Interactive books for kids have a multitude of benefits! They are great for keeping little ones occupied, they also help to improve their interest and love for reading, and all of the ones on this list include fine motor activities for kids to build their fine motor skills.
Building fine motor skills is essential to early learning and play. It helps kids to strengthen control over the muscles in their hands so they can perform basic life functions like feeding themselves, cutting with scissors, tying their shoes, writing, and picking up toys.
As it is with most skills, these lessons are best incorporated into play for little ones. And what better way to do that than with an interactive book to guide them?
The books in this list include titles that help to build fine motor skills. They will appeal to a variety of interest levels from babies all the way up to elementary grade students. Offering these fun resources to your child will help them in other ways, too.
Many parents consider some of these books to be just toys, but they have additional benefits that include:
- Finger dexterity
- Creativity
- Matching
- Critical thinking skills
- Following directions
- Sequencing
- Consumable/repeatable
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Baby Board Books That Build Fine Motor Skills
Babyโs Very First Fingertrail Playbook: Cats & Dogs – Written by Stella Baggott
Babyโs First Fingertrail Playbook is one of my sonโs favorites! The fingertrails are great for babies as they trace their fingers around the tactile trails: glittery trails that feel rough, indented trails, and some with bumps. These trails are a helpful pre-reading skill because babies learn to follow a line just as we do when we read. This book also includes flaps, which add another interesting element that helps to develop those fine motor skills, as well as keep them engaged.
This book is part of a series of multi-sensory books specifically created to introduce infants to the world of reading.
Age: infant +
Fingertrail ABC: Big Letters – Written by Felicity Brooks
This is another fantastic fingertrail book because little ones are guided in forming their letters. With this book you cover several learning styles: physical (kinesthetic), visual, and auditory. I add auditory because this is the perfect opportunity to practice the sound each letter makes as they trace it with their finger.
Each letter is paired with an animal that begins with the letter, creating an amazing alliteration activity! 
There are beautiful illustrations, as well. This is a great book for young kids to learn to form capital letters and their sounds.
Also available for lower-case letters.
Age: 1+
Count to Five – Written by Annabel Blackledge & Anne Passchier
All of the books in the Tiny Hands series are engaging and helpful for little learners who are developing their fine motor skills. This particular board book focuses on learning to count to five. The corners of the pages are โstaggeredโ to help tiny hands independently turn the pages. There are bright, bold illustrations that make this an enjoyable learning experience.
This book is part of series of unique board books called Tiny Hands (Other titles in the series: See a Rainbow, Make a Noise, and Jump Around).
Age: 1-3
My First 100 Words – Written by Amanda Gulliver
My First 100 Words is made up of nine small board books that are the perfect size for your little one to manipulate while reading. Each book is filled with words that are regularly used so they can begin to connect these words with an image. The case where these little books are housed also doubles as a matching game for added learning and play!
This book is part of a larger series called Mini-Treasuries. It includes other sets of mini board books with varying topics like animals and learning to count!
Age: 2-4
Fine Motor Activities for Toddlers
Little Children’s Dough Play Book
by Matthew Oldham
Little Children’s Dough Play Book has been one of my son’s favorites since it arrived in his Easter basket alongside a couple of containers of Play-Doh. This book offers lots of inspiration to help kids know what to do with their Play-Doh. There are simple instructions teaching kids how to roll it, flatten it, and press it into the different pictures in the book.
for ages 2+
All Better! – Written by Henning Lรถhlein
This interactive book is a fantastic way to not only keep readers engaged, but to encourage those fine motor skills as they place repositionable bandages on the boo-boos of each animal friend. This book also has great repetition, which is helpful for teaching prediction. The phrases that are repeated on each page are directions the child needs to follow that will reinforce this important skill. Also, kids will practice matching as they pair the correct bandage to the hurt friend and declare them, โAll Better!โ
Other repositionable sticker books: Good as New, Little Bear Needs Glasses, Kisses, Cuddles, and Good Night!, and Time to Brush
Age: 3-5
Laundry Day Sort & Play – Written by Susie Brooks
Practicing sorting and manipulating the felt pieces of laundry in this book is a fantastic way to develop fine motor skills. There are ten fuzzy felt pieces that fit into a washing machine. As you pull them out, dog and cat help kids to practice following specific directions for what to do with each piece. Kids will hang the clothes on a line to dry and put them away in various drawers and cabinets. This book will also help to teach sorting concepts as kids are asked to categorize the clothes based on colors, patterns, and shapes.
Age: 3+
First Jigsaws: Under the Sea – Illustrated by Stella Baggott
This fun product includes eight 2-piece jigsaw puzzles! It is a developmentally appropriate activity for all tiny fingers. It is recommended for ages 3 and up, but I would happily introduce it to kids younger than this, as well. Not only is this puzzle ideal for developing fine motor skills, but it will also challenge kids to problem solve and practice matching as they piece together the the correct pieces, as well. The best part of the puzzle is that it also comes with a great book so they can read about their new friend.
This is part of a series called First Jigsaws. There are many amazing themes to share in each book/puzzle combination.
Age: 3+
Find jigsaw puzzles for a range of ages: 9 pieces for age 3 and up, 30 pieces for ages 4 and up, 100 pieces for ages 8 and up.
Wind-Up Bus
by Fiona Watt
The Wind-Up Busย includes a model of a red, double-decker London that kids can wind-up and take for a spin around the great city. Inside the book you will find four different tracks featuring famous London landmarks and attractions. Or, you can pull the tracks out, piecing them together to make one giant track for the bus to drive around.
Age: 3+
My First Keyboard – Written by Sam Taplin
Introduce kids to the joy of the piano using this miniature keyboard. They will learn to play simple tunes by following the color-coded system. This is a great book for finger dexterity, following directions, and creativity!
Enjoy a simple introduction to other great instruments like drums, guitar, and xylophone in the My First Music Books series.
Age: 3+
Fine Motor Activities for Preschoolers
Little Sticker Dolly Dressing Princesses – Written by Fiona Watt
Little Sticker Dolly Dressing is a series that is ideal for ages four and up. It was created in response to the older version of these books and their great popularity. I think they are perfect for this age because they allow younger kids to practice fine motor skills through play! The book includes simple text and precious illustrations. Use the stickers to creatively dress the characters.
This activity book is part of a series. There are so many exciting characters that kids can dress up using the stickers like ballerinas, fairies, kittens, mermaids, ponies, unicorns, and a number of others.
Age: 4+
First Sticker Book Trains – Written by Sam Taplin
Another engaging sticker book includes the First Sticker Book: Trains. Not only are these books great practice for developing fine motor skills, they are also informative! There are over 80 stickers to add to different types of trains, as well as making your very own train!
Find other First Sticker Books with different themes that are loved by kids. These types of books are also great for creative, imaginative play as children make up stories while they create the scenes.
Age: 4+
First Wipe-Clean: First Pen Control – Written by Jessica Greenwell
One of my favorite ways to develop fine motor skills is by practicing the skill of writing! However, handing a child a pencil and a piece of paper and asking them to write isnโt always appealing. Give them a wipe-clean pen with a book including brightly colored illustrations, and you have an entirely different story!
This particular book has fun scenes with dotted swirls, waves, circles and other lines to trace that help little fingers build strong muscles. These activities will encourage pen control that prepare them for writing one day.
This book is part of a series of First Wipe-Clean books. You will find opportunities to practice the alphabet, numbers, and shapes in these other books.
Age: Pre-K and Up
Books That Build Fine Motor Skills for Kindergartners
Dragon Magic Painting – Illustrated by Camilla Garofano
Usborneโs Magic Painting series is a truly magical way to play while working on fine motor skills. To reveal the colorful images you simply brush water over the black and white patterns on the paper! The Dragon Magic Painting book includes exciting scenes of these mystical creatures!
There are many other scenes in the Magic Painting Books series for every interest you can imagine! This is also an activity that is appealing to many adults.
Age: 5+
Look Inside Animal Homes – Written by Emily Bone
This informative book includes flaps that are perfect for little hands to manipulate. Not only does this help to build fine motor skills, it also allows them to strengthen their minds as they practice predicting information and relying on their memory to recall what might be under the flap. This particular book takes you through trees, rivers, and underground to explore the homes of animals all around us.
Look Inside Board Books are part of a series that includes airports, under water life, construction sites, space exploration, and many other interesting places.
Age: 5+
Fine Motor Skills Activities for Early Elementary (Primary) and Up!
100 Paper Planes to Fold & Fly
by Sam Baer
As an elementary school teacher, I have collected endless amounts of paper planes from the floor of my classroom. Kids LOVE to make paper planes, and this book is the perfect tool for them to do it really well. In 100 Paper Planes to fold & fly you will find four different plane models to create. The book is full of colorfully designed pages that take shape as you fold them. Each model has directions (and dotted lines to help guide you) so you can perfect your flying machine to peak performance!
for all ages!
Build Your Own Fantasy Warriors – Written by Simon Tudhope
Continuing to practice and build fine motor skills is important even after children have begun to write. This Build Your Own book is appealing for kids who are six and older. With the included stickers kids can use their creativity to construct 18 warriors from the land of Ravenhold. The other benefit of this book is that kids will be practicing following directions as they match the appropriate sticker to the right scene and warrior. You will find elves, goblins, Dragon riders, knights, and more.
Other books in this series include aliens, dinosaurs, monster trucks, and superheroes for kids to match and create.
Age: 6+
Big Maze Book – Illustrated by Kirsten Robson
The Big Maze Book includes 50 different clever mazes! The illustrations you will explore are whimsical and fun, and each includes a purpose. You will search for missing friends, run from danger, and even discover treasure. While exercising your mind, you will also practice pen control!
This book is part of series of Maze Books. Other books include wonders from our big and beautiful world.
Age: 6+
Fingerprint Activities – Usborne Publishing
Fingerprint Activities allow kids to use the ink pad to fingerprint the pictures, creating a whimsical and fun scene. I love the idea of this colorful book because it inspires so many creative ideas like designing a prehistoric scene with dinosaurs! Kids donโt need a brush and the inks are non-toxic.
I received an illustration with a number of different fingerprint creatures from an entire class of students one year and it has become a treasured piece of art for me! You can take the ideas you learn from this book and use them anywhere.
Fingerprint Activities are aprt of a series of colorful books. Each one has different inspirational designs for your kids to practice their fine motor skills and enhance their creativity and ability to follow directions!
Age: 6+
Origami Tear-Off Pad – Written by Lucy Bowman
One of my favorite activities as a kid was creating origami art. It was calming for me, but now I realize it had so many other benefits, as well. Not only was I working on my fine motor skills, I was also learning to carefully follow intricate directions to make gorgeous 3D art. This book includes tear-out pages of beautifully patterned paper, as well as directions for creating swans, butterflies, foxes, frogs, and boats. Kids will love this activity!
Age: 7+
Bookmarks & a Place For Your New Books
Itโs no secret that kids come with a lot of stuff! Itโs important that we provide opportunities for them to learn and play, but sometimes the additional things begin to close in on us and make us feel uncomfortable. What is the best way to store your books and toys? Follow these 8 simple design tips for home decor, and youโre sure to be on an easier path to a home you love.
While you are reading and enjoying these perfect books with your kids, be sure to hold your place with one of our free bookmarks. We designed these bookmarks using our best-selling literary wall art.
Download for free, print, and never lose your place again.
