10+ best interactive books for kids

There's one pretty magical thing about interactive books.

You all remember what interactive books are, right? In an interactive book, the reader does physical actions to move the plot along. They're clapping their hands, whispering magic words, rubbing dots, and slapping the fly on every page. They're tilting and shaking and shouting at pages as instructed.

They are so fun, and here's the thing: every child loves them. Young kids love them, older kids love them, English language learners love them. But, maybe most importantly, kids who don't love to read like interactive books. Even the most reticent of children will usually get involved when it comes to slamming the book shut, turning it upside down, or blowing on the pages. They're incredibly engaging, especially for reluctant readers.

There are chapter books for older kids that are interactive (Choose Your Own Adventure books immediately come to mind), but I'm going to focus only on picture books geared for an audience from about ages two to ten. Here is a list of our absolute favorites.

Press Here by Herve Tullet
If you only get one interactive book, this is the one to buy. It's already a classic that involves clean and crisp colors, bright dots, and lots of tilting, shaking, and blowing on pages. I haven't gotten my hands on his other two interactive books yet, Mix it Up! and Let's Play! but I've heard they're equally delightful.

Don't Push the Button! by Bill Cotter
Young readers love this one because the whole point is to disobey, and the results are pretty funny. Watch them push the button on every page while the monsters multiply, and then do simple actions like tickle a tummy to get it back to normal.

Plant the Tiny Seed by Christie Matheson
This one is a little less rambunctious, and so delightful. Readers squish one tiny zinnia seed into the ground, and through lots of clapping, wiggling fingers, and shooing away a hungry snail, they have a full flower garden by the end. Great for teaching how seeds grow at the same time. Her other book is Tap the Magic Tree, which illustrates how a tree's leaves change throughout a year.

The Fly by Petr Horacek
This one is less interactive than some, but readers LOVE slapping the fly swatter on many of the pages. It's narrated by the fly who is wondering why the whole world is out to get him, and the sense of humor makes it appeal especially to older kids. We had a copy in my fifth grade classroom, and it got read (and slapped) about a thousand times per week.

If You're a Robot and You Know It by Musical Robot and David A. Carter
This book is just verse after verse of a "If You're Happy and you Know It" spin-off, but it's really fun. As you sing along (the book comes with a free download code for the song, and it's also on YouTube), you're shooting laser beams out of your eyes and making funny beeping noises. It's also a really cool pop-up book, so you can pull the tab on every page to see those laser beams in person while you sing the verse.

More Bears! by Kenn Nesbit
This one is popular for read-alouds since the bulk of the interaction comes from simply yelling, "More Bears!" The illustrations and funky names for each new bear is what makes this one stand out. The last page switches to, "More Chickens!"

Warning: Do Not Open this Book by Adam Lehrhaut
This is another fan favorite because children are supposed to break the rules. Most of the interaction is just repeatedly turning the pages as the author tells them not to, but it's so fun and filled with curious monkeys.

Touch the Brightest Star by Christie Matheson
I know I mentioned this author above, but I wanted to include this one separately because it's the only bedtime interactive book I've ever come across. Again, this book is less rambunctious than most other ones, and involves patting, blinking, and whispering to change the night sky. It's beautiful and actually winds children down before bed.

This Book is Magic by Ashley Evanson
This book is brand new on the market and absolutely wonderful. Children will be swishing magic wands, rubbing potions, and shouting nonsense spells to make a circus come alive. I love the colors and illustrations too.

The Black and White Factory by Erin Telchin
This one has more words than average, but it's a really fun one. Readers tour a black and white factory, where black and white things like dice and tuxedos are made. But then, some color seeps in, and readers make a bigger mess while scrubbing messes with their fingers and blowing into nozzles to clean the factory from color.

Open Very Carefully by Nick Bromley
This is another classic interactive book. A crocodile interrupts what would have been a nice calm story and starts eating letters. Through rocking the crocodile to sleep and other fun interactions, kids love this funny sharp-toothed tale.

Which interactive books are your favorites?

Others for my list?

This post contains affiliate links.

best toys for one year olds (that they'll play with for years to come)

Now that the twins are nine months and mobile, I'm suddenly realizing they're in the older baby category and fast approaching their first birthday. I've started thinking about a gift or two each twin might like to celebrate the fact that we kept them alive for a year (let's be honest, parents are the real MVPs of first birthdays, am I right?).

For birthdays, we follow the minimalist present system:

Something you want
Something you need
Something to wear
Something to read

I think I already failed in the "something to wear" category. Last fall, I saw some darling 4th of July outfits on major clearance and bought them for the twins to wear around their birthday this summer. But of course I didn't take into account that one twin is still in her 6-month clothes and the other is growing into his 18-month clothes. So probably neither of their outfits will fit.

I'm determined to do better in the present category. For the past few weeks, I've been paying extra attention to the type of toys the twins like to play with, and the toys we got for my oldest when she was one that she still likes to play with two years later. I've been watching cool toys at friends' houses and the library too, and I've read a few present reviews and gift guides.

Here's a list of best toys for one-year-olds that they'll still play with when they're two and three. This list ranges from $20-$50, making it great for your child's "big toy" gift of the year.

Bead Maze
When we go to the library, there's always a kid playing with this toy. When we come home, one of my kids is always playing with this toy. When we have friends over, they always play with this toy. Plus it's fun, educational, and helps develop fine motor skills.

Drum + Instrument Kit
This one is a major hit whenever we have friends over. The main feature is a drum complete with a shoulder strap, but inside are rattles, shakers, and cymbals. All kid-friendly, all shaped like different letters of the alphabet, and all designed to make sure you go a little bit insane from the noise by nap time.

Magna-Tiles
I've read review after review after review about the cheaper off-brands of Magna Tiles, and no other brand comes close these cool magnetic tiles. We don't have these yet (it's on the birthday list for all three of my children, hint hint grandparents), but a friend has them at their house. We had two 8-month-olds, a 1 year old, a 2 year old, and a 5 year old all playing with them together (fight free!) for a long time.

Pop-Up Tunnel
We got this one for Christmas last year, and whenever we bring it out the kids go crazy over it. It folds up to store really easily, and it's big enough to be fun without being so large that it doesn't fit inside a living room on a rainy day.

Sit or Stand Learning Walker
All three of my children still play with this toy every single day. And when I say play with, what I mean is fight over. (ha) Clearly we're still learning how to share, but between the detachable play panel, the two wheel settings when learning how to walk, and the way it can zoom around the house at top speed, this toy has been used every day for two years and is still going strong.

Ride-In Car
I have never ever met a child who doesn't love these things. One year olds are too young for a tricycle, but they're just the perfect age to scoot around Flintstone-style in one of these all day long. My older child still fits in and loves these as well. It's on a major sale right now too!

Little People Farm
We love the Little People brand, and this fun farmhouse is a great place to start. Tons of imaginary play ideas, and it's not too advanced or gender-specific. Comes with a farmer and six different animals! We used to have one at our local library, and it was literally always being played with.

Honorable mention: popper vacuum
All kids love these. It's the most coveted toy at my child's church nursery. Lots of toys on this list make noise, but for some reason I just can't stand the noise of these popper toys at my house. But if you have more patience than I do, this one is so great at soon as your little one starts walking.

P.S. If you're stuck in the "something to read" category, here's a list of favorite rhyming board books.

What would you add?

What are the toys your one-year-old plays with every day?

a one-on-one toddler outing

Sam and I have started arranging our schedules so our toddler gets a one-on-one date with a parent every week, usually on Wednesday afternoons. These are usually fairly mundane trips to the library, park, or even to the post office and then out for a $1 ice cream cone, but lucky for us, she's two years old so those little trips are about the most exciting things in the world. And honestly? Our little dates are also really fun for us. Leaving the house with just one child is something of a luxury these days.

Last week I planned to go to the library with Claire, but we only made it as far as the courtyard outside. Swinging on bike racks and jumping off large rocks was much more appealing. So we spent an hour playing, running around, and lounging on a picnic blanket. Claire loved eating veggie straws and stealing my hat, and I loved soaking up the last of the not-too-hot-yet Phoenix weather and watching my daughter be so happy.

And yes, I did fit an entire picnic blanket inside this diaper bag. It's the JJ Cole Arrington tote, and seriously the designers thought of everything when they made this bag. It has a coordinating changing pad, insulated bottle pockets, a padded electronics pouch, and tons of interior space and pockets. I normally push for a backpack-style bag, and this one is not a backpack, but it comes with stroller grips so you can hook it right on to the stroller, which I do all the time. It's amazing to not have to carry your bag at all.

I really love this bag, and hey, if you're going to take a diaper bag out with you every single day for at least two years, you might as well love it, right?

We made a quick little video of our outing as well. Click below to watch it! I still can't get over her cute mischievous face stealing my hat.

You can browse other JJ Cole diaper bags available at Babies "R" Us here (we also have a slightly older version of the stone arbor backpack and love it).

Anybody have ideas for indoor toddler dates?

I think our outdoor dates are quickly coming to an end as the temperatures rise.

how I teach letter names and sounds to my toddler

When my toddler was a baby, people would say, "Aww, aren't you glad you had a career in elementary education? Does it totally affect what you do with your daughter?" I'd politely murmur some sort of affirmative statement, but really I thought, "Honey, all I do is change diapers and wipe up baby food all day long, and I'm pretty sure you don't need a college degree for that."

But honestly, as she's gotten older, I see myself doing things, saying things and implementing systems that I did when I was a public educator.

We've been doing lots of "learning time" lately (her idea, and I think she picked up the phrase from her friend at church?). I've posted a few times about it on Instagram stories, and a lot of you had questions about it. I also heard from some of you who are overwhelmed and don't know where to start, so I wanted to share what we've been doing to teach letter names and sounds.

1. Don't stress out about it

When I was a practicum student I remember talking to a kindergarten teacher who wishes she could tell all incoming parents to stop stressing out about their kids falling behind. She had this huge rant about not forcing your children to learn before they're ready, about just playing and reading to them, and about not wasting money on a fancy preschool or expensive learning program.

Some days my daughter asks for learning time from the moment she wakes up. But other days she's just not into it, so learning time lasts a total of four minutes. Today we didn't do it at all, opting for exercise videos and dance parties in the living room instead. My daughter is only two, so I don't force her and don't stress if she mixes up a few of the letters the day after I teach them.

2. Read read read

Seriously, all you have to do is read to your kids. I could link to a million scientific studies about all the good effects of parents reading to their children (it's a gigantic factor in student success, emotional maturity, social awareness, imagination, problem solving skills, and academic aptitude). Just. Read. To. Your. Kids.

3. Teach letters one at a time

So far, we've been learning letters at the rate of about two per week. I introduce the capital and lower-case letter at the same time. When I teach a new letter, we do a short mini-lesson and then a longer activity that reinforces the new letter. Her attention span is about 4 minutes for the lesson and 10-15 minutes for the activity.

4. The mini-lesson

I introduce the letter by drawing it on a paper. "This is the letter T. Can you say T? This is what a big T looks like. Point to the big T. This is what a little t looks like. Point to the little t. T says tuh. Tuh-tuh-tuh. Can you say that with me? Tuh-tuh-tuh."

We trace the letters with a marker. She is terrible at this, but hey, she's only two.

I teach 2-3 words that start with the letter. Tiger, tongue, uncle Taylor. We sing that super annoying but effective song. "T is for tiger, t-t-tiger.... T is for tongue, t-t-tongue."

We look through her board books and find books with the letter T on the cover.

And that's about it!

5. The enrichment activity

These are the easiest letter-learning activities on the planet. I'm not one for huge elaborate lessons or anything that takes any amount of prep work. Here are a few things we do:

• make the letter with play dough
• paint big letters on a new paper with our watercolors
• color a picture with the letter on it
• bend our bodies to make the shape of the letter (I tried this once and my toddler did NOT get it, but hey, maybe yours will)
• do our foam ABC puzzle (can't find an exact link, similar one here)
• make a word find with the letter and some random shapes. This is also a great way to sneak in a review of the old letters (see picture below)
• make our letter out of popsicle sticks
• put these foam letters in a 9x13 pan and cover them with dry beans or rice. Sort through with measuring cups and find your letter (another great way to review letters you learned earlier).
• go outside and draw letters with sidewalk chalk
• make your letter with masking tape on the floor so your child can jump from letter to letter. Another great one to review multiple letters ("Now jump to the S!") My toddler loooooves this one.
• Added by a reader: get a bag of small objects around the house that start with the letter. C-c-carrot, c-c-car, c-c-crayon, etc.
• Added by a reader: Draw a simple outline of the letter and use small circle stickers to fill it up (you can get packs of 100 neon price stickers at the dollar store).

Remember, toddlers learn through playing and exploring, so even though these don't seem like the most academically rigorous activities, the synapses in their brains are firing like crazy, I promise.

6. Teach the easy letters first

Rather than teaching from A to Z, I like to teach easy / often used letters first. Here's a list of the sets of letters from easiest to hardest (I dug out my old literacy textbook for this - you're welcome, world).

Set one: s a t i p n e
Set two: c k h r m d g o l
Set three: f b q u j z w v y x

It's fun to teach the first letter in your child's name too (C was the first letter my daughter learned, even though it's in set two, because her name starts with it).

7. An optional fun tie-in

We love the book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, so I used it to tie all my letters in. I made a big coconut tree out of brown and green construction paper (I bought this pack two years ago and it's still going strong, plus it's on a major sale right now). Then I bought these die cut letters ($8 is kind of expensive for a few letters, but I don't own a die-cut machine, and now I have 190 extra letters to use for party banners, welcome home signs, and a million other things).

We hung up the tree in a previously dead space in the hallway, and my daughter gets SO excited to put up a new letter after she learns it.

^^Don't look too closely at those terrible off-center coconut leaves

8. Find your letters everywhere

Last week at the post office, my daughter suddenly said, "It's a A! It's a A!" And sure enough, right in the middle of the "LINE STARTS HERE" sign, there was an A. We find letters on the signs we see, at the grocery store, on the books we read, everywhere! We even find them in the hymnals at church on Sundays.

We also bought the Endless ABC app (buy the full version or don't get it at all), and it's SO annoying, but my toddler learned two new letters by herself from one week of using it. So, hey, just turn down the volume so you can't hear it from across the room and you're good. ;)

What do you do to teach letters to your toddler?

Other learning app suggestions?

I'm trying to make screen time more productive 

and less weird egg videos on YouTube Kids.

This post contains affiliate links.

5 ways to bond with your toddler (in 5 minutes or less)

I get it. Ideally, both parents would spend all day every day frolicking in a field of flowers and sun flares with their child. There would be no need to bond with your toddler in 5 minutes because neither parent has any other time constraints, and definitely no need to spend 5 minutes getting back on your toddler's good side, because your toddler is nothing but angelic good sides.

Ha. I don't think this is realistic for anybody! At our house, there are lots of days my husband only sees my toddler for 5 minutes in the morning before he rushes out for school and work. (Don't worry, they make up for it by being inseparable on the weekends.) And there are definitely times when I feel like I NEED to spend a few minutes bonding with my toddler - so we can get back on each other's good side after a rough morning.

Here are my short, quick, easy go-to ideas for spending quality time with your toddler. The point is to put away your phone and all other distractions for the entire 5 minutes and focus simply on being with your little one.

1.Get the mail

There may not be time for a long walk, but my husband almost always runs to the mailbox with my toddler each day. Stop and examine cool bugs you find, jump over the sidewalk cracks, and give her a bouncy shoulder ride on the way back. Bonus points if you let her carry a piece of "very important" mail all by herself.

2. Read a book

And I mean really read it! Do funny voices for each character and help your toddler find the first letter of his name somewhere in there. Bonus points if the book has some sort of repeated word or phrase you two can shout every time you come across it.

3. Bedtime routine

This is one of my favorites. After your toddler has a bath, spend a few minutes talking quietly while you rub lotion on her hands and legs, comb her hair, or relieve any chapped, irritated, or rug burned skin with a little DESITIN® multi-purpose ointment (this stuff glides on clear and works really well - we use it all the time). If your child is in diapers still like ours, it's also a great time to fix any diaper rash with DESITIN® rapid relief cream (a surprisingly gentle cream) or DESITIN®  maximum strength original paste (for those really bad diaper rashes).

4. Play hide and go seek

At our house, a few minutes of this game goes a loooooong way. Bonus points if it involves lots of jumping out from behind corners and ends in a huge tickle fight. Double bonus points if you pretend you can't see your toddler when they hide in plain sight like mine does every single time. ;)

(above photo by Photography Hill)

5. Make a snack together

Sit your child on the counter and make something you both love! Sneak bites in as you go, and let them do everything short of cutting with a knife. Between spreading, stacking, counting, and giving them a little tickle every time they sneak a bite, you'll have one happy toddler. (Although if your toddler spreads jam like mine does, you might have to add an extra minute or two for clean up.)

BONUS IDEAS:

• jump on the bed (a fan favorite at our house!)
• paint nails
• make a tiny impromptu blanket fort
• color a picture
• play 'superheroes' or other favorite imaginary game
• do a puzzle or stickers
• And if you have more than 5 minutes, we love trips to the park, a ride in a car grocery cart (this one really is a labor of love for me because I think those car carts are so annoying), swimming in the summer, or using some of our local passes for the aquarium or zoo.

What are your favorite ways to spend 

quality time with your toddler, short or long?

Anything you'd add to this list?

I’m sharing #JOHNSONS in my life as part of a JOHNSON’S® sponsored series for Socialstars.™ Learn more about JOHNSONS by visiting their Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Beat the Heat: Fun and Free Indoor Toddler Destinations

Here in Arizona, summer time is hibernation time! When it gets above 100 or 105, my will to spend hours outdoors at parks and zoos totally disappears. I'll do anything for an indoor toddler play date!

Even if you don't live somewhere as warm as I do, chances are you'll have days where you just don't want to lather sun screen on all the kids, bring a million water bottles, and spend the entire day on a stifling playground while your children burn their skin on the slides.

Here are my favorite free, indoor, fun toddler destinations! Grab a mom friend and her kiddos and head to one of these indoor locations for a day of air-conditioned toddler fun.

Library
I've yet to find a city library that doesn't have a fun toddler program. Whether it's story time, singing time, or puppet time, there's always something fun happening, and it's always free. And even if there's not a class currently being taught, it's fun for toddlers to hang out in the kids corner with all the books, toys, kids computers, and beanbags. Most libraries have a summer reading program to keep your older children engaged as well.

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Shopping Centers
Load up the kids and take them to the mall! Let's face it: some mall play areas are really sketchy, but some are great. They're always free, and sometimes all you need is 30 minutes of your kids running around screaming in an approved run-around-and-scream location. Extra points if you sip a nice cold drink while you watch them get their energy out.

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Free Days at Music Centers and Gymnasiums
Almost all music and gymnastics venues will offer free classes or free days to try and get you interested in their programs. Google what's in your area and take advantage! I've taken my toddler to a few of these, and it's fun to watch her explore something new and different. It's also a great way to get a feel for good classes you may want to invest in when your toddler gets a little older.

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Local Sports Games
No matter the time of year, you're not going to get into professional sports games for free. But I'm always surprised at how many previews, practices, scrimmages or high-school level matches are indoors and open to the general public. Who cares how good the team is? Your sports-loving toddler will be enthralled (and younger toddlers will just love playing in all the empty seats). And if nap time arrives halfway through, you can leave early without the pressure of getting your money's worth.

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Recreation Centers
The rec center in my old city was fantastic, and well worth paying $350/year for a family pass. The one in my current city isn't worth a membership to us, but there are still fun things to do there for free. Whether it's free swim days, a big indoor playground, or a free kids sports day, look up what your city has to offer.

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Museums
I'm always surprised by the number of lesser-known museums that have really great kids sections. There's a free city museum in my neighborhood that is pretty blah overall, but the toddler play place is gigantic and super fun. In fact, we paid to get into a children's museum last weekend, and my toddler didn't like it nearly as much as she loves the little free one down the street. Ask around with other parents in your area to find the free museums with great kids corners. If you have your heart set on a designated children's museum, look online for free days.

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What am I missing?

Favorite indoor toddler destinations?

I'd love to hear yours (+ I might even add it to this list!)