2026 Blogging A to Z Challenge: Jump (Movement)
It’s the 2026 Blogging A to Z Challenge and today is the first letter that I had trouble coming up with a word. The Letter “J” seems to trip me up almost every year. But this year, I think the word “jump” makes sense for board books for babies. Babies and toddlers are nonstop moving and why not harness all that amazing energy by reading books that encourage play and movement. Similar to the Imagination book list from yesterday, this book list will encourage kids to move and yes, jump!
As usual, kids will always look to their caregiver when wondering how to respond to something. I encourage you play and move with your little ones. They’ll be delighted that you want to play with them and a little extra movement every day is never a bad thing! So whether you’re learning a new yoga pose or meditating together, these movement-focused board books are a great way to wear your kid out!
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2026 Blogging A to Z Challenge: Jump
Animal Exercises by Flower Pot Press, illustrated by Brian Fitzgerald
Teach your little one the power of moving their body each day with these fun High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)-inspired workouts made just for little kids. Each workout is explained on the left side of the page and the corresponding illustrations show kids just what to do. Pretty soon your child will learn the movements and enjoy coming back to them time and time again!
Animals Move by Jane Whittingham
Calves swim, / Hatchlings bounce, / Porcupettes nibble, / Kittens pounce. Story time is on the move with this multilayered concept book. Preschoolers will enjoy learning fun baby animal names from echidna “puggles” to whale “calves,” and they’ll revel in using their bodies to mimic the movements each animal makes. Bright photographs give a close-up look at every kitten, cygnet, and foal, as well as young children who are pouncing, snuggling, and racing alongside them. The rhyming text teaches young minds pattern recognition for language learning and reading readiness, and a closing spread of enriching, age-appropriate activities keeps the learning going.
Brooms Are For Flying by Michael Rex
One Halloween, a little witch joins a group of young trick-or-treaters, and all participate in a wonderful foot-stomping, hand-clapping dance. But when the children take off their masks, they get a big surprise: Under her mask, the little witch really is a witch―and she shows the others that brooms really are for flying.
Buzz Like a Bee! By Nosy Crow, illustrated by by Guilherme Karsten
With simple rhyming text, things to push, pull, and spin, and bright illustrations from Guilherme Karsten, children will love to copy the movements of these animals and join in the garden fun. A fun way to develop a child’s fine motor skills as well as encourage wider movement by exploring the way their bodies move as spin like a spider, hide like a snail, crawl like a caterpillar, and buzz like a bee.
Can You Do This? An Imagination Play Book by Megan Roy
Brimming with whimsical art, Can You Do This? takes kids through a series of fun physical activities that get them up and moving!
From stomping their feet to standing on one leg, each page invites participation with prompts like “Can you hop like a bunny?” and “Can you stretch your arms all the way up to the sky?” As kids act out the playful challenges, they’ll exercise their bodies and minds, while sharing laughs with family and friends.
The perfect way to expend energy and pave the way for a good night’s sleep!
Counting to Calm: My First Self-Regulation Book by Prasha Sooful, illustrated by Betania Zacarias
Introduce self-regulation to the youngest readers early on by allowing them to model breathing, stretching, and movement with a parent or educator in 10 action-packed steps.
This board book allows children to refocus their minds and energies to achieve calm or to regain attention before doing activities that require more concentration. The upbeat rhyming text paired with vibrant illustrations makes for an engaging read aloud whether at home or in the classroom.
Creature From the Woods by Megan Alms, illustrated by Fabrizio di Baldo
As I watch you prance around,
I can’t help but smile.
You remind me of a creature
from the woods, my child.
You have a deer fawn’s timid steps
into the unknown.
But your steps have gotten bigger
as you’ve learned and grown.
With tender words and lush illustration, this sweet board book compares a child’s movements and mannerisms to creatures from the woods. From the fox to the bear to the bunny, each baby animal explores the world around them and learns along the way—just like children do. The rich woodland colors and sweet animal families will make Creature from the Woods a bedtime favorite!
Ten Little Yoga Frogs by Hilary Robinson, illustrated by Mandy Stanley
Yoga Frogs love to have fun trying all the different yoga poses. Can you count the different yoga frogs, and try out all the yoga poses?
We’re Going On a Bear Hunt: Pull, Slide, and Play! by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
We’re going on a bear hunt. We’re going to catch a big one.
Join in the fun of the bear hunt with the help of super-sturdy tabs to pull, sliders to push, and wheels to turn. Little ones will love playing along with the classic story in a hands-on board book revealing surprises on every page. Just swishy swashy through the long wavy grass, squelch squerch through the oozy mud, stumble trip through the forest, and tiptoe through the gloomy cave—there’s a bear waiting somewhere to be found!
2026 is my eleventh year participating in the Blogging A to Z Challenge! This year, my theme is Board Books for Babies with a focus on providing book suggestions that parents and caregivers can share with, of course, babies, but also toddlers and preschoolers! Each letter of the alphabet will focus on a different subject and will provide nine titles for each subject. While there are dozens of classic board books out there, this list includes titles published in the past 5-6 years, so you’ll get to learn about new titles, authors, and publishers! Stop by daily to check out the new books and other posts that I’ll be sharing in April.
