Books are such a good non-electronic gift for kids. And board books are great for little kids. If you’re looking for some ideas, this list of 10+ Best Board Books For Babies is perfect.
For more book ideas, check out all of our book posts.
We love gifting books. I try to gift them to our nieces and nephews one holiday a year because I really don’t like giving electronics.
I know, kids love electronics and anything with lights and sounds. But I really try to not give those as gifts. Or, at the very least, not as our whole gift. Especially when I’m shopping for little kids.
I want to give something that will encourage them to use their imaginations, which is why I think gifting books if such a good idea. And, I really do think if you start reading at a young age, that’ll foster a love of reading when the kids grow up.
If you agree, you’ll love this list of the 10+ Best Board Books For Babies. We say babies, but we mean anyone from 0 to 2. Little kids who are a little bit older might still like these, but these are geared more towards younger kids.
If you’re looking for gifts for kids who are a little older, check out our list of 10+ Gifts For Young Readers.
We also have great lists of Dr. Seuss Books and Little Golden Books filled with great books that might appeal to those older kids as well.
10+ Best Board Books For Babies
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Some of these books come in both standard and board book format. The board book features are a little different, though. Board books have all the main plot points that the standard books have, but they are generally edited and use simple words because they’re meant for really young children with really young attention spans.
They’re also made of chunky pages and are generally smaller to fit tinier hands. And, those sturdy pages, usually made from thick cardboard, can really take a beating. Which is great because tiny babies haven’t learned to be gentle yet.
So, if you’re shopping online and ordering books, make sure to select the board book option to assure you’re ordering the right one.
Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton
Little kids need to move and get the wiggles out. And Barnyard Dance is the perfect way to do that. The book is filled with fun moves to get your little kid dancing, like “Bow to the cow” and “Bounce with the bunny.”
Now, would I consider this a good bedtime story? No. Definitely not. But is it the perfect book when you need an impromptu dance party with some fictional farm animals to happen? Yes.
Farm (Baby Touch and Feel) by DK
The best part about Farm is that it’s one of the baby touch and feel books, so there are so many different textures in the book. Some of the parts where you can touch are small, so you might have to guide your baby the first few times. But, once they start remembering, they’ll love this book.
Also, keep in mind that this is called “farm” not “farm animals,” so it does touch on things that are on the farm, like wheat and a bucket, not just things that live on the farm.
First 100 Words by Roger Priddy
The First 100 Words book is for older babies, ones who are learning to talk and figuring out some sight recognition. Because the goal of the book is to have kids associate words with objects.
The book is filled with large, colorful illustrations of the first words most kids learn, so it’s really helpful for your babies to actually learn what they’re looking at.
Gotta Go, Buffalo: A Silly Book of Fun Goodbyes by Haily Meyers and Kevin Meyers
I am obsessed with Gotta Go, Buffalo. It’s adorable. It’s a lift-the-flap book, which are some of the best books to get little ones really involved in the story.
One side of each page has a version of goodbye, like “Wave Goodbye”. The adjacent page has a flap that you lift with a corresponding animal (in this case, “Butterfly”). Each page has really simple text that rhymes with a different animal. The illustrations are really pretty and filled with bright colors that your little ones will enjoy.
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is such a classic baby book (for everyone except for me. I never read it growing up, but that’s besides the point).
It’s an alphabet book, with the letters scattered all over the pages. For younger kids, it’s a funny sounding story. For older kids, it’s a great way to start recognizing letters.
Bible Stories For Little Hands
When I made my first communion, I remember getting the Precious Moments Children’s Bible. The stories were told in a way my seven year old brain could comprehend. And I loved the images.
That book is a little old for kids who are board book age, so Bible Stories For Little Hands is better. It’s a great way to introduce your littles to Jesus and the stories of the Bible.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
The Very Hungry Caterpillar is probably the most popular children’s book on this list. Not even probably. Definitely. Very definitely.
But, in case you’ve been living under a rock since 1969 (when it came out) or just didn’t have your own children or own childhood in that time, it teaches simple counting, colors, and facts about butterflies.
Itsy Bitsy Spider (Touch and trace nursery rhymes) by Emily Bannister
I absolutely love this Itsy Bitsy Spider (Touch and trace nursery rhymes). It’s one of my favorite books on this whole list.
There are clever cut-outs carved into the pages, which your child can trace with their fingers. That’s so much fun for your kid, but — BUT — it’s actually educational because it helps with writing readiness. That’s why I love it. It’s secretly educational.
Let’s Find The Dinosaur by Tiger Tales
There are dinosaurs hiding in Let’s Find The Dinosaur and it’s up to your little one to find them.
What I like about this book, more than just the fact that it’s a hide and seek book that’s a lot easier than Where’s Waldo, is it’s a touch and feel book. There are carve outs on each page where your little one can touch different textures.
Ninjas Have Feelings by Mary Nhin
It’s a little presumptuous to believe that tiny babies will have emotional intelligence. But, they have feelings. They just don’t understand them yet. So this Ninjas Have Feelings book is a pretty good way of teaching them about emotions, even if they don’t get it.
There are these fun semi-circles around the book that open to different pages, each one with a different feeling. So, even if your littles don’t understand the concepts in this interactive book, the act of turning to it is pretty sweet.
Some Dogs by Lydia Nichols
There are lots of dogs in this world. And they’re all different. And they’re all special. Yes, yes. The book is talking subliminally about people, but on the surface about dogs. So your child learns differences in dogs (and people) and acceptance of dogs (and people).
The best thing about this book is the way it’s constructed. It’s a layered view books, so all the pages are shaped differently, making it really unique to look at.
And, if you’re a cat family (yay friends), you can pick up Some Cats (coming out in October) instead. Same concept, different furry friend.
Purchase Board Books Online:
Of course, these aren’t all the books out there. Just what we consider to be the best baby board books. There are more out there. Classics like, Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?, by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle and others like Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle (pictured above).
For more, check out the following stores below:
Be sure to check out a store’s minimum cart total to qualify for free shipping. Also, consider instore and curbside pickup, where available, to avoid shipping charges.
More Baby Gifts Ideas:
If you’re looking for some gifts for babies, our list of Baby Shower Gifts can give you some ideas. And, even if you’re not going to a shower for a brand-new baby anytime soon, those are still really good gifts for new parents.
Which of these Best Board Books For Babies is your favorite? Be sure to let us know in the comments.