"It's hard to find activity books that keep kids genuinely engaged. Whether its long airplane rides, family road trips, screen-free moments, or summer vacation, this one is a keeper.
Ideal for at home fun, distance learning, or the classroom, Imagination Lab: Experiments in Creativity is Wirecutter/New York Times, Common Sense Media, and Parents Magazine approved. This activity book brings the best of a magazine, workbook, and journal together! It features over 80 pages of episode inspired, printable pages filled with screen-free writing, listening, drawing, and maker prompts and projects to pair with each episode from the Webby-Award winning Story Seeds Podcast. Kids scan the QR codes inside to transform podcast listening into literacy and creativity!
A Gift That Gets Used
Selected by Wirecutter/The New York Times as one of the Best Gifts for 10-Year-Olds. Featured in Good Housekeeping, VeryWell Family, and Parents Magazine. Unlike toys that break or apps that get deleted, Imagination Lab is a gift that extends far beyond the occasion. This activity book that goes wherever kids go—and keeps them genuinely, joyfully engaged. Packed with over 80 pages of writing prompts, STEAM projects, poetry challenges, art activities, cooking experiments, and more, it's the creative companion families can reach for again and again.
Here's how it works:
Step 1 - Scan a QR code to listen to The Story Seeds Podcast
The activity book has ten unique QR codes, each of which links to The Story Seeds Podcast , which was named 2020 Podcast of the Year by The Week Junior, featured in Wired, The New York Times, and on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Every episode follows a best-selling author and child on an adventure to create a story together and features a storytime segment read aloud by the author. Plus, a theme song by MGMT's Andrew VanWyngarden that kids ask to hear again and again.
Step 2 - Get Busy with Screen-Free & Literacy Inspired Activities
One quick QR code scan launches a Story Seeds episode. Then kids put the device down and create—writing, drawing, cooking, building, imagining. No Wi-Fi needed. No app to download. Just scan once, then listen and engage on paper in activities that honor imagination while building literacy skills. For ages 6–12.
Perfect for travel, homeschool, and summer learning
Built around exclusive writing tips and prompts from 10 bestselling, diverse children's authors — including Jason Reynolds, Chris Grabenstein, Veera Hiranandani, Tracey Baptiste, and Carlos Hernandez — Imagination Lab keeps kids reading, writing, and thinking. Pages have write-on lines and back matter includes STEAM curriculum connections for writing craft,s poetry, science, art, cooking, and storytelling.
What's Inside (80+ pages):
- Exclusive writing tips from 10 bestselling children's authors
- Writing prompts, journaling, and storytelling activities
- STEAM projects and maker challenges
- Poetry prompts and art activities
- Cooking and hands-on experiments
- QR codes linking to ten Story Seeds episodes
- Every chapter works independently
What readers are saying:
"An activity book to inspire curiosity, inventiveness, and storytelling." — Wirecutter/The New York Times
"Diverse, portable, open-ended, screen-free, creative & cool! It's packed with open-ended activities perfect for homeschooling." — Karen Alexander, mother of three
"For reluctant readers or those who crave engagement, try this innovative activity book." — VeryWell Family
Sandhya Nankani is the creator and executive producer of The Story Seeds Podcast™. An award-winning producer, she is also the creator of award-winning literacy app HangArt, which was selected Best of 2016 EdTech by Common Sense Media. She is a member of the Education Committee of the Museum of Arts and Design and was a founding member of KIDMAP (Kids' Inclusive and Diverse Media Action Project), an interdisciplinary group that has developed best practices toolkits for children's media producers, in an effort to make products that are more equitable, diverse and inclusive.Her studio Literary Safari produces and publishes inclusive media children and adults inspired by the 4 C's of 21st century education-Creativity, Critical Thinking, Communication, and Collaboration. It is deeply committed to creating products that celebrate authentic voices, diversity, multiculturalism, global citizenship, and real-world learning.
Alicia Zadrozny is a literacy educator, curriculum designer, and children's writer, and former editor of Writing for Teens and Current Health magazines for middle schoolers.
