We hope you love our recommendations! What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. This does not influence our choices. Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published.
When the weather isn't great and you are stuck inside, it can sometimes be difficult to find things to do or toys to play with that can keep everyone entertained and occupied.
Children's activity books are a great remedy for this, however, as they came in such a huge variety of formats and cover a broad range of topics and interests. If you always have an activity book to hand, you can make sure that there'll be a way to keep your kids busy whilst still developing their skills and learning something new.
One thing that is so great about activity books is that they don't just have to stay at home and are an easy item to pack to give kids something to do when travelling, on holiday or to supplement other daytime activities. We have rounded up our pick of the best that are available online so that all you have to worry about is which activity book to choose.
For other indoor time activities which are fun and educational, take a look at our selection of the best STEM toys for kids of all ages, and the best coding books for kids.
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Kidadl's Top Pick
Whilst each activity book in our list comes highly recommended, this is our top pick based on parent and teacher reviews, versatility and interactivity.
1. Leap Frog Leap Start 3D Learning System
This makes our top spot on the list as it is not just an activity book but a complete learning system that brings them to life. There is certainly a higher initial investment for this choice but once purchased, there is an entire range of replayable Leapfrog activity books that are compatible with it. These books cover a variety of different topics and some are even themed to favourite children's' shows such as Paw Patrol.
Main Features
- Price: £45.31
- Interactive 3D display
- Touch and talk
- Combines video, audio and print
Best For Larger Families
2. Where's Wally? Games on the Go! Walker Books
Where's Wally? books are absolute classics, having sold 72 million copies and kept children and adults entertained for hours. This activity book not only includes the well-known Wally searches but also features puzzles, games and activities that the whole family can take part in. It even has a fold-out board game for added family fun.
Main Features
- Price: £6.35
- Travel size
- Answers at the back
- Blue elasticated strap to keep book closed
Best For Early Years
3. My Quiet Book UK
Activity books for toddlers are a great way to help them develop gross motor skills and start to recognise and recall things such as colours, shapes, numbers and animals. This large, soft fabric book is designed for a child to engage in quiet yet visually stimulating tasks through moving and manipulating the parts.
Main Features
- Price: £32.99
- A4 size
- Extremely durable
- 12 pages of early years activities
Best For Under 5s
4. Write-On Wipe-Off Let's Trace -Highlights
Reusable activity books for kids are great to get hold of as they offer hours of entertainment and can be used time and time again. This book features dry wipe pages of simple line tracing, mazes, puzzles and drawing activities so there's plenty for your young child to like.
Main Features
- Price: £11.99
- 56 sturdy pages
- Comes with dry wipe pen
- For practising early writing skills
Best For 5-Year-Olds
5. The Usborne Little Children's Space Activity Book
Another option for the younger members of your family, this is one of many activity books for 5-year-olds that has a science theme and a whole host of things to do including dot-to-dot, spot tasks, doodling, mazes and stickers. It's a great way for kids to improve their attention span whilst learning about space.
Main Features
- Price: £3.99
- Educational and entertaining
- Colourful pages
- Range of tasks
Best For 6 - 10-Year-Olds
6. Pencil & Paper Games - Usborne
If you are looking for activity books for 6-year-olds and over, this tearaway pad takes playing games off the screen and back to basics, requiring only a pencil to use. It features many traditional and well-loved paper pastimes that children can play together or against other family members.
Main Features
- Price: £3.56
- Over 100 tear-out sheets
- Multiple copies of each game
- Includes instructions for each game
7. No Worries! Mindful Kids: An activity book for children who sometimes feel anxious or stressed
When most people think about activity books for kids, they probably think of those that are full of puzzles and crafts or designed for academic learning but this exercise book focuses on the mental health of your child and encourages them to work through their feelings of anxiety, worry, sadness and stress in a safe, healthy way.
Main Features
- Price: £4.99
- Self-care book for emotional awareness
- Quirky illustrations
- Promote discussion about feelings
- Part of The Mindful Kids Series
Best For Getting Creative
8. Paper Crafts for Kids: 25 Cut-Out Activities for Kids Ages 4-8 - Stefania Luca
Arts and crafts are a great way to get kids whiling away the hours doing something a little bit different. This fun-filled artbook option contains 25 paper crafts including origami, fortune tellers and 'make your own' ideas to keep things fresh.
Main Features
- Price: £7.99
- Ready-to-cut templates
- Easy-to-follow instructions
- Variety of projects included
Best For Science Theme
9. Awesome Engineering Activities for Kids - Christina Herkert Schul
If your kids are fascinated by science and engineering them this book choice can help introduce them to new and exciting theories and concept. This one is a great choice in particular for helping introduce STEM exercises in a fun way and encouraging children to get thinking and experimenting.
Main Features
- Price: £13.21
- Cross-curricular
- A broad range of exercises
- Interesting information about what different engineers do
Best For Stickers
10. Melissa & Doug Habitats Reusable Sticker Pad - My Town
There is something about sticker books that is just instantly appealing and this reusable sticker pad book is sure to pique the interest of your child. This fun and colourful pad will help encourage creative imagination and the discovery of habitats while kids make creative scenes. As the stickers peel off and can be repositioned, kids don't have to just make one picture; they can let their creativity run as wild as they like.
Main Features
- Price: £4.99
- Extra-large pad
- 5 colourful backgrounds
- Over 150 stickers
Best For Colouring
11. Disney Classics Colouring - Autumn
This beautiful colouring book marries Disney and art to create wonderfully drawn illustrations that your kids can have fun adding their own flair to. As the drawings are quite detailed, they are an excellent way for older children to practice fine motor skills and keep inside the lines. In addition, this choice will help them to explore their creativity with things like colour, shading and blending.
Main Features
- Price: £6.99
- Over 100 images
- Includes patterns and double-page drawings
- Includes illustrations from classic and modern Disney films
Best For Puzzles And Games
12. The Puzzle Activity Book -Buster Activity
Last but by no means least, this bumper puzzle book is packed one after the other full of brain-teasing activities, mazes, pictures puzzles and more to keep boredom at bay and get your kids thinking whilst still having fun. Best suited to 4 - 6-year-olds, this book is one to break out at any time.
Main Features
- Price: £5.29
- A broad range of mazes, puzzles, doodles, dot to dots and more
- Great for car, train or plane journeys
- 64 pages
Our best buys have been selected from the most highly reviewed and recommended products we found across the web and include options for families of all ages. If you have invested in a range of books and now need somewhere to store them, why not take a look at out our 10 Best Kids' Bookcases For Any Space? If you are looking for ways to keep your kids entertained in the garden instead, then our 12 Best Kids' Garden Toys The Whole Family Will Love is definitely worth a read too.
Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
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