Activity Book Guide

How to Make an Activity Book

A practical guide to creating a printable puzzle book — from first puzzle to finished PDF — including how to publish and sell it if you want to.

The Short Answer

The easiest way to create an activity book is to make a set of puzzles individually — crosswords, word searches, or both — then compile them into a single PDF using Canva or a word processor. Each puzzle becomes one page (or a spread). Add a cover, a title page, and an answer key at the back, and you have a complete printable activity book. The whole process can take a few hours for a basic book, or a few days for something polished enough to sell.

Step-by-Step: How to Make an Activity Book

  1. Choose a theme Pick a subject that holds the book together — animals, a school topic, a holiday, a specific TV show, or a broad category like nature or food. A clear theme makes the book feel intentional and makes it easier to build a consistent word list across puzzles. It also makes the book easier to market if you plan to sell it.
  2. Create your puzzles Build each puzzle individually using free generators. Crosswords and word searches are the most common activity book content. Aim for 20–50 puzzles for a saleable book, or 5–10 for a personal or classroom project. Save each puzzle as a PDF or image as you go.
  3. Format your pages Open a blank document in Canva, Google Docs, or Word set to your target trim size — 8.5×11 inches is standard for US printing, 6×9 or 8×10 for KDP paperbacks. Place one puzzle per page. Add a consistent header or page number. Keep margins at least 0.5 inches on all sides, wider on the inside edge if printing as a book.
  4. Add front and back matter A complete activity book includes: a cover page with the title and any illustration, an optional brief introduction or instructions page, the puzzle pages, and an answer key at the back. The answer key is important — readers expect it, and it makes the book feel complete rather than unfinished.
  5. Export as PDF Export the full document as a single PDF. In Canva, use "Download → PDF Print" for the highest quality. In Google Docs or Word, use File → Download as PDF. Check the PDF on screen before printing or uploading — verify that margins look correct, text is readable, and puzzle grids are sharp.

Need to create your puzzles first? Start with the individual guides before compiling your book.

How to make a crossword puzzle → ·  How to make a word search →

The Shortcut: Templates and Tools

If you do not want to build every element from scratch, these options speed up the process significantly:

Activity book templates (Canva)

Canva has pre-designed activity book layouts. Drop your puzzle grids in, adjust the title, and export. No layout design needed from scratch.

Etsy templates

Buy a fully designed activity book template from Etsy. These are editable Canva or PowerPoint files — fill in your puzzles and publish. One purchase, unlimited use.

Puzzle Maker Pro

Generates puzzles and exports them already formatted to KDP page sizes. The fastest route from word list to print-ready PDF if you are making a large book.

Free generators + Google Docs

The budget option — generate each puzzle free, screenshot or download it, paste into a Google Doc, and export as PDF. Slower but costs nothing.

KDSpy

Browser extension for KDP niche research. Shows real sales estimates and review counts per category — useful for validating your book idea before you build it. Affiliate link.

Try KDSpy ($97 one-time) →

Book Bolt

All-in-one KDP platform — niche research, puzzle generators, and interior designer in one subscription. Covers the full pipeline from idea to finished PDF. Affiliate link.

Try Book Bolt →

See the full tool comparison: best crossword tools · best word search generators

Publishing and Selling Your Activity Book

Once you have a finished PDF, selling it requires almost no additional cost. The most common route is Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing), which lets you publish a print-on-demand paperback for free — Amazon prints and ships each copy when someone orders it, and pays you a royalty.

Publishing on Amazon KDP — the basics

  1. Create a free KDP account at kdp.amazon.com
  2. Set your trim size (6×9 inches is a popular choice for puzzle books) and adjust your PDF margins to match KDP's bleed requirements
  3. Design a cover — KDP has a free Cover Creator, or use a Canva template sized to your book's spine width
  4. Upload your interior PDF and cover file
  5. Set your price — KDP calculates the printing cost and shows your royalty per sale before you publish
  6. Submit for review — typically approved within 72 hours

You can also sell a digital PDF version directly through Etsy or Gumroad without any production cost. Digital downloads have 100% margin after platform fees, making them a good complement to a KDP listing.

Making one puzzle is easy. Making a publishable activity book takes a plan. Get the free Activity Book Idea Scorecard or use the AI-Powered Activity Book Blueprint to plan, create, quality-check, and launch your product.

Get the Free Scorecard Get the AI Blueprint

Build Your Puzzles First

If you have not created your puzzles yet, these guides cover each type in full: