Something To Read! – Best Book Gifts & Activity Sets For Kids

This ‘Something To Read! – Best Book Gifts & Activity Sets For Kids’ post is sponsored. As always, all opinions are my own. **This post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  It does not cost you anything to shop through my affiliate links.

We’ve been busy sharing a variety of gift guides to help you get your holiday shopping started but I decided to combine a variety book and activity sets for you all in one handy post.

First, here’s a list to just a few of our handy guides:

• Ultimate Gifts For Men
• Christmas Gift Ideas For Women She Will Actually Love
• Best Gifts For Preschool Aged Girls
• Cool Gifts For Boys Ages 8-10
• Best Baby Gifts For 0-12 Months
• And more Gift Guides Here

How To Keep Your Books Organized = Guidecraft EdQ Rotating Book Display 3 Tier!

I was on the hunt for a better way to store our toddlers’ books because the bins we were using just weren’t adequate. My search led me to Guidecraft and I’m so glad it did!

I am SO impressed with Guidecraft’s EdQ 3 Tier Rotating Book Display. This shelf is so sturdy and holds so many books! The toddlers love how it can ‘spin’, making it super easy to find the book they’re in search of at any given moment.

Assembly took about half an hour but the instructions were very clear, making the process easy. As my husband was putting this shelf together, he kept saying how impressed he was (which isn’t always the case when he’s helping me with things.) The materials are great quality and he said the entire design was ingenious. It’s made from durable Greenguard Gold Certified wood!

This bookcase features 12 divided compartments, acrylic shelves, and a rotating base; providing kids easy access to their favorite books at home or in the classroom. It’s versatile and attractive and really fits well into any space. I highly recommend you check it out.

Buy This Guidecraft Bookshelf On Amazon

And now, on to the books and activity sets! I’ll share them in groups, based on age range from infant all the way through high school.

Fun Board Books For The Babies And Toddlers

I love board books! They are perfect for the littlest of kiddos who can’t quite be trusted with paper pages. Board books are super sturdy and can withstand the abuse toddlers give them. This Christmas, check out this list of board books, that would also easily slip into those Christmas stockings too!

• Jingle Bells from Giraffes Can’t Dance Board Book by Giles Andreae: “Jingle bells, jingle bells, join Gerald as he grooves. He sways his neck, he shakes his tail, he high-kicks with his hooves.” Join Gerald and his festive jingle-jungle friends as they ring the bells this holiday season with Giraffes Can’t Dance: Jingle Bells, based on the beloved Christmas song. — Buy It On Amazon
• I Love My Blankie! by Sandra Magsamen: My blankie and I will never, ever be apart, because I love, love, love it with all of my heart! Babies and toddlers won’t be able to resist the bright and soft-as-can-be blankie embedded through the center of the book that is sure to keep them captivated and engaged during storytime. With Sandra Magsamen’s signature message of love and sweet rhyming text, this is the perfect book for you and your little one to snuggle up and celebrate the comfort, reassurance, and happiness that blankies bring! — Buy It On Amazon
• Hedge-Hugs and Kisses by Sandra Magsamen: I’ll hug you close and kiss you on your head.Now, my little hedgehog it’s time to go to bed. Cuddle up with your little hedgehog and enjoy this adorable touch-and-feel board book. Babies and toddlers will love holding, touching, and reading this playful board book featuring soft, cozy hedgehog fur. With Sandra Magsamen’s signature message of love and rhyming text, this book makes the perfect read-aloud to snuggle up with at the end of each day! — Buy It On Amazon
• Pokémon Playtime: A Touch and Feel Adventure: Cute Pokemon present new textures on every page for babies and toddlers to touch and feel! Feel fun textures on every page with Pikachu and friends! Join the Pokemon of monpoke island as they play and explore a picnic. Touch bumpy fruit, soft flowers, crinkly candy wrappers, and much more! — Buy It On Amazon
• I Love School (A Let’s Play! Board Book) by Sandra Magsamen: Get ready for school and learn about all the numbers, letters, shapes, and colors as never before in this view finder-inspired novelty board book, including die-cuts on every spread and a sturdy spinning wheel! Each page features a different question and prompts young readers to find the correct answer on the spinning wheel. This book is perfect for developing your little ones’ fine motor skills, providing opportunities to practice matching and memory skills, while having lots and lots of fun! — Buy It On Amazon
• Pig The Pug Cranky Pug by Aaron Blabey:  Perfect for sharing all year long, this board book introduces the littlest Pig the Pug fans to feelings and emotions. Is Pig cranky, happy, or sleepy? Plus, babies and toddlers will love the mylar mirror in the back. — Buy It On Amazon

Children’s Hardcover Books

I love reading these kid’s hardcover books to our kiddos from the time they are one and up. Every morning, I actually sit on the floor with the toddlers and we have ‘book time’ where we read books for about 30 minutes. They LOVE this time with me and I cherish it as well. Consider snagging some of these titles for your kids.

• I SPY Christmas Treats: This one is actually softcover but so cute I had to include! Toddlers and preschoolers can search classic photos from the bestselling I Spy series for festive objects! Simple picture clues and rhyming riddles guide the youngest readers through 13 interactive, fun-filled spreads. — Buy It On Amazon
• Clifford’s Christmas: Clifford and Emily Elizabeth are counting the days until their favorite holiday — Christmas! They build snowmen, decorate a Christmas tree, and hang their stockings. When Christmas Eve arrives, will Clifford get to meet Santa Claus? — Buy It On Amazon
• Millie Fleur’s Poison Garden: Garden Glen is a very bland place. Every house and every garden looks exactly like the other. That is… until Millie Fleur La Fae comes to town. Up on a scruffy hill, beside a ramschackle house, Millie Fleur plants her marvelously strange garden, filled with Sneezing Stickyweed, Fanged Fairymoss, and Grumpy Gilliflower. Millie Fleur finds it enchanting, but the townspeople of Garden Glen call it poison! Will anyone else appreciate this garden? — Buy It On Amazon
• Volcanoes: A rumble. A tremble. A grumble. Growing, growling, getting hot. When will it… POP?! Using evocative storytelling, Nell Cross Beckerman leads children on an adventure through the radioactive wonders that are volcanoes. From deep down on the ocean floor to extraterrestrial volcanoes, Beckerman guides readers with dramatic, poetic language. Nonfiction text on every page allows for deeper understanding of the topic. — Buy It On Amazon
• Pikachu’s First Friends: Meet cute Pokemon in a whole new way! This original illustrated storybook is perfect for moms and dads who want to introduce their little ones to the most beloved Pokemon of all time. — Buy It On Amazon
• Moo Hoo: Milton has a wonderful life. But he cries . . . A LOT. He cries when he’s sad. Obviously. And also when he’s happy, and scared, and nervous, and frustrated, and, well, you name it. Milton’s friends are baffled by his tears, which only makes him cry more. Until Milton meets Wanda. This warm-hearted, rib-tickling read-aloud will make you laugh yourself to tears as it gently affirms feeling all your feelings and embracing exactly who you are. — Buy It On Amazon
• The Gingerbread House Jack’s Family Ate: This is the house Jack’s family ate! This is the mother who’s wrapping up gifts while secretly munching on marshmallow drifts on the house Jack’s family ate. Join Jack’s wacky family as they try to build a gingerbread house for Santa Claus… if only they can stop eating it! Gumdrops, marshmallows, and chocolate bars fly everywhere in this sweetly chaotic tale about a multi-generational family preparing excitedly for Christmas! For a humor-filled alternative to The Night Before Christmas! — Buy It On Amazon
• Rory The Remarkable Dragon: For fans of Dragons Love Tacos and We Don’t Eat Our Classmates, comes a hilarious new story about a very special dragon, named Rory! — Buy It On Amazon
• The Light of Home- A story of family, creativity, and belonging: Nur has always loved her home by the sea, where water glimmers along a straight horizon. But when Nur and her family are forced to leave, they begin a long journey to an unfamiliar place. Here the horizon curves and twists, and the moonlight no longer glitters across the water. For Nur, nothing in this new place feels like home. Then one day, Nur’s mother brings her a new set of paintbrushes. Nur’s brushstrokes help her connect the place she’s lost to this new horizon, and she finds home again through her own creativity and heart. — Buy It On Amazon
• Jonty Gentoo- The Adventures Of A Penguin: From the creators of The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom, an unforgettable tale of a brave little penguin on the journey of a lifetime. — Buy It On Amazon
• We Dream A World: In this stirring tribute to Coretta Scott King and Martin Luther King, Jr., their granddaughter, Yolanda—a national civil rights figure in her own right—is ready to lead in this powerful picture book text! With inspiration from Langston Hughes and deep love for her grandparents, Yolanda King shows the world that young people are strong enough to carry on their elders’ legacy while creating a new path for themselves. Her words are meaningful and universal, painting an expressive tableau of the issues facing young people today—racial equality, bullying, gun violence, climate change, disease, community, empowerment, inclusion, and more. Yolanda’s words will comfort and inspire the next generation of dreamers. — Buy It On Amazon
• G.O.A.T. Greatest of All Time: This hilarious picture book asks life’s most important question: who is the GREATEST OF ALL TIME? Goat thinks he’s pretty great — in fact, his name stands for the Greatest Of All Time! But his farmyard friends want to be G.O.A.T.s, too. They all debate what makes a perfect G.O.A.T. — being a Good Or Awesome Tap-Dancer? Or a Gorgeous Octopus Arm Twister? Is there only one G.O.A.T. or can they ALL be the greatest? This playful and laugh-out-loud picture book treats kids to hilarious acronyms and fun wordplay, making it the perfect read-aloud story. — Buy It On Amazon
• I Definitely Don’t Like Winter: One more softcover book that was just too cute to skip! Hank and Hoog are best friends, but will their friendship survive the coming winter? A heartwarming friendship story perfect for the season! — Buy It On Amazon

Activity & Special Accessory Books

When I was a kid, it was always a special treat to get a book that had ‘something special’ included. So when I found these fun books that included extra activities or small toys and accessories; they had to make it in my lineup! Be sure to grab at least one of these for the special kids in your life.

• Gabby’s Dollhouse- Cat-tastic Camera Adventure: oin Gabby and Pandy on a paw-some journey! Includes a toy camera with 8 purr-ific pictures for kids to see! Gabby Girl and Pandy Paws are going on a paw-some adventure, and you’re invited! They’ll travel by plane, boat, train, and hot-air balloon. Along the way, they’ll take photos of all the cat-tastic things they see. — Buy It On Amazon
• Gabby’s Dollhouse- Mer-Mazing Adventure: Come along with Gabby on a mer-tastic adventure! Includes a special sparkly headband so readers can join the fun! When MerCat invites Gabby and Pandy Paws to a Mermaid Sparkle Party, they take a deep-sea dive into the a-meow-zing world of Mermaid-Lantis. Kids will love this sturdy storybook featuring Gabby, Pandy Paws, MerCat, and a special pink sparkly headband just like Gabby’s! — Buy It On Amazon
• Rubble & Crew Build It & Fix It: Read and play along with Rubble & Crew in this sturdy board book! Features magnets for kids to use on every page. Join Rubble and his family crew on construction adventures in Builder Cove! When something needs to be built or fixed, this pup family construction crew is ready to help. Use the magnets to help the pups as they build a bridge and a playground, fix a roof, and more! Every page is magnetic in this sturdy board book. It’s a storybook and activity book in one. Let’s bow-wow build! — Buy It On Amazon
• Gabby’s Dollhouse- Party In The Dollhouse Sticker Activity Book: Dive into the world of Gabby’s Dollhouse with a cat-tastic new sticker activity book! Join Gabby and the Gabby Cats as they prepare for a cat-errific celebration in this sticker activity book! Use your stickers to solve puzzles, color by the number, and draw pictures to help get ready for the party. Don’t forget to decorate using four paw-some press-out activities! — Buy It On Amazon

Early Elementary / Easy Chapter Books

Developing kids into readers starts early. Introducing books from little on is key. But if your kids are past that stage and you’re still trying to light that spark, consider helping them dive into these shorter chapter books. They offer a great way to show kids the imaginative worlds books can open.

• The Inflatables in Air to the Throne: The Inflatables don’t get pumped. They stay pumped! Inflata-pals and bouncy BFFs Cactus, Flamingo, Donut, and Watermelon are ready for a fresh wave of drama in this hilariously action-packed graphic novel series that’s perfect for fans of Dog Man and The Bad Guys! When an Airy Frogfather grants Flamingo’s wish for a fancy new home for his inflata-pals, he’s pumped! But to claim the palace, the gang will have to go up against Sir-Spits-A-Lot, an evil inflatable llama who won’t give up the castle easily. Will Flamingo have what it takes to survive llamagedon and become the rightful air to the throne? — Buy It On Amazon
• The Owlympic Games: The Owlympic Games are about to begin at Treetop Elementary School! It’s going to be a flaptastic week full of games, races, and owlmazing obstacle courses. Eva wants to be excited like all her other classmates–who wouldn’t want to compete for a gold medal, after all? But as the Games begin, and the pressure to win starts to build, Eva is afraid of letting her team down. Will she be able to overcome her fears to compete for first place? — Buy It On Amazon
• The Inside Scouts Help the Strong Cheetah: Viv and Sanjay are the Inside Scouts! Together, they help animals. They have a cool superpower — they can shrink super small. A cheetah got a cramp in her leg while she was running. Now she can’t move her leg. The Inside Scouts put on their super-suits, grab their tools, and get really small! They go inside the cheetah’s leg to stop the cramp. And they work together to help her muscle relax! — Buy It On Amazon
• Disaster Squad Wildfire Rescue: Meet the Disaster Squad! Leela, Jaden, and the rest of the Jackson family travel the country and respond to natural disasters, helping people in need and rescuing animals along the way. In this first adventure, the Jacksons are called to Northern California, where wildfires are raging through the forests. Smoke-filled skies, trapped animals, evacuation mandates… There are people and animals in danger! Will the Disaster Squad be able to keep their cool and lend a helping hand? — Buy It On Amazon
• Disaster Squad Hurricane Rescue: In this second adventure, the Jacksons are called to Texas, where a hurricane is heading down the coast. Stormy skies, flooding streets, and crowded storm shelters… there are people and animals in danger! Will the Disaster Squad be able to weather the storm and lend a helping hand? — Buy It On Amazon
• Disaster Squad Blizzard Rescue: In this third adventure, the Jacksons are called to Minnesota, where a blizzard is sweeping through the area. Snow-filled skies, icy roads, chilly temperatures… There are people and animals in danger! Will the Disaster Squad be able to brave the cold and lend a helping hand? — Buy It On Amazon

Book And Activity Kits For Elementary Kids

For the kids who love some hands on fun AND reading, these kits are sure to deliver. Each one unique, find the best one to fit the personalities in your life.

• Mini Shake Shop Craft Kit: Shake things up! From trendy boba tea to over-the-top milkshakes, this kit includes everything you need to make non-edible versions of your favorite slurpable drinks. Custom molded cups, clay, stickers, straws, and realistic-looking squeezable “whipped cream clay” help you craft cute food with faces. — Buy It On Amazon
• Pokemon Color-in 3D Stickers Craft Kit: Color, stack, and squeeze! It’s super simple to make 3D puffy stickers with Klutz’s nifty, tried-and-true sticker press. Simply layer the sticky back with the foam insert and the artwork. When you press on the handheld sticker maker, the custom plates squish everything into a neatly lined-up sticker. Cut around the outside, and you have a round sticker you can stick and display, or simply store it in your sticker collection to use later. — Buy It On Amazon
• Make Your Own Mini Erasers Kit: Make your kawaii dreams come true with magical, bakeable, and moldable eraser clay. Choose from up to 35 designs inspired by super cute kawaii culture with step-by-step instructions and size guides to make sure your eraser matches the photo. Once you bake the clay in an ordinary kitchen oven or toaster oven, it becomes a rubbery, slightly squishy eraser — that really erases pencil marks! The kit includes a rainbow of clay, a custom clay-shaping tool, safety-tested metal eyes for the erasers, and a punch-out paper display to show off your creations. — Buy It On Amazon
• LEGO Gravity Drop: Assemble a high-quality foot-and-a-half tall chipboard gravity drop tower full of LEGO contraptions. Unleash a pack of 6 wood balls from the starting gate and watch them race through a maze of twists and turns, sliding down ramps, flipping spinners, and whirling down a funnel, before they finally plonk into their destined buckets. (All included right out of the box!) But it doesn’t stop there. Build and rebuild activities that include a gravity labyrinth, zip-line starter, grabber claw and more. — Buy It At Scholastic 
• Beadlings: It’s an itty-bitty beaded bonanza! With over 3,500 seed beads in 9 different colors, you can make 24 oh-so-small designs, including: watermelon, mushroom, lizard, flamingo, rainbow, and one seriously small strawberry. Did we mention the rubber chicken? This kit comes with everything you need to turn your beadlings into charm bracelets, key chains, and more! — Buy It At Scholastic

Chapter Books

For the kids who love to read or are ready for a little longer novels, we’ve rounded up some fun options. Pay extra attention to the first two on this list as they are our favorites!

• The Flames of Hope: Wings of Fire: My kids LOVE this series! With talons united… Luna has always wanted to change the world — to fix it, to free it — even if she’s never actually known how. Now that all of dragon- and humankind are in mortal danger, Luna is flying back home to Pantala with a team of dragons on a rescue mission, determined to be brave and useful. But saving a continent isn’t as easy as a prophecy makes it sound, and “facing a great evil” definitely requires more than the fiery silk that Luna is uniquely able to create. As she fights her way to the abyss that hides the dark roots poisoning Pantala, Luna must uncover a long-buried secret and unite her friends, her enemies, and her own powers. If she doesn’t, she won’t get to change the world. She’ll have to say goodbye to it — forever. — Buy It On Amazon
• When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank, Before the Diary: A beautiful novel exploring the little-known story of Anne Frank’s life before she went into hiding – from bestselling, award-winning author Alice Hoffman and published in cooperation with the Anne Frank House. In soaring prose, bestselling author Alice Hoffman brings Anne Frank to life on the page, drawing from her extensive research in Europe and the United States, to depict her experiences from the moment the Nazis invade the Netherlands until her family is forced into hiding in the annex of her father’s office building at 263 Prinsengracht, in Amsterdam. — Buy It On Amazon
• World War II Close Up: They Saved the Stallions: In the closing months of World War II, American bombs rained down on Nazi Germany and its territories, including Austria. As glass shattered around them in Vienna, an ordinary-looking horse named Nero and his stable mates, the dancing white Lipizzaner stallions of the famed Spanish Riding School, quiver and shake in fear. But they do not panic. Somehow, they sense the school’s director, dedicated horseman Alois Podhajsky, will do everything he can to keep them safe. Yet Alois can’t do it alone. — Buy It On Amazon
• Stranded: Nature-loving Ava yearns to leave the noise of New York City behind for a real adventure in the great outdoors―that’s why she’s thrilled when her parents allow her to move in with her Auntie Raven in the Adirondack Mountains! It’s a dream come true . . . until Auntie Raven is called away and Ava’s stay is cut short. But when wires get crossed, Ava finds herself alone in her aunt’s secluded cabin. Winter comes early in the mountains, and one night, a single storm will change everything. With a destroyed cabin, no cell reception, and no neighbors for miles, Ava begins to realize this adventure is more than she ever could have imagined. — Buy It On Amazon
• Pokémon Super Duper Extra Deluxe Essential Handbook: The latest edition of the bestselling Super Extra Deluxe Essential Handbook is here — and it includes all-new Pokemon! With 640 color pages and info on more than 1,000 Pokemon, this is a must-have for Pokemon fans of all ages. — Buy It On Amazon
• School For Unusual Magic- The Winter Frost: After a chaotic semester of Elementary Magic, Rose, Amethyst, and Lav have found themselves with new magical skills up their sleeves which will come in handy when they begin Middle Magic next year. But school is the last thing on their minds over winter break. Tensions are high between the Land Walkers and the Merfolk’s mysterious leader Frost. Worse, Amethyst’s mom has gone missing with an extremely illegal wand, and everyone–their classmates, Principal Ivy, the Committee–thinks she’s somehow involved in the disappearance of Rose’s cousin Heather. But Amethyst is determined to find her mother and set everything right. Her mom just has to be innocent! — Buy It On Amazon
• Dragon Girls- Zora the Snow Dragon: The Storm Dragons are being called back to the Magic Forest for one last adventure. Zora and her cousins, Mina and Hana, have to protect the forest from the Chaos Queen’s reign. The harmony of the forest and its snowstorms depend on the bravery of the girls. Can they find a way to beat the Chaos Queen at her own game, once and for all? — Buy It On Amazon
• Dragon Girls- Rani the Enchanted Dragon: Rani the Enchanted Dragon is facing one of the biggest challenges the Magic Forest has ever seen. A new villain has an evil plot in mind. She’s planning to kidnap all the adorable animals who usually help Dragon Girls complete their quests. Without these forest friends, this special place could be lost forever! — Buy It On Amazon
• Sunny Makes Her Case: A Graphic Novel: Sunny is starting to understand the ins and outs of middle school… but she still feels more out than in. It’s about classes or homework, really. No, it’s the fact that most kids have a thing they do outside of class. Like football or track or cheerleading. Sunny isn’t quarterback material, and her cheer attempts are… not the best. So what can she do? — Buy It On Amazon
• Five Nights at Freddy’s: The Week Before (Interactive Book): An instant New York Times and USA Today Bestseller! Return to where it all began in this interactive novel set before the very first Five Nights at Freddy’s game. You the reader are the Security Guard – and you’ve got five nights (or is it six?) to survive Freddy, Chica, Bonnie, and Foxy as they try to wipe you out. With over 25 different possible endings and two difficulty settings, this one-of-a-kind, innovative novel is a uniquely entertaining experience for any Freddy fan. — Buy It On Amazon