I love books that kids can interact with. Look and find books were some of my favorites when I was growing up. I was always writing in journal style books, or looking for books with fun activities I could do. So I decided to gather a list of new activity books for kids! Whether your kids are interested in LEGOs, cooking, STEM or journaling, there is an activity book for them.

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Books to Beat the Boredom

100 Screen Free Ways to Beat Boredom! was written by Kris Hirschmann and illustrated by Elisa Paganelli. This book is full of fun activities that will keep kids entertained without using screens. There are 3 sections in the book, providing boredom busting ideas while at home, outdoors, and on the go. Ideas include crafts, games, recipes, and science experiments, all of which use very few materials. The activities that do require materials, mostly use items you probably already have on hand. This guide will be especially useful during the winter months, if you are stuck inside for long periods of time!

Super Squishies, Slime, and Putty: Over 35 Safe, Borax-Free Recipes was written by Tessa Sillars-Powell. This fun guide is full of borax free recipes and instructions for creating all kinds of slimes, putties, and squishy friends. The book’s introduction shares some of the ways that these sensory activities can be beneficial to kids. It also offers a basic introduction to the materials used throughout the book. There are tons of fun squishy pals, so you are sure to find several that your kids would love to make. The slime and putty recipes also have a lot of fun themes. Plus they mostly use ingredients you will probably already have around the house. The back of the book also includes guides for making labels and boxes so kids can give them away to their friends too!

Interactive Books

Around the World in 80 Puzzles was written and illustrated by Aleksandra Artymowska. This large puzzle book take kids on an adventure around the world. Inspired by Jules Verne’s novel Around the World in 80 Days, each two page spread covers a different visual puzzle featuring various world landmarks or modes of transportation. The back of the book includes the key to all of the puzzles, as well as an additional mystery for readers to search for throughout the book.

Where’s Waldo? The Spectacular Spotlight Search was written by Martin Handford. Attention fans of Where’s Waldo? books! This new book makes the hunt for the mysterious Waldo even more interactive. Each two page spread of this book has a shadowy page that requires the use of a spotlight. The spotlight is a simple paper wand (included in the front of the book), with different sized circles or stars on either end.

By sliding the magic wand behind the screen on the dark page, the spotlight allows you to search the scene in small sections. This requires you to look a bit harder at each scene, making it a more challenging search. There are tons of things hidden on each page, including Waldo, Woof, Wenda, Wizard Whitebeard, and Odlaw, as well as their various items. As a lifelong Waldo fan, I may have been even more excited about this one than my daughter was, although she really loved using the wand to highlight the picture.

STEM Activities

Brain Lab for Kids: 52 Mind-Blowing Experiments, Models, and Activities to Explore Neuroscience was written by Eric H. Chudler, Ph.D. The brain is a remarkable thing, and this fun book provides over 50 fun experiments and activities to help kids learn how the brain works. Readers will learn about the parts of the brain, as well as how it relates to each of our senses, our sleep rhythms, memory, and more. The book is divided into several different units, each with it’s own creative experiments. Each experiment is accompanied by photographs showing kids taking part in it, as well as clear instructions, a materials list, estimated time, and associated brain facts.

Brick Building 101: 20 LEGO® activities to teach kids about STEAM was written by Courtney Sanchez. For LEGO fans, this book full of STEAM projects is the perfect way to combine fun and learning. This book provides a variety of learning activities and experiments that teach kids about important STEAM concepts using their favorite building blocks. From gravity and shapes to symmetry and engineering, this guide is full of fun projects easily laid out for kids to do on their own (or with adult supervision). The large photographs and simple instructions are accompanied by fun facts, extension activities, and information for parents about the concepts being discussed.

Check out my list of 5 reasons why your family needs this brick building guide!

STEM Adventures: Sensational Science was written by Stephanie Clarkson. This activity book includes a variety of activities including connect the dots, mazes, coloring pages, and matching puzzles all based on scientific concepts. Kids will learn about gravity, states of matter, electricity and more with these fun games.

STEM Adventures: Amazing Math was written by Hannah Wilson. Take a journey through the world of math with this activity book full of puzzles, math problems, and games. The activities in this book cover a broad range of topics including shapes, symmetry, Roman numerals, and measurement.

STEM Adventures: Extreme Engineering was written by Paul Virr. Encourage kids to explore engineering with this colorful activity book full of games, logic puzzles and coloring pages. The topics covered in this book include levers, wheels, LED lights, and robotics.

STEM Adventures: Terrific Technology was written by Claire Sipi. Introduce kids to technological concepts with this colorful activity book. Kids can learn about vehicles, computers, and electricity while solving visual puzzles, word problems, and tricky mazes.

Cooking Together

Kid Chef Junior: My First Kids Cookbook was written by Anjali Shah. This bright and colorful cookbook is a fun way to get kids in the kitchen. All of the recipes in this book are kid friendly, and provide lots of opportunities for kids to help in the preparations, or even prepare them on their own. Each recipe has a large photograph showing the delicious snack or meal, as well as simple instructions, a clear ingredient list, an estimated time frame, the number of servings, and any special dietary notes (nut-free, vegetarian, etc). The book is even filled with fun food-related jokes! (These were definitely my daughter’s favorite part). This is a great way to start cooking as a family, and discussing healthy food choices together.

Kids Cooking: Students Prepare and Eat Foods from Around the World was written by George Ancona. Follow a group of kids in the Cooking with Kids program as they learn about foods from around the world. The kids help to prepare a variety of dishes from different countries, and the book is full of photographs showing the kids chopping, stirring, serving, and enjoying the various dishes. The text walks the reader through their actions, and even includes phrases about eating in the different languages of each country. This book may inspire your favorite little chef to want to explore cuisines from around the world as well.

Journaling

My Story, My Self: Journal Your Plans & Dreams was written by Anna Brett. Aimed at girls ages 10+, this keepsake journal is a fun way for tweens and teens to reflect on their lives, learn new habits, and make plans for the future. There are tracking pages to help them track their emotions and their routines, as well as fun quizzes and surveys. The book also includes lots of pages for them to record the books that they have read, movies they have seen, and songs they love. Filling in the pages will not only be fun for them, but also reminds them of the positive things in their lives, and helps them focus on the important things going forward. The illustrations and fonts are adorable and girly, making it fun to fill in.

Spark: A guide to ignite the creativity inside you was written by Andrea Debbink and illustrated by Emily Balsley. This bright and colorful book is a fun exploration of creativity and how you can use your creativity. Readers are encouraged to change their perspective on creativity, and think outside the box of “artistic”. The first chapter introduces a new definition of creativity, and also shares the stories of many creative and groundbreaking women. Each chapter after that walks readers through the steps of creating a project and seeing it through to the end. There are plenty of journaling pages for readers to fill in. There are also quizzes to take and inspirational quotes and advice to remember along the way.

What are your child’s favorite activity books? Share in the comments below!

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