Round-up: Kids Activities from Children's Authors

Looking for something new to try?

I asked some Indie children's authors to share activities that they created for their books, and here is the list! From word searches to coloring pages, from scavenger hunts to pirate maps--there's enough here to keep your kids busy for hours!

So what are you waiting for? It's time to get started! 

Note: some of these resources are freebies that authors offer for their newsletter subscribers. I’ve marked those with an asterisk, just so you know whether the resource requires a sign-up or not. If you do sign-up for an activity, though, you will be able to unsubscribe at any time.

All activities and images are shared with the author’s permission.

• Create a cockerspaniel puppet, from Dr. Lisa Rusczyk.

• Get a mermaid coloring page and listen to fun read-aloud stories, from Bethany Stahl.

• Turn this photo of Roo, The Little Red TukTu into a DIY Jigsaw Puzzle, and color an endangered fishing cat, from Nadishka Aloysius.

• *Fun insect-themed activity pages designed to keep kids engaged and learning. Activity pages are based on the children’s book "Bad Caterpillar" by Suvi Chisholm.

• *Create your own treasure map in true pirate style. This fun activity includes nifty tricks to make it look like a real treasure map, from Old Mate Media.

• Learn about eggs with these activities and coloring pages, discover solar energy with a sun-print experiment, and explore colors outdoors with *coloring pages, worksheets, and a scavenger hunt, from Audrey Sauble.

• Find tips for encouraging children to learn knitting, as well as *a free ebook, from Lois Petren.

• Exploring swimming with a water-themed word search, as well as tips and games for *teaching kids about swimming, from Jan Foster. 

• Teach consent to children as young as two years old, with a lesson plan, coloring pages and more from Nicola Manton’s book A Hug.

• Find fun activities that answer the question—What Is A Family? from Annette Griffin

• Get coloring pages and craft ideas teaching kindness, from Kathleen Gauer.

• Teach children how to talk about their feeling with these activity pages on Teachers Pay Teachers, or in learning activities section here, from Meaghan Axel.

• Start a hearty meal-time conversation with our 'Meal Mat' activity sheet on Coping with Change, from Katie Pye's picture book, Breaking News!

• *Learn about allergies with a classroom guide and coloring pages, plus discover adventure with more coloring pages, from Colleen Brunetti.

• Teach children about safety during a school lockdowns with a variety of coloring pages, worksheets, and other resources, from Tamara Rittershaus. 

• *Enjoy coloring in, escaping from mazes and more with this 20 page activity book.

• Color your own adventure and a-mazing activities for kids based on the Adventures of Nino and Tenna children's book series.

• Do you enjoy word searches and crossword puzzles? Try these, from Christian children’s author Debbie Maestas.

• Spark a conversation with these literacy-based discussion questions and activities about stars and constellations, from Amber Hendricks.