By Christa Protano
For rainy days, road trips, airport delays, or downtime by the pool or beach, a book is always a good idea. Don’t miss these new releases, guaranteed to keep little ones entertained while us moms are busy folding laundry, putting dinner together, or sending out that one last email … at least we hope!
From lazy sloths to popsicle-eating hippos, we can’t think of a more appropriate activity book for summer. And with 24 colorful sticker-by-number scenes, this title’s fun will last until it’s time to go back to school. Each scene has printed numbers that show where each corresponding sticker should be placed, making it a mess-free choice that your child can take anywhere. Honestly, I would like a copy of Sticker Mosaic Magic just for myself. Hopefully, my daughter will share.
If you’re planning to take the family to your community’s National Night Out the first Tuesday in August, then this new board book is a great preview for the younger set. To the Rescue! introduces all the first responders, while little hands can press the big push-button on each page to hear the different siren sounds. An emergency red light also flashes, but — most importantly — parents will love the built-in on/off switch.
Smithsonian Everything You Need to Know Activity Book
If your child showed an interest in all things science this past school year, let the experts at Smithsonian Kids foster their enthusiasm throughout the summer. This activity book is packed with almost 200 pages of fun facts, games, stickers, and coloring featuring animals, dinosaurs, the human body, outer space and more.
Animal Planet: Real Life Sticker & Activity Book: Awesome Animals
Keeping with the animal theme, this activity book lets future conservationists and zookeepers create their own wildlife scenes with more than 1,600 stickers. This title features all the stars of land and sea, so even if your child’s favorite creature changes on the daily, they’ll still find a doodle or puzzle featuring a new BFF tomorrow.
Ready to Learn: Summer Workbook
Specifically designed to help prevent learning loss during the summer, this workbook aims to bridge the gap between grade levels and set kids up for success before school even starts. Ten levels cover important concepts such as number sense, grammar and punctuation, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and more.
Like the idea of a workbook but can’t find the time? As a mom, I like to build 1-2 pages into my children’s daily summer routine. Right after breakfast (and before screen time) usually works best for us, that way we get our work done for the day. Click here to download some sample worksheets.