A local blogger friend of mine, Michelle, always has the most creative projects going on at home. This mama shares her creative ideas with so many other moms who contribute to her blog, following her lead. She is one inspiration, so I thought I would ask her to share one of her fun, affordable projects that would keep the kids engaged and stimulated. You will love what she shared:

Research has shown that parent involvement in their children's learning can greatly increase their chances for success later in life. But, you don't have to break the bank in order to bring learning and fun into the home.

The dollar store is a favorite place of mine to find fun ways to create learning activities at home for my kids. We made these simple puzzles from a pack of flashcards. And you can too. Here's how:

You'll need:

~Pack of Alphabet, Number, or Shapes and Colors

~Flashcards

~Scissors

Make Puzzles:

Using the scissors, cut several cards in half with alternating patterns (as shown curvy, straight, jagged, etc.).

Play:

• Put them in a pile and allow your child to sift through them and find the matches.

• For younger preschoolers (around age 3), use a limited number of cards-three or four.

• Increase the number of cards to increase difficulty. For older children, make it a race. Time them to see how fast they can match the pieces!

The cards pictured above were purchased at Dollar Tree.

*Michelle is a stay at home mom, former preschool teacher, and mom blogger. You can also find her at www.muffintinmom