One of my favorite games growing up was Memory. I loved to test my brain to remember where the different matches were. It was fun and a way of learning at the same time.
Here's a do-it-yourself version of the game that you can make with small scraps of fabric you have around the house.
I thought this version would be a nice change for younger children who can learn to match the pairs together while enjoying the sensory aspect of the fabric at the same time. If your making this for older children, you can add more patterns to make the game more difficult.
Coming up with a plan to make this matching set and then carry it out along side the interruptions of everyday life took a couple of hours, but I was really happy with the finished product!
Here's how it worked:
I cut two 3 inch squares of each patterned fabric and ironed down all four sides. I also cut twice that number of white squares to make the background.
I sewed each patterned fabric into the center of the white squares.
Then I sewed the other white square on top on 3 sides. I turned them right side out and iron them with the last seem tucked inside.
One last stitch around the outside and they were good to go!
In the end, I decided to make a little bag to keep the matches together.
This would be great to take along on long car rides or to play on rainy days.
The other day, a friend of mine gave it a try with his nieces.
They enjoyed it very much and I can tell you, their memory is much better than his.
It's great for younger ones who would normally crumple the cards. 
While playing we discovered that exact matches or a little less abstract patterns are crucial. Otherwise it becomes too difficult for the little brainiacs.
There are so many variations of the matching game out there. You can match with food or animals to increase your little one's skills as they get older. Whatever you choose, it's sure to be fun!