CHILDREN'S BOOKS: Celebrate Easter with some exciting Usborne activity books

Easter is almost here and children’s publisher Usborne have put some spring fun, learning and sunshine into a colourful array of new activity books

Age 5 plus
Sticker Dolly Dressing Easter Party
Fiona Watt, Johanna Fürst and Antonia Miller

EASTER is on the way and it’s time to dress the fairies and explore Fairyland as preparations get underway for an exciting party. Hours of hands-on entertainment are guaranteed with the new Sticker Dolly Dressing book, one of Usborne Publishing’s best and most popular series. And this colourful new book is bulging with gorgeous sticker clothes and accessories to dress the dolls and decorate the twelve enchanting scenes as the fairies skip, flutter and fly through the colourful pages. Join the fairies as they deliver invitations to a special party, decorate Easter trees, hide Easter eggs, go on an Easter egg hunt and have lots of magical fun! Use the colourful array of 200 stickers to dress the fairies and decorate the scenes. Children won’t be stuck for something to do with this beautiful activity book and with so many stickers to choose from and easy-to-remove perforated sticker pages for decorating each scene, this is a Fairyland adventure no fun-loving fashionista will want to miss!
(Usborne Publishing, paperback, £7.99)

Age 3 plus
Easter Fun (First Activities)
Fiona Watt, Rosie Dickins and Katie Lovell

GET your pre-school children drawing, painting and crafting with this charming Easter activity book which offers hands-on fun as well as some simple picture puzzles. Easter Fun is part of Usborne’s First Activities series which is designed to introduce young children to a variety of creative and engaging activities. Make colourful hanging eggs and have fun colouring them in, and create your own happy Easter hens with cardboard, paper and glue. These books are perfect for younger children who enjoy exploring and learning through play, with each title featuring simple, step-by-step instructions for easy projects using everyday materials, and illustrated with vibrant images to encourage children’s creativity and imagination. A ‘smashing’ way to have fun at Easter!
(Usborne Publishing, paperback, £4.99)

Age 3 plus
First Sticker Book Easter
Holly Bathie and Abigail Hall

CREATE your own Easter scenes with this super interactive book which lets children use their own imagination to choose where to place the stickers. Children will love using over 150 stickers to decorate eggs and bonnets ready for the Easter parade, and stick on sweet treats and hidden eggs in scenes of celebration. The scenes featuring children enjoying Easter preparations, and the array of colourful stickers encourage creativity and help develop motor skills and independent thinking. Easter fun at your fingertips!
(Usborne Publishing, paperback, £5.99)

Age 5 plus
Easter Bunnies Magic Painting Book
Kimberley Kinloch and Prue Pittock

WHAT child can resist the enchantment of a magic painting book! All you need is water and the brush provided, and then abracadabra, marvel as the black and white pages turn into a rainbow of vibrant colours. And here’s a magic painting book that is perfect for the Easter holidays as it comes packed with illustrations of a delightful Easter bunny family making, hiding and sharing Easter eggs with lots of animal friends. And with tear-out pages and a waterproof laminated flap to tuck behind your work to stop the water seeping through to the rest of the book, youngsters can be sure of a perfect result every time. Magic at a paintbrush stroke... and ideal for entertainment on-the-go, on road trips, holidays, restaurants or just those endless rainy days.
(Usborne, paperback, £6.99)

Age 3 plus
Easter Egg Snap
Abigail Wheatley and Emily Ritson

LITTLE ones will be seeing double when they learn to play the game of Snap or other matching games with this super boxed set of 52 beautifully-illustrated, egg-shaped cards. The ideal way to learn important skills like turn-taking, rules, and winning and losing, and all whilst enjoying the fun of spotting pairs, these robust, easy-to-handle cards are delightfully decorated with brightly coloured patterns and designs to look like an Easter egg. Playing games is a vital part of a child’s early education, helping them to understand concepts such as co-operation with other people, conversation and concentration. An entertaining introduction to matching and card games, this box of Easter-shaped fun is perfectly created to help youngsters ‘snap’ out of their boredom!
(Usborne, card pack, £6.99)