Keep Kids Busy This Summer with 7 Inspiring Activity Books

Turn This Book Into a Beehive!: And 19 Other Experiments and Activities That Explore the Amazing World of Bees, by Lynn Brunelle
Bee conservation is really having a moment right now. Unfortunately, that’s because bees are being threatened by widespread pesticide use and disappearing meadows. We need bees, and bees need places to live. This amazing book teaches all about bees and provides activities designed to show the world from a bee’s perspective. Turn This Book… helps promote understanding, empathy, and a sense of accomplishment, all while being fascinating and fun.

Let Your Kids Go Wild Outside, by Fiona Bird
If you can’t take advice about being outside from someone named Bird, then who can you trust? Fiona Bird, Scottish forager (and mother of 6!,) has a great love for the outdoors, and wants to share that with your children. Filled with creative and enjoyable activities including making wild face paints, beach hopscotch, and making a snail holiday village, this book will create a real connection to the environment for those who do them.

Camping Activity Book for Families, by Linda Parker Hamilton
This book is filled with games, songs, crafts, and other creative, wholesome outdoor fun. With a large variety of activities and advice, starting from before you even leave the house, this book is one essential thing you should pack when you take your family camping. That and a tent. Definitely bring a tent.

Don’t Let the Pigeon Finish This Activity Book, by Mo Willems
Face it: you’re going to have to spend some time inside this summer. Whether due to rain, excessive heat, or Godzilla attacking, you’re going to need something to do when you’re cooped up. Don’t Let the Pigeon… is a long-term activity book of coloring, cutting, taping, and puppetry that kids can complete in stages. Do as little or as much as you want at a time. Follow that unstoppable Pigeon through more than 250 wacky pages, and you’ll probably still have stuff left to do long after you run out of nasty weather.

Gardening Lab for Kids: 52 Fun Experiments to Learn, Grow, Harvest, Make, Play, and Enjoy Your Garden, by Renata Brown
Growing plants is magic. I mean, it’s science, but it’s magic. Sharing that magic—I mean science—with your children is beneficial to their little brains and bodies in so many ways. Their motor skills improve, they get more vitamin D, they form connections with nature, and taking ownership over growing food helps them develop better eating habits. This book is bushel-full of cool ideas for gardening-related projects, from seeds to supper and everything in-between.

National Geographic Kids Ultimate U.S. Road Trip Atlas: Maps, Games, Activities, and More for Hours of Backseat Fun, by Crispin Boyer
So, you’re finally taking that road trip. Aunt Cathy’s 60th birthday is an ideal excuse to pack the kids into the car and go, stopping every so often along the way to explore and admire. Good for you! Better for you would be to pick up a copy of this book to keep the backseat people entertained. Trust me, the ride will be much more pleasant if they’re engaged in an activity. By the time you get to Aunt Cathy’s, you’ll all be better informed and you might still even want to talk to each other.

Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book, by Ben Cohen, Jerry Greenfield, and Nancy Stevens
Really, the only activity book you need this summer is an ice cream cookbook. You can’t really go wrong with any of them, but this is one of my favorites. Simple instructions, simple ingredients, and simply delicious results, plus funny commentary, cute illustrations, and some solid, uncomplicated ice cream education. Start with a vanilla or chocolate base, and from there, the world is yours. If your kids don’t enjoy making and eating ice cream, send them to camp.