Travel Activity Books Your Littles Will Love
The hardest part of prepping for any trip is making sure I have plenty of activities to keep the kids busy. I like to be prepped not only for the ride there (plane, train, car) but I also like to have options for when Jeff and I want some down time, be it at a brewery or back at the hotel.
Usborne Books is my go-to for activity books when we travel. I’ve picked out some of my favorite options to highlight. If you order under my link, I get hostess credit, just like if I hosted an at-home party. Everything I feature here we have tried and tested.
My Littles are currently 7, 5 and 3. I like activities that are mess free, keep the kids occupied and help keep them on track with school.
Across the USA Activity Book | Big Little, 7
This activity book is travel appropriate both in theme and content. The variety of activities provide lots of choice. I love that there are things we can do together, but I can also turn the 7 year old loose to complete activities on his own.
First Airport Sticker Book | Little Little, 3
This book is perfect for our Little Little. The stickers are big and the instructions are free form. Our Little guy has some trouble pulling the stickers off the page, so I pull the sticker outlines off the page making it easier for him to complete on his own. There are so many books in this series, if airports are not your thing.
Maps Activity Book | Big & Middle Littles, 5 & 7
This is one of my favorite options for my 7 year old. (I actually use the book and Map Activity Pad in our homeschool.) Each map is filled with activities that hone in on map reading skills while being entertaining puzzles.
Museum Activity Book |Middle Little, 5
This activity book is a great way to introduce (or review) museum concepts with my 5 year old. My 5 year old doesn’t read independently yet, so we do have to read him the instructions. The book includes sticker activities among other options.
Write & Draw Your Own Comics |Big Little, 7
This book is a dream for my comic book loving kid. Some pages have partially drawn comics, while others provide drawing and writing prompts. I can set my 7 year old free with this book and he draws his heart out. (If comic books are not your thing there are other versions to check out like Story, Magazine and Poetry. )
Color by Number | Big & Middle Little 5 & 7
My boys are not huge coloring book fans with the exception of these color by number books. As you color, pictures appear, so it’s part puzzle and part coloring book. Perfect for keeping my littles entertained.
Chess Book | Big Little. 7
My Big Little loves to play chess against his dad. We’ve used some apps to help practice but the Usborne Chess Book covers essential skills through fun activities. Best of all our Big Little keeps it on hand to use as a reference while he plays.
Forest Mazes | Middle Little, 5
This is the perfect independent work option for my Middle Little. He loves mazes and is happy to sit and work on these. My only complaint is that he can work through most of the book in one sitting. I should probably move to the Big Maze Book.
Wipe-Clean Activity Books | Little Little, 3
There are wipe-clean activity books for all three of the boys, but they are the biggest hit with my little one. We are working on basic pen skills right now, so any opportunity to practice is good. These books can be used over and over again. Pro Tip: Use some hot glue to attach a pom pom to the top of the dry erase pen to use as an eraser.
I have to throw in one non-Usborne book that my kids just adore.
Paint by Sticker | Middle & Big Little, 5 & 7
My kids love the paint by sticker books. They work like paint by number, but without the mess. The Paint by Sticker for Kids is best for my 5 year old, but my 7 year old happily works with the smaller stickers of the adult version.
I would love to hear what your favorite on the go activity book is for kids. Feel free to let me know your favorite Usborne book as well!
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