Friends, did you know that magazines truly count as worthwhile reading material and that they’ve come a long way in the past few years?
They do, and they have.
And also? Magazines pretty much rock. They:
- make super holiday or birthday gifts for children;
- make awesome classroom donations for teachers;
- can be a great way to offer support for preschools or daycare centers;
- make fabulous partners for travel, waiting areas, or rest time;
- give kids quick and engaging reading material any time of the day.
And, not surprisingly, magazines exist for just about any age group and interest.
It’s kind of funny how this post came about, but essentially, after a bit of poking around today, I’ve come across a ton of really cool new-to-me magazines. Magazines that made me do a double-take and magazines that I really, truly think my kids would love.
Here’s the skinny. . .
Top 10 Magazines for Kids and Family:
National Geographic Kids: For ages 6 and up, this magazine is full of photos, fun facts, and articles for animal-loving kids! Tiny posters, games, and more will keep your kids reading (and learning!). And the digital edition is awesome. For littler guys? National Geographic Little Kids.
Muse: Tons of articles on science, nature, math, physics, space, and earth science, Muse magazine will keep curious kids engaged and interested and STEM-focused all month long.
Zoobooks: Each issue of the Zoobooks magazine focuses on one animal, bird, reptile, or insect. And each issue contains tons of info on that guy–articles, games, photos, and more. Though Zoobooks is geared toward children ages 6-12 years, it’s younger sibling, Zootles, is for preschoolers.
Faces: Children age 9 and older will learn about the world around them with Faces. Each month, a different culture is highlighted, and readers get a chance to learn firsthand about a group’s customs, habits, tales, history, and traditions. Faces is a great way to make this big world seem a little bit smaller.
BYOU: For ages 10 and older, BYOU (Be Your Own You) magazine is all about raising young girls’ self esteem; the content focuses on positive role models for girls, quizzes, puzzles, games, crafts, articles, and more. There’s a full digital edition and even online events that subscribers are invited to attend. Sounds cool!
Discovery Girls: Created for girls, by girls, Discovery Girls offers articles, advice, inspiration, and a feature called ‘Embarrassing Moments’ which young girls really seem to like. It does seem to hit on a slightly older audience, maybe 10-13 years.
Sports Illustrated for Kids: Tweens and young teens will love this sports-focused magazine because it is humorous and informative, and it offers a ‘behind-the-scenes’ look at some of the most popular current sports figures. Each issue includes cool little sports cards that can be pulled apart, saved, or traded. Owen loves this magazine, especially for the cool online extensions.
Yum Food & Fun for Kids Magazine: This is definitely on the holiday-gift list for Maddy, Owen, and Cora. They love cooking, they love being in the kitchen, and they love trying new recipes, so I think this magazine which is
Ask: This magazine for ages 7-10 focuses on arts and science and covers a wide variety of topics that kids naturally have questions about, like the human body, science, space, and more. Another one on my holiday gift list for my crew this year.
Teen Graffiti: I’m intrigued by this magazine and think it really could be a great way to get kids writing creatively; it’s a magazine created by teens for teens, so though I’d definitely check it out before ordering a subscription, it sure seems cool for slightly older readers.
Upfront: The New York Times Upfront Magazine sounds a lot like something I would have loved reading as a tween or teen. If my English teacher or history teacher introduced this to our class, we would have eaten it up. National and international news is covered, along with a regular feature on ethics–a topic every child should think about with regularity.
Looking for something more content-specific? Consider something like Scholastic Math or Scholastic Art, Action (which is high interest content for lower-level readers) or Choices which offers high interest, discussion topics for teens. these magazines or Scholastic’s Instructor are super additions to any child’s learning or classroom.
Totally worth talking to your child’s teacher about!
There really are a ton of great magazines out there today–but don’t forget to revisit some old faves if these new ones don’t do it for you.
Highlights High Five: Very similar in layout to its older sibling, Highlights for Children, Highlights High Five is simply geared toward a preschool audience. It’s a great way to get little guys ready for reading, looking forward to the mail, and feeling like they have something ‘just their size’ to read each month!
Highlights for Children: Children ages 6-11 will love this magazine which includes articles, puzzles, stories, and poems to keep kids challenged and thinking creatively.
We are huge, huge fans of Highlights and have even shared our Magazine Hunt Cards and Hidden Picture lunchbox notes.
What are your favorite magazines for kids and family? What should we add to this list? I’d love to know! Leave your ideas in the comments section below.
fyi: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Forever and always I recommend only products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” For more information, please see teachmama media, llc. disclosure policy.
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