Keep Kids Engaged with the Latest, Greatest Activity Books

Looking for non-screen options for road trips and quiet time at home? Books are always my go-to option but activity books count as engaging, interactive choices, too.

Keep Kids Engaged with the Latest, Greatest Activity Books

The Kids Awesome Activity Book by Mike Lowery
Visually appealing, kids will like that this colorful book offers a wide variety of engaging ideas in the form of stickers, games, mazes, drawing prompts, writing prompts, and more. It’s hefty, too — 121 pages with 96 prompts — so this one book contains hours of activity fun! I want to do this. Think I might be a tad bit too old?

I Can Do That! Stickers by Gakken (ages 3 – 5)
Originally from Japan, Gakken books are now available in the U.S. This is an adorable early learning reusable sticker book that helps kids with fine motor skills through math and problem-solving activities. They’ll see the stickers to match numbers to groups of things or matching shapes or going through a maze. I love the brightly colored illustrations in this, don’t you?!

I Can Do That! Erasable Art by Gakken (ages 3 – 5)
Use a crayon or dry erase marker to design and color different simple illustrations like socks, a shirt, a lion, and an airplane.

I Can Do That Origami by Gakken (ages 3 – 5)
While not technically origami, this book gives kids the chance to cut with scissors and fold on the line. The activities are playful, making the activities not seem like fine motor practice but fun. I got confused on which way to bend the paper because I didn’t read the directions. (Bad!) The beginning explains which lines are for a mountain fold and which are for the valley folds. Reading is so helpful.

ENTER TO WIN THESE THREE GAKKEN BOOKS

Seek and Find Wonderland by Tiago Americo, illustrated by Benjamin Becue
ages 4 – 7
Talk about cute, captivating illustrations! We love these pages filled with colorful, adorable fairytale characters and settings — Princesses and Princes, Monsters, Animal Tales, and Deep Sea Adventures, for example.

Stickyscapes at the Museum illustrations by Laura Junger
Unfold the double-sided pages of a large, busy art museum — one side for daytime and the other for nighttime. The nighttime side is quite silly. Kids use the 100+ stickers to decorate the museum with artifacts, works of art, and exhibit creatures. You’ll find Michelangelo’s David, Salvador Dali’s melted watch, and an Egyptian mummy.

The Big Book of 100 Outdoor Activities by Laura Minter and Tia Williams
Parents or older kids who can read, use this book to inspire your own outdoor activities. It’s organized into wildlife spotting, garden, messy, arts & crafts, games, rainy day, food & drink, and playing & make-believe. The ideas are clearly explained step by step directions and photos as well as a list of supplies needed. Some of these ideas are familiar (leaf rubbing, water wall, ), but I like that some are new (autumn leaf bowl, pressed flower game). This book will be a great resource to have on hand with so many activities all in one place.

Pixel Coloring Animals by Dan Crisp
Love coloring by number books? Try this unique twist on the concept. Whether you’re a Minecrafter or just like pixelated images, follow the coloring directions to create pixelated animals. Read the “Did you know?” facts about each one at the bottom of the page. “When this spotted animal feels threatened, it can cover its skin in a sticky liquid that is mildly poisonous.” Creative and educational!

Summer Brain Quest Pre-K & K
As long as parents and teachers don’t rely on the workbooks for a child’s entire educational experience, I think quality workbooks do have a place as a supplement to hands-on, real-world learning. Especially when the parent isn’t sure what concepts should be covered… The Brain Quest books are my favorite in this regard. Why? Because I’ve used workbooks with my own kids and these their favorites. I like them because they’re very clearly organized, colorful and appealing, and kid-appropriate. However, I do not think we should push kids academically before they’re ready. IF your child is ready to learn in a more academic style (writing on lines, reading directions, etc) then this might be a decent choice. If not, skip it. Pushing kids too fast, too soon, is never a good idea.