Herve Tullet Books & Activities: Mix it Up, Press Here & More

Mix It Up by Herve Tullet (published 2014)

I recently discovered the brilliance of the book Mix it Up by Herve Tullet when my 3 year old chose to borrow it from our local library. It is the most wonderfully engaging and interactive educational book I’ve come across in a long time. Little fingers are invited to tap, press and rub colorful dots to create new colors. They flip the book around and press pages together to discover captivating visual effects.

It’s magical for kids and adults. It also provides a wonderful foundation for teaching young children about the primary colors, and mixing colors to create secondary colors. Even black and white can be introduced to explore creating darker and lighter shades of color.

Activities Inspired by Mix It Up

One super simple activity to experiment with color mixing that is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers requires a trusty zip lock bag and some paint. Squeeze each of the color combinations into each zip lock bag and let your little one do the mixing. Of course, depending upon the age of your child and your location, it’s fun to do the mixing without the bag too! Both are wonderful for exploring color with kids.

More activity ideas

• Check out our collection of 50+ Five Senses Activities for more explorations with the sense of touch.
• Preschoolers will be fascinated by making art with Bubble Blower Painting.

For more fun exploring color, check out our awesome collection of color STEM activities;

Press Here by Herve Tullet (published 2019)

Also wonderful is Herve Tullet’s Press Here. It’s amazing how many clever things one tiny dot can do! The interactive dots in Press Here multiply, grow, form patterns and so much more.

Dotty Activities for Further Learning Inspired by Press Here

• Create a dotty picture – dot markers or dot stickers are perfect! Check out our Sticker Drawings art idea for kids for a closer look at getting dotty.
• Try bubble wrap fingerpainting and be sure to take some spotty prints of your completed painting.
• Sing “It’s A Spotty Kind of Day”

Let’s Play by Herve Tullet (published 2016)

Let’s Play takes toddlers and preschoolers on a riotous ride through color, shape and motion following a yellow dot on an interactive adventure that even touches on the emotions of joy, humor and fear.

Activities Inspired by Let’s Play

• Be inspired by the yellow dot to play with pom poms! We share five ideas for play with pom poms that encompasses imaginative play, construction, art and color sorting too.
• Create dots and lines with this creative idea for rolling pin printing.
• Take a dot hunt around your home or classroom, finding spots and dots all over your space.
• Use water beads to make a rainbow sensory bottle or an extra special glow-in-the-dark sensory bottle.

Say Zoop! by Herve Tullet (published 2017)

Tullet takes children on a journey with sound with this special book, Say Zoop! With so much play between the pages, Say Zoop! will have your children begging to read it again and again!

Activities Inspired by Say Zoop!

• Try one of these four simple musical games for children.
• Sing an action song or rhyme from our lively list of Color Action Songs and Finger Plays.

Tap! Tap! Tap! Dance! Dance! Dance! by Herve Tullet (published 2023)

Who knew that your hands could become dancers and a book the dance floor – that’s exactly what Tullet achieves with the magical book Tap! Tap! Tap! Dance! Dance! Dance! Engaging children through color and shape to engage in a range of hand actions, your child’s hands will literally dance across the pages, developing control and dexterity as they follow the prose in action.

• The Plate Dance is SUCH a fun movement activity for preschoolers, fans of this book just have to try it!
• Play a game from our list of music party games for kids.

Explore more book activities for toddlers and preschoolers with these fun ideas;