Step-by-step guide to Make ASL Flash Cards
Step 1
Gather all the materials and set them on a flat table where you can work.
Step 2
Pick 10 letters and 10 simple words you want to learn for your first set.
Step 3
Cut the paper or index cards into card sizes using the scissors.
Step 4
On the front of each card write one large letter with a marker.
Step 5
Add a picture to the front of the matching card by drawing it or gluing a photo from a magazine.
Step 6
Write the printed word under the picture on the front of the card.
Step 7
Flip each card and draw the ASL handshape for that letter on the back using your pencil first and then outline with marker.
Step 8
Make extra cards that show only the picture or only the ASL handshape to use for games.
Step 9
Shuffle the cards and lay them face down on the table.
Step 10
Play a matching game with a friend or family member to match letters to handshapes or pictures to handshapes.
Step 11
Practice finger spelling each letter in front of a mirror or with your partner using the cards as prompts.
Step 12
Keep your finished flash cards together in a box or rubber band so they stay neat.
Step 13
Share a photo or description of your finished ASL flash cards on DIY.org.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!


Help!?
What can I use instead of index cards or magazine photos if I don't have them?
If you don't have index cards, cut sturdy paper or thin cereal-box cardboard into card sizes with scissors as in the 'Cut the paper or index cards into card sizes' step, and use phone-printed photos or hand-drawn pictures instead of gluing magazine photos when you 'Add a picture to the front of the matching card'.
My ASL drawings look wrong â how can I make accurate handshapes?
Follow the instruction to 'draw the ASL handshape for that letter on the back using your pencil first' by tracing an ASL diagram from a book or screen under tracing paper, practicing the finger positions in a mirror, then outlining with marker to get the correct handshape.
How can I change this activity for younger or older kids?
For younger children, simplify the 'Pick 10 letters and 10 simple words' step to 3â5 letters, use pre-cut cards and stickers for pictures, and for older kids expand to more letters/words, add sentences under the picture, and time finger-spelling practice with the cards as prompts.
How can we make the flash cards last longer or play more games?
To extend and personalize the project, laminate each finished flash card or cover them with clear tape to keep them neat in a box or rubber band, color-code cards by vowels/consonants, make the extra 'only picture' or 'only handshape' cards suggested for games, and share a photo on DIY.org as the instructions recommend.
Watch videos on how to Make ASL Flash Cards
Facts about American Sign Language for kids
đ¸ Adding drawings and photos to flash cards links signs to real objects and people, which helps memory and meaning stick.
đ¤ ASL is a natural language with its own grammar and sentence structure, different from English.
đď¸ ASL uses a one-handed fingerspelling alphabet â you can spell names and words using just your hand!
đ Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., is the only university in the U.S. specifically for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.
đ˛ Playing matching and memory games with flash cards helps kids learn signs faster by turning practice into play.


Only $6.99 after trial. No credit card required