The Best Screen-Free Activities for Kids: Sticker Books

Sticker books are an easy win: portable, calming, and bursting with open-ended play. No batteries, no screens! Whether you need a quick wind-down before dinner, a quiet focus activity for car rides, or something creative for rainy afternoons, Usborne sticker books deliver age-right fun and rich conversation starters. Below, we’ve paired themes with stages from preschool to early elementary!

Preschool & Kindergarten (ages 3-5): little hands, big talk

At this stage, sticker play builds fine-motor control, vocabulary, and confidence. Keep sessions short and chat about choices as you go.

Exploring bodies and healthy habits? First Sticker Book: Your Body invites children to label parts, senses, and daily routines. It’s perfect for gentle, curious chats. Noticing the seasons change is easy with First Sticker Book: Fall, full of leaves, pumpkins, and woodland moments for simple science chatter. For vehicle-mad kids, First Sticker Book: Cars is all revs and racetracks and great for naming, matching, and spotting. And if you’re welcoming a sibling, First Sticker Book: The New Baby helps rehearse feelings and routines through play. Spark some magic with First Sticker Book: Sparkly Fairies or head under the sea with Sparkly Sea Creatures for a glimmering ocean-themed afternoon.

Animal fans will happily potter with Little First Stickers: Cats and Kittens. It’s small and easy to pack, making it just right for on-the-go sticker stories.

Early elementary (ages 5-8): story-making and style

As children’s narratives and preferences grow, so does the fun of dressing characters and building scenes. The Sticker Dolly Dressing range is ideal for confidence-boosting, choice-filled play.

Start with a fairy-tale makeover in Sticker Dolly Dressing: Cinderella, then explore everyday decision-making with Sticker Dolly Dressing: Shopping or pet care in Sticker Dolly Dressing: Pets. For extra sparkle and celebrations, Sticker Dolly Dressing: Fairy Weddings offers fantasy settings that inspire role-play and descriptive language. Come October, Sticker Dolly Dressing: Halloween Party turns cozy evenings into creative costume planning (and giggles).

Season’s best (festive fun without a tablet)

Make the run-up to the holidays calm and meaningful with a mini daily ritual. Sticker Dolly Dressing: Advent Calendar includes 24 mini books to open, mixing stories and activities for low-pressure, screen-free magic. For shared table time with siblings or friends, First Sticker Book: Christmas offers cheerful, independent scenes while grown-ups prep. And if you’re in a pumpkin mood, First Sticker Book: Halloween keeps little hands busy with friendly spooks.

Builders & tinkerers (ages 6-10): hands-on STEM-style fun

Some kids want to make things and see how they work. Usborne’s Build Your Own range is perfect engineering play: match parts, notice details, and chat about design.

Build Your Own Planes Sticker Book brings wings, engines, and airframes to life; Build Your Own Sharks dives into teeth, habitats, and superlatives; and Build Your Own Mythical Beasts is a brilliant bridge from creatures-of-fact to creatures-of-legend. Planning ahead? Build Your Own Warriors Sticker Book is on the way, which includes Vikings, Samurai, Spartans and many more warriors! Ask curiosity-boosting questions like “What makes this plane faster?” or “Which shark is best built for stealth?” to turn sticking into discovery.

Quick tips for parents and caregivers

• Make it portable. Keep a sticker book and a small pouch for loose sheets in your bag for restaurants, waiting rooms, and flights.
  
  

• Set the scene. A tray or placemat helps younger children see all their stickers and boosts success.
  
  

• Talk while you stick. Narrate choices (“You parked the race car at the pit stop. What happens next?”) to build language and pride.
  
  

• Celebrate the process. Finished scenes are lovely, but it’s the careful peeling, placing, and storytelling that really counts.
  
  

Ready to refresh your activity bag? Explore these Usborne sticker books and enjoy calmer journeys, richer conversations, and creative play, wherever you are.