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Activity books can keep kids happy for hours. But they aren’t always wonderful. Many parents will have experienced buying one based on their children’s favourite TV character, only to get home and find a few measly pages or stickers. So we have got our mini testers on the case to find the longest-lasting, most engaging, creative activity books that offer the best value for money.
Whether it’s for a plane journey, a rainy day at home or a big lunch out, our picks will keep them occupied and happy.
Click on the gallery to see the IndyBest buys
10 best activity books for childrenShow all 10 1 /1010 best activity books for children 10 best activity books for children Usborne Vikings Sticker Book With stories of raiding, thieving and fighting, the Vikings are a fascinating subject and this book’s an ideal way into the topic. It’s full of humorous scenes and easy-to-grasp historical info on the invaders’ lives and customs – and it comes with over 500 stickers.
£5.99, usborne.com
10 best activity books for children Miffy’s Day: Sticker Activity Book A nice option for younger kids who may be familiar with the much-loved Dutch import, Miffy, this book gets them to join her as she goes through her day. Stickers and activities add to the fun.
£4.99, miffyshop.co.uk
10 best activity books for children Where’s Wally? The Search For The Lost Things This book provides hours of mind-bending fun helping Wally and his pals find their precious things. There are hundreds of searches to keep kids busy, plus dot-to-dots, doodles, mazes and word puzzles.
£8, marksandspencer.com
10 best activity books for children The Artist’s Colouring Book of ABCs Get kids excited about the alphabet with this unique book featuring letters drawn by 26 established artists ranging from Paula Rego to Tracey Emin. It’s designed to inspire them to learn their letters as well as introduce them to contemporary art – and get them working on their own masterpieces.
£15.99, elfielondon.com
10 best activity books for children My English Sticker Atlas If you want to get children talking about the world they live in, this atlas will help. Each map contains cultural discussion points, a list of languages in the region and key geographical features. There are themed vocabulary stickers too.
£6.99, elc.co.uk
10 best activity books for children Usborne Big Doodling Pad This fabulously fat book is as exciting as it gets for creative kids. There are 400 doodles to complete with themes from mermaids to space aliens and there are handy tear-off pages.
£9.99, usborne.com
10 best activity books for children Galt Play and Learn Number Fun Getting little ones to do maths can be a battle. Not so with this Key Stage 1-level activity book that’s part of a fun learning series from Galt. Written by an experienced educational consultant, it’s got gold reward stickers, magical characters and fun activities.
£2.99, galttoys.com
10 best activity books for children Priddy Wipe Clean Dot to Dot for Tiny Tots Wipe Clean books are the frugal parent’s best friend as you can come back to them again and again. This one, which includes the pen, has bright pages with lots of puzzles that encourage simple pen control and learning to draw.
£7.99, priddybooks.com (available from 29 April)
10 best activity books for children Crayola Colour Wonder Packs Available in a variety of Disney characters, these packs are a revelation for children prone to leaving the tops off felt tips. They use special ink which won’t show up on fabric, walls or other surfaces, yet turns the pages different colours so kids still get the satisfaction of an end result.
£6.99, toysrus.co.uk
10 best activity books for children The Icky Sticky Science Activity Book Not only does this book have doodles, games and puzzles for mini scientists, it also allows them to do exciting experiments at home, including creating their own gunge, an alien egg and explosive fizzy fountain.
£3.75, johnlewis.com
Verdict:
Usborne is top of its game when it comes to activity books and their offerings just get better and better. We love their Vikings Sticker Book for this season, a fabulous companion to the British Museum’s Viking exhibition, which opened earlier this year. We were also seriously impressed with Elfie London’s The Artist’s Colouring Book of ABCs, which sees contemporary artists ranging from Marc Quinn to Grayson Perry handing over the tools of their craft to the younger generation.
Buy now
1. Usborne Vikings Sticker Book, £5.99
2. Miffy’s Day: Sticker Activity Book, £4.99
3. Where’s Wally? The Search For The Lost Things, £8
4. The Artist’s Colouring Book of ABCs, £15.99
5. My English Sticker Atlas, £6.99
6. Usborne Big Doodling Pad, £9.99
7. Galt Play and Learn Number Fun, £2.99
8. Priddy Wipe Clean Dot to Dot for Tiny Tots, £7.99, (available from 29 April)
9. Crayola Colour Wonder Packs, £6.99
10. The Icky Sticky Science Activity Book, £3.75
Read more: 10 best arts and crafts for kids