Summer Reading and Activity Books to Keep Kids Engaged Over the Holidays

When summer break begins, many families are looking for books that can do two things at once: keep kids entertained and make reading time feel easy to fit into the day.
The best summer books are often the ones that match the season itself. Think travel-friendly formats, sticker activities, sea themes, reusable pages, and books children can dip in and out of at home or on vacation. Our Summer Shop brings together exactly that kind of mix, with titles that work well at home, on holiday and on the move.

Here are some standout Usborne summer books and activity books to include in a summer reading routine.

For easy, screen-free holiday entertainment

Some of the best summer books are the ones children can open anywhere.

Wipe-Clean Summer Activities is a great example. It is a summer-themed drawing, counting, and spotting activity book that children can enjoy over and over again. Because the pages are wipe-clean, kids can revisit their favorite activities throughout the summer.

First Sticker Book Summer is another strong option for younger children. It follows animal friends enjoying summer sunshine, from building sandcastles on the beach to camping under the stars, with more than 140 stickers to add to the scenes. It is perfect for long summer days, vacations, and road trips.

For children who enjoy more sparkle and seaside colour, Sparkly Sea Creatures brings together dolphins, jellyfish and other sea life with over 120 stickers. It is a bright, summery choice that feels especially well suited to holiday reading time.

For vacation and travel days

Travel books can be especially helpful during summer, whether you are packing for a flight, a road trip, or just a day out.

Sticker Dolly Dressing Travel lets children dress the dollies for airport check-in, train rides, cycling tours, pony trekking, and more. It includes over 250 stickers and is designed for hours of imaginative fun.

First Sticker Book Airport is also useful for younger children. It shows people and planes arriving at the airport, getting ready to fly, taking off, and traveling through the air. It helps children know what to expect at an airport while also keeping them entertained there.

For kids who love summer themes

Sticker Dolly Dressing Summer Camp is a strong seasonal choice for children who enjoy sticker books with lots of scene-based play. It features summer camp activities including paddle boarding, nature walks, campfire cooking, and team-building, making it a natural fit for summer break.

For kids who like to build and create

Summer reading does not always have to mean sitting down with a longer story. Activity books can be part of a strong reading routine too, especially when they encourage focus, creativity, and conversation.

Build Your Own Trucks Sticker Book lets children complete monster trucks, fire trucks, and other vehicles with sticker details like wheels, headlights, and mirrors. It is screen-free fun for vacations, car rides, restaurants, and more.

Build Your Own Dinosaurs Sticker Book gives dinosaur fans twenty dinosaurs to build, along with facts about when they lived, what they ate, and how big they were. It is a satisfying mix of creativity and information, which can make it especially appealing during the summer months.

For quieter reading time

Not every summer book needs to be all action and activity. Sometimes a calm, interactive read is the right choice.

Peek Inside the Sea is a lovely option for younger children. It is a flap book where children can peek under waves and behind coral to discover sharks, sea dragons, and other sea life, along with a submarine, a shoreline scene, and a sunken ship. It works well for quieter moments and fits naturally into a summer reading basket.

Building a simple summer reading mix

A helpful way to plan summer reading is to mix different kinds of books rather than relying on one format alone.

You might choose:

• one interactive reading book for quieter moments
• one sticker or wipe-clean activity book for travel and outings
• one theme-based book that matches your child’s current interests

From this selection, that could mean pairing Peek Inside the Sea with Wipe-Clean Summer Activities and First Sticker Book Summer, or choosing First Sticker Book Airport, Sticker Dolly Dressing Travel and one of the Build Your Own books for a holiday journey.

Summer reading can look different in every family

There is no single right way to do summer reading.

For some children, it means settling down with a book before bed. For others, it means ten minutes with stickers at breakfast, a wipe-clean activity in the afternoon, or a sea-themed book packed into a holiday bag. What matters most is having books close at hand that feel easy, enjoyable and inviting.

These summer books work well because they meet children where they are: curious, busy, imaginative and ready for a season that feels a little different from the rest of the year.