Do you ever wonder if subscribing to magazines for kids can encourage your children and students to read more? It’s highly likely! After all, reading magazines is still reading, and receiving mail is always exciting. Moreover, both fiction and nonfiction articles in magazines play a crucial role in developing young readers’ skills.
The good news is that there’s a wide variety of kids’ magazines available for different ages, interests, and stages of development. Whether your child is into nature, crafts, science, or something else, there’s a magazine that will be a perfect fit. Here are some recommendations to consider:
Best Magazines for Kids (That Encourage Reading)
Chirp: The See and Do, Laugh and Learn Magazine
Ages 3-6 | $5.25 per issue or $34.95 per year
Chirp is a special magazine designed to be sent directly to kids’ mailboxes, making it an exciting and engaging experience. Inside, you’ll find puzzles, snack ideas, stories, information about places and animals, and craft ideas. It’s a well-rounded magazine that provides developmentally appropriate content with an appealing layout. Chirp is an excellent choice for preschool boys and girls.
National Geographic Little Kids
Ages 3-6 | $20 per year
One of the most beloved magazines for young children, National Geographic Little Kids is designed to be enjoyed with an adult or independently. This sturdy print magazine features stunning photographs as well as information about conservation, geography, adventure, wildlife, and science. It also includes games, engaging stories, and punch-out wild animal cards.
Ladybug
Ages 3-6 | $29.95 per year
Snuggle up with your preschooler and enjoy the enchanting stories, poems, songs, and games in Ladybug magazine. It’s something both boys and girls can eagerly look forward to receiving in the mail!
ChickaDee
Ages 6-9 | $35 per year
ChickaDee, named after its animal characters Chick and Dee, is a vibrant national magazine packed with goodies for beginning readers. Readers will find comics, puzzles, animal information, crafts, jokes, drawing tutorials, fiction stories, experiments, an animal of the month feature, and contests. Take a sneak peek inside here.
High Five
Ages 2-6 | $29.99 per year
High Five, brought to you by Highlights, offers short stories, puzzles, crafts, recipes, and more to engage young children in reading and critical thinking. It’s specifically designed for younger kids who are not yet reading independently.
National Geographic Kids
Ages 6-12 | $20 per year
If your child is fascinated by animals and nature, they’ll love National Geographic Kids magazine. It’s filled with captivating facts, short articles accompanied by illustrations or photographs, and stunning visuals that are sure to grab their attention.
Zoobooks from Ranger Rick
Ages 7+ | $19.95 per year
For young animal enthusiasts, Zoobooks is the perfect magazine. It’s packed with information, stories, and games about various animals from around the world. With its full-color photographs, illustrations, diagrams, and informative articles, Zoobooks introduces children to the wonders of the animal kingdom.
Ranger Rick Jr.
Ages 3-7 | $15 per year
Ranger Rick Jr. is an ultimate nature magazine subscription, offering puzzles, games, animal tales, stories, and informational articles that help children read and learn more about the natural world.
Kazoo: A Magazine for Girls who Aren’t Afraid to Make Some Noise
Ages 5-10 | $40 per year
Kazoo is an empowering magazine that features stories about artists, explorers, scientists, athletes, writers, and more. Each month focuses on a different theme and provides DIY projects, comics, science content, coloring pages, puzzles, informative articles, a comic biography of a famous person, snack ideas, and a fictional story. It’s an excellent quality magazine without any ads, perfect for young girls.
Okido
Ages 3-7 | $130 per year
From the UK, Okido is a delightful art and science STEM magazine that offers multi-sensory activities, storytelling, coloring pages, and various other engaging activities. Please note that the pricing is more favorable for UK residents.
Sports Illustrated Kids
Ages 8-14 | $19.95 per year
Sports Illustrated Kids is a sports magazine specifically tailored for kids aged 8 to 14. It provides the latest sports updates, nutrition information, goal-setting tips, interviews, quizzes, stories, stats, comics, athlete bios, and much more. Each issue also includes a tear-out mini-poster and sports cards.
Highlights for Children
Ages 8-12 | $34.99 per year
Highlights for Children has been a popular magazine for boys and girls since 1946. With a different topic or focus each month, it offers a variety of stories, games, puzzles, riddles, science experiments, craft projects, and learning activities—all designed to be fun and educational. The magazine even features the popular cartoon “Goofus and Gallant,” which showcases correct and incorrect behaviors. Additionally, you’ll have the chance to enjoy jokes and view art created by other children.
OWL
Ages 9-13 | $5.25 per issue or $34.95 per year
OWL is a gender-neutral magazine that caters to tweens. It features news, interviews, puzzles, DIY projects, cartoons, stories, and more. Packed with bright illustrations and colorful photographs, OWL offers engaging content for curious minds.
Honest History
Ages 8-12 | $49.99 per year
Honest History is a full-color history magazine for kids that provides in-depth information about various historical topics, countries, or periods. Each issue revolves around a central theme. In addition to the informational articles, the magazine includes stories, maps, coloring pages, timelines, a reflection page, and a quiz. These magazines for kids are like books, making history come alive!
Remember, subscribing to a kids’ magazine can be a fantastic way to get your children excited about reading. So why not give them the joy of receiving their own mail and opening up a world of stories, knowledge, and creativity?