We really like flash cards around here. They’re the best, hands-down, at helping our kids learn, memorize, and recognize things…especially, right now, alphabet letters.

I was super excited to learn that there was a set of flash cards out there that weren’t exactly normal or plain. Alphabotz, thought up and created by Pat Vining and Kelly Barton (Ideopolis, LLC) are not just flash cards….they’re “SUPERPHONIC Decoder Cards!”

Colorful robot guys and gals (”Alphabotz”) adorn these oversized flash cards, each with its own name, personality, best friend, and secret phrase. Your kids won’t just learn their letters with Alphabotz…they’ll feel like they’re a part of an exclusive robot club, a part of inside knowledge that is super, super cool.

Each box of Alphabotz cards includes 46 character cards. The characters are broken into squads — designated by a code appearing in the upper right-hand corner of each card. The 26 letter cards are marked with a star. The short vowels are also marked with short vowel notation, being called the Superphonic Shorts. There are a host of other squads, too, such as the Superphonic Longs, the Impersonators (letters that sound like other letter sounds), and the tricky “Silent E” character.

Four bonus cards include two characters that make up the backstory and will be appearing in the future storybook: Miss Spella de Books and Professor Ben Letterman. The last two are a decoder card (the “how to” go to) and a game and activity card.

The Alphabotz have won six stellar awards, including the 2009 Dr. Toy 100 Best Products award and the Tillywig Toy Brain Child Award. Their extremely fun-filled website offers coloring pages to enhance the letter learning experience, a downloadable Decoder Club Chart, a 12-page Superphonic Funzine, catchy songs, and more.

So….why do we like Alphabotz so much at our house?
- They’re robots! It’s one way to ensure robot-and-tech-minded boys like mine to want to look at and learn from this educational tool.
- They’re semi-nostalgic. They remind me and my husband of “The Letter People,” little guys and gals who had personalities and helped us learn OUR letters when we were in kindergarten!
- They’re sturdy. They are coated with a shiny surface and wipe-off marker ready.
- They’re cute. Yes, the cute factor is a big factor for us. Their names, their special abilities, their home names, and their secret phrases are about as cute as the Alphabotz themselves look.

You can purchase Alphabotz cards for $19.95 directly from their site or from Amazon. Alphabotz would be a fun addition to any playroom, a fun gift for a child you know, or a terrific tool for the classroom!

FTC info — Disclaimer: I received this product for free from KidStuff PR for review purposes; however, my review was honest and my opinions are my own. I only received the product itself; I received no other monetary compensation for this review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”