Spending more time at home has certainly given us the opportunity to experiment with activities to entertain our kids. (How’s that for a positive spin on this whole thing?) Or, we are desperate to find ways to keep our kids occupied and out of our hair so we can just finish this email for the love of… (Possibly more accurate.)
My kids, at 3 and almost 7, are still young enough that they spend most of their time at home playing (Legos, magnet tiles, “babies,” making forts). However, sometimes it’s nice to have some other choices for entertainment. Activity books are a good option, because they are a good way for kids to practice their writing or drawing, or for younger kids their fine motor skills. Plus, they’re fun!
Here are a few activity books that we have enjoyed.
{elementary activity books}
Paint by Sticker books. These are like the traditional paint by numbers, but they use stickers instead, which is much less messy. The ones we have are probably more suited for elementary age kids, although with a little help Violet enjoys them too (especially this Unicorn one). They also make My First Sticker by Numbers, which would be perfect for the younger set.
National Geographic Sticker and Activity books. These are another great option for elementary schoolers, because they combine stickers with activities and facts about science, nature, or animals. And they are packed with stickers, so they last a good while.
Drawing books. Jona is really into architecture and buildings right now, so this Usborne Make Buildings drawing book all about creating different kinds of buildings has been a hit with him. We also have this Drawing Book for Kids that I know a lot of kids really enjoy. (Jona gets too frustrated that he can’t make the pictures look exactly like the book, so we’ve shelved that one for now.)
Character workbooks. We picked up this Star Wars Math workbook last year (but ours was for first grade) to supplement what he was learning in school, and we liked it pretty well. We also picked up a reading version but it wasn’t my favorite and Jona didn’t really enjoy it either. I think for reading we’ll stick with, well, reading.
{preschool activity books}
Highlights Preschool Big Fun Workbook. We love this one. It is filled with handwriting practice, shapes, numbers and lots of other fun activities like Hidden Pictures, which is Violet’s favorite thing ever. I think there are a lot of preschool workbooks out there, but I think this one is a winner.
Scratch and Sparkle books. These are activity books that have punch-out crafts that your child scratches off the surface to reveal a sparkly background. We got a dinosaur version and both kids enjoyed the scratch-off pages, although it does get a little messy. There are other little activities in the book as well.
Sticker books. These are probably Violet’s favorite kind of activity book overall. She has and loves My Alphabet Sticker Activity Book, Usborne Little Stickers Ballet (with reusable stickers), and a Frozen sticker book. Any kind of sticker book is a win around here.
Wipe-off books. These activity books are great because they use wipe-off markers, so you can use them again and again. We have a tracing book and Violet loves it. It has shapes to trace, simple mazes to try, and once again, her favorite–Hidden Pictures.
{a couple extras}
These aren’t activity books but they are a couple of “entertaining kids” favorites.
Cat Stax. This 3-D puzzle game is so fun! (Thanks Anne for the recommendation!) It says for age 10 and up, but Jona enjoys it, although some of the puzzles are a little complicated for him. I’ve found myself getting sucked into it too.
Reusable sticker pads. Like I said, stickers are big around here, so these little scenes where you can move the stickers around, again and again, get a lot of use.
Do you have any activity books you’d add to this list?
