Guest Author - Megan Rippel

Magazines are a great way to get kids interested in reading! They are a fun to receive in the mail and enjoyable to read.

When I was younger, I would often run to the mailbox when I heard the mailman go by. It would always give me such a thrill when there was a magazine waiting for me in the mailbox! I would then find a comfy spot in the house and read my new magazine.

Here are some suggestions for magazines that children enjoy:

• Ranger Rick (for ages 7 and up). Learn about animals by reading fascinating articles! There are many colorful pictures to look at, too.

• Hopscotch : the Magazine for Girls (This would be enjoyed by 7-12 year olds). This was one of my favorites as a kid! Each issue has a theme such as “The Ocean”, “Horses”, and “Tea Parties”. It is a wholesome magazine with themed articles, short fiction stories, crafts, recipes, and a pen pal club. I have met so many sweet girls through the pen pal club, which made lasting friendships. It was years ago that we started writing back and forth, and we still write to this day!

Back issues may be purchased of this magazine. We ordered back issues when I started getting the magazine, and I can still remember the day they arrived in a package at our door. I spent hours reading them the day they came!

• Boys Quest (This would appeal to ages 7-12). This is the boy’s magazine put out by the same company as Hopscotch for Girls. My brother got this one and his favorite part was the science experiments! They also have outdoor skills (like knot tying), themed articles, short fiction stories, and a pen pal club.

• God’s World News – Top Story (Grades 6-9). This weekly publication keeps you updated on world news and events with a Christian perspective. The articles are clear and easy to understand. A unique feature is the map activity they have in each issue. After you read about an event that is going on in another country, they give you coordinates to find that country on the blank map they provide. You then color it in. I always enjoyed doing this and it really helps with geography skills as well!

• Faces (for ages 9-14). Get to know people from other cultures! This magazine has personal stories from children of the featured country, food articles and recipes of favorite foods from the region, crafts from the country, timeline of important historic events, and maps.

If you have older children, look for a magazine that matches your child’s interests or hobbies. My brother enjoys subscriptions to magazines having to do with his hobbies - astronomy and robots - and devours each issue that comes. Your child may enjoy a subscription to a magazine on horses, cooking, woodworking, or photography. Giving a gift subscription to a magazine is a great way to encourage reading!