The best holiday notebooks in the UK 2023

Do you want to improve or maintain your child's academic level during the vacations? Whether your child is a good student, an average student or a student in difficulty, a vacation notebook is a must. This workbook will help your child assimilate and review the entire school program in a fun way (crossword puzzles, connect the dots, etc.). Use this guide to help you choose the right vacation notebook.

Nathan vacances - From CP to CE1 1
8/10

Best value for money

Nathan vacances - From CP to CE1

The best vacation notebook

This book is presented as a game book that will encourage your child to prepare well for his entry into the second grade. Nathan vacances promises 80 pages of entertainment that your child will "devour" for sure!

4,40 £ on Amazon

This is a very well designed review book with a variety of exercises (18 in total) on each double page. The majority of the exercises focus on math and French (comprehension, writing, reading) and only three small exercises deal with English. On each double page, your child will have access to a "game" moment so as not to be too overloaded. This includes coloring, connect the dots, riddles and more to discover. Then, at the end of each completed double-page spread, a sticker that comes with the book can be stuck on by the child. All in all, this book is very good (even outside of the vacations) and allows to reinforce what has been learned while remaining playful.

Hatier vacances - From CM2 to 6ème 2
7/10

Best value for money

Hatier vacances - From CM2 to 6ème

The best entry-level vacation notebook

This vacation notebook is a safe bet for your child to review the essentials without getting bored. Practical and fun, it includes memory aids at the end: really great for assimilating a misunderstood lesson.

3,92 £ on Amazon

Hatier vacances offers students who will soon be entering the 6th grade a 64-page vacation notebook covering all subjects. Simple and fun, it offers simple and explicit instructions so that the child will have no trouble doing the exercises alone, without the help of an adult. The booklet also hides a code to be found to allow the child to download an escape game to do at home in partnership with Happy Kits. A little extra that children particularly appreciate in the Hatier vacation notebook collection.

I understand everything CE2 3
8/10

Best value for money

I understand everything CE2

The best high-end vacation notebook

This workbook will help your child cover the entire third grade curriculum for a successful school year. The child will have a comic book with mascots for each lesson, and for parents, a complete guide to accompany their child.

8,99 £ on Amazon

It is a book that gathers lessons very well illustrated by a cartoon to facilitate learning. Fun and complete, it offers more than a hundred pages of progressive exercises to practice, tips to improve, and assessments to determine the level of assimilation of French, Math, History-Geo, Science and English. Although there are tips for parents in each lesson to help the child understand the course and succeed in the exercises, the child is able to do the exercises by himself because the statements are so clear! The book will also provide you with a global vision of your child's school year and will allow you to know very quickly your child's achievements and difficulties. Finally, the slate (erasable sheets) and the erasable mementos at the end of the book are very appreciable. For the price, this book is simply perfect.

Passport - Kindergarten to 1st grade 4
8/10

A great choice

Passport - Kindergarten to 1st grade

An activity book that makes you want to work

Prepare for your child's entry into first grade with a variety of attractive assignments cleverly designed by experienced kindergarten teachers. Subjects covered include French, math, English and world exploration.

4,36 £ on Amazon

Both fun and educational, this vacation workbook is an easy way to get your child to work a little every day during the vacations. Richly illustrated, the book offers various and progressive exercises (writing, counting, logic, etc.) and a general culture theme on exploring the world (spatial and temporal references, discovery of different environments...). In addition, there are 4 double pages of discovery on boats, bees, butterflies and the five senses for a more relaxed learning experience. And the stickers to be stuck on each finished page make the children very enthusiastic. This is a good vacation book for the transition to first grade!

Buying guide • November 2023

Best holiday notebook

Any specific needs?

The best vacation notebook

The best entry-level vacation notebook

The best high-end vacation notebook

An activity book that makes you want to work

Your guide : Samuel

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Comparison table of the best holiday notebooks

TOP OF THE TOP NOT EXPENSIVE A great choice
Nathan vacances - From CP to CE1 5
8/10
Hatier vacances - From CM2 to 6ème 6
7/10
I understand everything CE2 7
8/10
Passport - Kindergarten to 1st grade 8
8/10
OUR SELECTION
Nathan vacances - From CP to CE1
Hatier vacances - From CM2 to 6ème
I understand everything CE2
Passport - Kindergarten to 1st grade
This book is presented as a game book that will encourage your child to prepare well for his entry into the second grade. Nathan vacances promises 80 pages of entertainment that your child will "devour" for sure!
This vacation notebook is a safe bet for your child to review the essentials without getting bored. Practical and fun, it includes memory aids at the end: really great for assimilating a misunderstood lesson.
This workbook will help your child cover the entire third grade curriculum for a successful school year. The child will have a comic book with mascots for each lesson, and for parents, a complete guide to accompany their child.
Prepare for your child's entry into first grade with a variety of attractive assignments cleverly designed by experienced kindergarten teachers. Subjects covered include French, math, English and world exploration.
80 fun pages with 18 different exercises
64 pages of fun to review the essentials of the program
Very clear statements and instructions
Contains varied and progressive exercises
Allows you to play additional games (mazes, crossword puzzles, coloring pages, etc.)
A checklist at the end of the book makes it easy to review the lessons
A slate and erasable mementos at the end of the book
Stickers to stick on the finished page
Stickers to mark the exercises (bravo, excellent, etc.) at the end of each double page
A code to find to download an escape game to do at home in partnership with Happy Kits
A fun and complete 192-page book
Add a "general culture" theme in addition to the subjects of the school program to revise
Fun but very effective design
Reviews in all subjects
Progressive exercises for better practice
Enriching activities adapted to the vacation season
Answers available at the end for parents
Clear and practical workbook
Assessments to take stock and self-evaluate
Advice to parents in a detachable central notebook

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Buying guide - holiday notebook

Primary Item (H2)Sub Item 1 (H3)

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How to choose your holiday notebook

To allow a child to assimilate his knowledge and not to rush him during his learning, many criteria should not be neglected when choosing his holiday notebooks. Here they are under the microscope.

#1 - Age of the child

Take note of the age rules and learning advantages of your selections. For your baby or toddler, vacation notebooks made of sturdy cardboard, and wipeable plastic titles make good choices. Toddlers and older preschoolers can handle paper pages and will appreciate the larger images and flip-top books that invite them to get lost in the review. The best holiday notebooks will grow with your child. For example, you might buy your 5-year-old a picture book that you read to him. By age 6, he'll recite the words to you, and by age 8, he can read on his own.

#2 - For one subject only or not?

There are workbooks that only allow you to work on one subject at a time (math, French, English, etc.) These are not highly recommended, because even if you see that your child is struggling in one particular subject, it's better to have him work on all subjects to assimilate what he's learned for the year. This is why you should choose a vacation notebook that covers all subjects. If necessary, you can add a second notebook that deals only with the subject that your child is having trouble with.

#3 - Level and content

Given your child's class, look for a vacation notebook that is appropriate for his or her and not for the class he or she will be admitted to when school starts. Encroaching on the next year's curriculum will be detrimental to him. Preschool vacation notebooks tend to focus on basic concepts, such as ABCs, feelings or friendship, and use repetition, phonics and other literacy tools to prepare the child for reading. For an older child, choose a notebook that will build comprehension and vocabulary, as well as the themes and opportunities the child will learn as he or she reads.

#4 - Illustrations

Focus on vacation notebooks with coloring, illustrations, and familiar characters that will grab your child's attention. Your choice of notebook should invite her to point, touch, and talk about the pictures. Also look for vacation notebooks that sound fun to read aloud. If the child likes to repeat words and phrases aloud, poetry or stories are an excellent choice.

#5 - Paper quality

Focus on the quality and thickness of the paper that ensures that pen ink doesn't leak through the pages. This is especially important if your child uses a fountain pen or plans to use markers for drawings or games.

Did you know that...

The vacation notebook is 80 years old. It was born in the early 1930's when the publisher Roger Magnard was looking for another way to boost his sales during the summer. He invented Les Cahiers de Loulou et Babette (named after his children Louis and Elisabeth) which offer games, coloring, collages and riddles.

How to use a vacation notebook

To get the most out of a vacation notebook, you need to be disciplined and work on it for at least 20 minutes every day. Parental involvement (especially in setting a schedule and checking corrections) is important to motivate children.

To help your child with his summer revisions

  • Involve your child in the choice of notebook and buy him a nice pencil and eraser to motivate him
  • Announce the program in advance by setting a date for your child to start the workbook (unless he or she wants to start right away).
  • find the ideal time slot (e.g. during the time when it is too hot to go outside) and stick to it.
  • accompany your child so that he/she completes the workbook in order and on a regular basis
  • correct the exercises together

Traditional vacation notebook or digital vacation notebooks

Traditional holiday notebooks

The holiday notebook allows children to keep their knowledge intact and to fill in their gaps during the holidays. The holiday notebook will allow a good student to maintain his level, an average student to improve and a child who is failing at school to master the subjects that seem difficult. The revisions are done in a playful way. Through games and quizzes, the child learns and progressively develops his skills. And that is the great advantage of this type of notebook! A child who shows little enthusiasm for a subject can quickly become interested in it thanks to the beautiful illustrations and games in the book.

Digital vacation notebooks

Digital holiday books do all this and more as they introduce your child to the digital world in an educational and fun way at the same time. Many sites and applications designed in collaboration with teachers now offer a program that is fun, interactive and with a variety of animations. Children can be more receptive with this type of holiday book.

Verdict

Digital vacation notebook or not? The choice is yours. However, if you feel that your child would be more productive with the digital version of the holiday notebooks, opt for the apps. If not, a traditional holiday notebook will suffice.

Tips

Respect the progression of the booklet

Quality vacation books are designed by educational teams following a certain logic. It is therefore essential to respect the order they propose. Therefore, it is essential to respect the order in which they are presented.

Accompanying your child

Vacation books have been designed to learn through games and quizzes

, so that your child does not skip steps.

For an even more relaxed atmosphere during the exercises, accompany your child. It's a great way to bond with your child while having fun. This will motivate him more to learn and to finish his notebook.

Encourage your child to finish their notebook

A

study by the Institute for Educational Research published in 2001 states that a child who has not finished all the subjects in a vacation notebook has practically the same level as a student who has not worked at all, except for math, as opposed to students who have finished their notebook

.

Stimulate his intelligence in a clever way

In

addition to the vacation notebook, take your child on outings to discover nature and the environment around them. Also consider introducing him to all sorts of activities to stimulate his intelligence. These can include sewing, cooking, painting, etc.

Redo some of the exercises

If you find that a chapter has given your child a hard time, ask him or her to redo the exercises the next day. If the subject is still not assimilated, make the correction with him. Then review the problem areas together.

FAQ

What is the best holiday notebook?

The best holiday notebook depends on your needs and your budget. Read our buying guide for the best products available.

When should a child use a holiday notebook?

No level is left out: from kindergarten to high school, a multitude of holiday notebooks are available in bookstores and supermarkets alike.

Should you force your children to exercise?

No. You should never force your child to exercise, as this could have the opposite effect. He needs a holiday. It would be a mistake to over-stimulate them.

What are the best holiday notebook equivalent apps?

Professor Muchi is an application that offers multiple activities: English, math, French, history-geography and science. Then, from kindergarten to fifth grade, Cap Maths is a mathematics teaching guide that helps develop strategies for mental and reflective calculation. Finally, ITooch is intended for primary and secondary school students. This educational application offers more than 1,000 exercises and covers the official program set by the French Ministry of Education.

Won't the holiday notebook over-stimulate my child?

It is important that your child does his exercises regularly and punctually. However, to avoid overtaxing their concentration and memory, do not exceed the thirty minutes of exercise per day reserved for the holiday notebook. Also, don't ask your child to do his exercises until two weeks before school starts. This way, they can enjoy their vacation before preparing for the next school year.

Sources

Note: Below are some of the sources we have consulted in writing this article. Links to other sites are not continuously updated. It is therefore possible that a link may not be found. Please use a search engine to find the desired information.
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Updates

March 2022 : Translation of this buying guide from our partner meilleurtest.fr

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Our selection
Nathan vacances - From CP to CE1 9
Nathan vacances - From CP to CE1
Hatier vacances - From CM2 to 6ème 10
Hatier vacances - From CM2 to 6ème
I understand everything CE2 11
I understand everything CE2
Passport - Kindergarten to 1st grade 12
Passport - Kindergarten to 1st grade

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