Christmas is going to be a little different this year, but we think some things are still guaranteed – good food and good company (in whatever form it takes) … and little ones that need to be kept busy.

Here are some of our favourite books and games to keep kids of all ages entertained during the festive season.

BUSY BABIES, TODDLERS & PRESCHOOLERS

• Whose Bones? by Chihiro Takeuchi – Guess the animal by looking at its skeleton. Paper-cut artist Chihiro Takeuchi has created a bold and fun guessing game for pint-sized animal lovers.
  
  
• Play with Your Plate! (A Mix-and-Match Play Book) by Judith Rossell – Get ready for some delightful food combinations in this delicious interactive board book that allows small hands to make up their own plates of food – and sneakily learn a little about colours and shapes at the same time.
  
  
• Bake a Rainbow Cake! by Amirah Kassem – Use this board book to create an incredible rainbow explosion cakeL: turn a wheel to mix the batter, lift a flap to open the oven, and pull a tab to frost the cake and then release the glittery contents.
  
  
• Check out our extensive range of Bluey books. The activity books are particularly absorbing. There’s a Christmas-themed sticker book, a colouring books with games, an magnet book, and more. You could even pop on the latest DVD for maximum quiet. (Please note, books with stickers or magnets are generally recommended for ages 3 and up.)

BUSY LITTLE KIDS AGED 5-7

• Wreck This Picture Book by Keri Smith – This hilarious interactive picture book encourages kids to roll, sniff, poke, blow, flick, hug, dress up and do all sorts of unexpected things with it. Creativity and anarchy will abound while reading it.
  
  
• Little People, Big Dreams Colouring Book by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara & Lisbeth Kaiser – This is a colouring book accompaniment to the bestselling Little People, Big Dreams series. Inside are 15 famous faces to colour in, along with an abridged version of the person’s story.
  
  
• Real Pigeons Fight Crime Book and Puzzle Set by Andrew McDonald & Ben Wood – Hours will race by with this fabulous book and puzzle set. First kids can read book one in the awesome Real Pigeons series, then they can get busy completing the 256-piece puzzle.
  
  
• Let’s Make Some Great Art: Animals by Marion Deuchars – This colourful and very accessible activity book by award-winning British illustrator Marion Deuchars encourages littlies to create animals artworks using drawing, painting, collaging and printing.

BUSY BIG KIDS AGED 8-12

• The Dragon Ark by Curatoria Draconis & Tomislav Tomic – Race around the world looking for a mysterious and rare dragon with this gorgeously illustrated and very absorbing book that will appeal to fantasy readers, animal lovers, budding explorers and fact-collectors.
  
  
• Cards Against Humanity: Family Edition – Finally a kid-appropriate version of this enjoyably puerile game (case in point: a card that says ‘Filling my butt with spaghetti’) that I would argue also encourages lateral thinking and creative wordplay.
  
  
• Pierre The Maze Detective: The Curious Case of the Castle in the Sky by Hiro Kamigaki – We’re long-running fans of Pierre the Maze Detective! With intricate mazes and tiny objects to find in detailed landscapes, these books are a delight. In the latest adventure, Pierre and Carmen head to the bustling Canal City and a mysterious castle in the sky to find the Maze Egg.
  
  
• The World Map Puzzle by Tania McCartney – Put together this handsomely illustrated 252-piece puzzle and discover flora, fauna, food, customs, manmade and ancient sites, and plenty of breathtaking natural wonders of the world. A small booklet adds interesting facts and information about countries and continents.

You’ll find even more ideas for getting a little peace and quiet over the summer holidays by browsing the collections below.