When I first heard about lapbooking, I thought it would be time-consuming and overwhelming, but it has quickly become one of my family's favorite learning tools. Lapbooks are file folders that contain homemade mini books about subjects your children are studying. They are fun for children of any age level and learning style, but are especially appealing to visual and hands-on learners.

Lap books help children break information into bite sized pieces that they can easily understand and remember. They give older children an opportunity to strengthen research skills and express creativity. Once completed, these projects can be used for review or shown to family members. Because they are flat, lapbooks are easy to store and won't fill your home with clutter.

To create a lap book, all you need is a file folder and basic household supplies like paper, scissors, a stapler, a hole punch, tape or glue, and writing utensils. Choose a topic of study and break it into subtopics. Then use one of the many online templates available to make little books about those subtopics. You can make your mini books as simple or elaborate as you choose. You can also add charts, graphs, diagrams and pictures to your lapbooks.

If you are new to making lap books, start slowly by using one of the many preplanned packages that are available online. Print the templates for your mini books in advance, and have your children complete them on a comfortable schedule. At our house, we complete one mini book every day or two.

At the end of your study, tape or glue your mini books to your file folder. Your children now have a completed project that they can use review what they've learned, and you have proof that they're actually learning something!