12 Best Interactive Books for Kids That Will Get the Wiggles Out

Inside: These interactive books for kids are perfect for high-energy kids because they get your child to move their body. (And you’ll love them too!) Add these titles to your collection of the best picture books.

I can’t get my 2-year-old to sit still long enough for me to clip a fingernail—let alone long enough to listen to a whole picture book.

Still, several times a day she brings a book to me and asks me to read it to her. And this is what happens, every time:

1. I pull her onto my lap and start reading, but by a couple pages in, she can’t contain her wiggles.
2. Another page, and she’s accidentally clocked me in the nose or my mouth.
3. Halfway through the book, she squirms out of my lap to perform what I assume must be a gymnastics routine she invented during the hours of 8:00 pm and 11:00 pm when she should be sleeping but clearly is not. Or it could be Toddler Parkour.

At that point, I probably should just close the book and move on. But there’s something in my brain that can’t move on until we get through the whole book—even if I have to finish it by reading double-time through gritted teeth with nobody listening but me.

This Isn’t Your Typical List of Interactive Books for Kids

Because of the wiggly toddler stage, we’ve had to get creative when it comes to picking out picture books we can read together.

At first, my search for interactive books for kids turned up a bunch of lift-the-flap and pop-up books. Which is fine except that moving one finger every 30 seconds doesn’t exactly cut it for my toddler.

Not to mention that those intricate lift-the-flap and pop-up pieces get destroyed on the first read-through.

“Interactive” books for your iPad or smartphone aren’t a good fit, either.

Because when my kid is full of energy, screen time turns her into a total grump who’s still full of energy. (And it sounds like my kid isn’t alone.)

Related: A Simple Trick to Limit Screen Time—And Get a Happier Kid, Too {Printable}

12 Best Interactive Books for Kids

These picture books get the stamp of approval from all four of my wiggly toddlers over the years. They’re perfect for high-energy kids because they give your little one a chance to move and burn energy while you read.

And the best part of these interactive books for kids is that unlike a lot of kids’ books on the market, they won’t make you gouge out your eyes if you end up reading them every day. Wait. Let’s not kid ourselves. If you end up reading them 20,000 times a day.

Add these interactive children’s books to your home library, and get back to enjoying story time with your active kid.

1. Press Here^†

^† This site is reader-supported. When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

My kids would get so into the instructions to press and shake and tilt this book that we’ve outlawed it from the pool of bedtime stories for kids in our house.

If your kids love Press Here (which they will), be sure to check out the other two in this series: Mix It Up! and Let’s Play!

And here’s a bonus for parents: After a few read-throughs, your kid will be able to figure out what they’re supposed to do on each page without you reading the words. Translation? Give your kid all three of these books, then you can cuddle up on the couch for a catnap.

Related: 10 Books That Will Calm Your Kid Down at Bedtime

2. Flora and the Flamingo

Fair warning: This is a wordless picture book. But don’t be scared because it’s so much fun.

I wouldn’t have thought to add this to a list of interactive books for kids until my preschooler surprised me one day. I was flipping through the pages, pointing out how the main character Flora was mimicking the flamingo’s poses. And then my daughter squirmed off the couch and started mimicking the flamingo’s poses along with Flora.

It doesn’t get more adorable than that.

If Flora‘s a hit with your little one, try these two next: Flora and the Peacocks and Flora and the Penguin.

3. Gallop!

Here’s a little taste of this interactive picture book:

Can you gallop like a horse? Giddyup-a-loo!
Can you strut like a rooster? Cock-a-doodle-doo!

My kids can’t resist getting up and acting out every animal movement in this book, and it always ends in giggles from everyone.

For kids who love Gallop!, try out Waddle! and Swing! for even more interactive fun.

4. Can You Make A Scary Face?

This interactive picture book revolves around a tickly green bug and getting it off your body. Get ready to watch your kid try to wiggle her nose, make a scary face, and do the chicken dance—and more.

Kids who enjoy this one might also enjoy Is Everyone Ready for Fun? from the same author.

5. Little Yoga

Toddlers and preschoolers doing yoga has to be the cutest thing ever, so this book delivers maximum cuteness because it steps through nine playful yoga poses perfect for little ones.

My favorite is when my toddler grabs this book off the shelf, lays it in front of her, and starts moving through the poses on her own. Melts me every time.

Be sure to also check out Sleepy Little Yoga, from my list of the best bedtime stories for kids that will actually calm your kid down for sleep.

One final note: I’ve heard great things about another yoga book for kids called You Are a Lion! and Other Fun Yoga Poses, but we haven’t checked it out yet. If you get to it first, let me know what you think!

6. From Head to Toe

This book comes in board book format too, which makes it perfect for the youngest toddlers who still think books are for chewing, not reading.

Kids get into this one quickly because the text point-blank invites them to act out the animal movements.

By the way, this book holds a special place in my heart because it was my youngest’s first favorite book—one she would ask for again and again.

Related: The Ultimate List of the Best Picture Books, Endorsed by Kids And Parents

7. Keep Our Secrets

I actually don’t know why my kids love this one so very much, but they absolutely do. The story is cute, but they really go bananas for it.

This is going to sound weird, but you’ll need a hair dryer to make the images appear on each page. Or as another option, you can get a special eraser to make the images appear more quickly. (I hear this eraser works well but haven’t tested it myself.)

The whole book is like one big science experiment: Will it work if we breathe hot air on it? What if we use a heating pad? What if we leave it outside in the sun?

When you’re done reading, put the book in the freezer to make the pictures go dark again. The kids love this part too—every time, they come up with wild explanations of why it works.

8. I Got the Rhythm

My kids love the musical element of this interactive book, and they have fun imagining a rhythm along with the main character.

And of course, they move their little bodies along with the rhythm. Clap, clap. Stomp, stomp. Snap, snap.

This book is especially perfect for kids who love music and dancing.

9. Pete’s a Pizza

Aside from the fact that the wordplay in this book title makes my preschooler crack up every time, this book is a great excuse for some healthy roughhousing.

As you read, you’ll pretend to turn your kid into a pizza just like Pete’s father does in the story, and your kid will eat. it. up.

Warning: You may resort to ordering pizza for dinner afterwards.

10. It’s a Tiger

In this picture book, the main character keeps running into (and away from) a tiger over and over again.

Your kids will have fun acting out trying to get away from the tiger. My kids love to run when it says to run, tiptoe when it says to tiptoe over the snakes, climb the air when it says to climb the ladder, and more.

11. Cat Secrets

This picture book invites kids to pretend to be cats—they’ll meow, purr, stretch. Adorable!

The last part of the book could even make this a good fit for bedtime, although you may need to follow it up with a more calming book from your collection of bedtime stories to seal the deal.

12. How to Put Your Parents to Bed

Of all the interactive books for kids we’ve read, this one is my absolute favorite.

In this book, the child is the one putting the parents to bed. And so our favorite time to read this book is to get the wiggles out well before bedtime.

Here’s how: Sometime between dinner and bedtime, read the book and have your kids put you to bed. The key is to make them do all the work of getting you ready for bed. Send them out for a glass of water. Don’t cooperate when they try to tuck you under the covers. Ask ridiculous questions like, “Why don’t ducks have arms?” or “Why don’t fish eat hamburgers?”

We also love to use this one as a proper bedtime story—we just tone down the interactive bit as explained in my list of the best bedtime stories for kids.

Your Turn

What are your favorite interactive books for kids? Share in a comment below!