IT IS important to get your kids to read, but that can be an uphill task if they're fidgeting too much to concentrate. Fortunately, these three activity books, all published this year, might just be the solution for parents of energetic children.

Children can develop language skills by following instructions, while the myriad activities should keep even the most easily distracted ones absorbed for hours on end.

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KIDS COOK!
By Betty Crocker Kitchens

» Wiley Publishing / Hardcover / 159 pages / $38.47 (with GST) / Books Kinokuniya

KILL two birds with one stone - keep your kids busy and well-fed at the same time. This colourful book is chock-full of easy recipes that children, and even some cookery-challenged adults, will enjoy.

Published in the United States, this book is naturally rather American-centric: Burgers and pizza, rather than sushi or dumplings, dominate the menu.

Health-conscious parents will also despair of the numerous recipes for cakes and cookies, though there are a few healthy options like salads and fruit juices.

Still, those with more adventurous palates can enjoy recipes like fried rice and enchiladas, while even picky eaters are unlikely to reject savoury favourites like omelettes and french toast.

GOT CLAY CAN PLAY
By Garie Sim

» Play Clay / Paperback / 58 pages / $22.68 (with GST) / Major bookstores

AS THE title suggests, this book is just the thing for budding sculptors. Written by artist Garie Sim, who has been working with non-toxic Polymer clay since the early 1980s, the 12 projects aim to exercise children's creative and motor skills.

The dinosaurs, submarines and robots featured are just some of the fantastic creations that he teaches children to make at Play Creation, a three-year-old Polymer clay workshop owned and run by his family in St Patrick's Road.

Although the illustrated instructions are clear and easy to follow for any child aged five and up, parental supervision is very much advised. Tools required include sharp objects like scissors and wood-curving instruments, and the use of a toaster or conventional oven.

PERCEPTIVE PLAY
By Wong Li Lin

» Marshall Cavendish / Paperback / 144 pages / $26.75 (with GST) / Major bookstores

AS A former ballerina and fitness fanatic, it is no surprise that actress Wong Li Lin, who has two young children, has written an action-centric book filled with pictures of dancing, jumping kids.

According to the foreward, perceptive play is 'playing with discernment and insight under the nurturing guidance of a caring and thinking adult'. Thus, each of the 52 activities comes with questions one can explore with the child.

For example, a game involving a spider made out of a glove can be spun into a lesson about prey and predators, while playing the hokey-pokey is a good way to teach kids about clockwise and anti-clockwise movements.

Best of all for harried parents, there are plenty of safe, simple activities to occupy your kids with if you just want to get them out of your hair for a while.