Holidays are full of visits from family and friends, but that can be overwhelming to little ones in their first or second Christmas.

One helpful activity you can do ahead of time is to make family flashcards. For a variety of family members, I had photos printed at the drugstore, and then taped each picture to an index card.

Write the name of the person or people on the back, then slip into a snack-sized zip-top bag.

Now the flashcards are tear-proof!

Veronika loved them right away, simply for the feel and visual stimulation.

Then she noticed that she recognized these faces! She paused to point, babbling “mama” or “dada” in particular.

Be sure to include those nearest and dearest, including siblings. Family pets count, too!

For now, I simply showed her each card and then said the person’s name. As she gets older, we can go through them like a deck of flashcards, seeing if she’s able to say the name (and some day read it, too!).

If your baby is still young enough for tummy time, consider arranging all the pictures on a piece of sticky contact paper to make a floor mat.