<p>This study assessed the design quality of inquiry-based tasks in the most widely used elementary science textbooks for grades 1–6 in China. Content analysis was conducted using the Inquiry-Based Tasks Analysis Inventory (ITAI) scale. The findings indicated that most inquiry-based tasks effectively support students’ understanding of scientific concepts, as demonstrated by a 100% alignment with lesson objectives and an 89.9% alignment with core disciplinary concepts. However, the analysis also revealed an imbalanced distribution of science process skills (SPS), with a predominant emphasis on basic skills such as observation (52.8%) and communication (100%), whereas integrated skills like asking questions (1.1%), defining operationally (9.6%), and formulating models (5.1%) were underrepresented. In addition, the tasks insufficiently addressed key aspects of the nature of scientific inquiry (NOSI), such as “multiple methods” (15.7%), “procedures influence results” (8.4%), and “data and evidence” (12.9%). This study presents one of the first systematic analysis of inquiry-based tasks in widely used Chinese elementary science textbooks—an area that has received limited attention compared to research on secondary education. The findings suggest that textbook designers should employ a more comprehensive approach by integrating a broader range of SPS and providing explicit guidance on NOSI to support well-rounded inquiry-based learning. Future research should extend this analysis to other educational stages and incorporate teacher perspectives as well as students learning outcomes to gain a more comprehensive understanding of textbook impact.</p>