“Mom, can I run through the sprinkler?”

“Dad, can Jimmy and I play catch in the vacant lot?”

“Mom, can we go to the pool?”

Summer is a time for fun in the sun. With all the outdoor activities that beckon our children, sometimes reading falls by the wayside. Some kids just don’t want to plant their noses in books when they can be firmly planted in the grass watching ants and other insects scurrying around. But reading is an important summertime activity. It helps our children keep their skills current, gives them an opportunity to “travel” to other places and times, and allows their bodies a chance to recharge.

Magazines are a great way to lure our children into a reading mode. Because they can pick one up and read a tidbit here and a smidgen there, they are more likely to become engaged. The trick is to find publications that are appropriate in age level, and ones that meet the specific interests of each of our children. Even younger children can benefit from a magazine subscription. Here are some great magazines to consider: 

  • Babybug (6 months-2). Published by the Cricket Magazine Group, each issue is designed to be read aloud. The magazine mimics a “board book” in structure and content. Each issue is like getting a new book filled with short poems and stories.
  • Sesame Street Magazine (2-5) Join Big Bird, Bert, Ernie, Elmo and the whole gang on the pages of this great magazine for the younger set. Published by the Children’s Television Workshop, each issue features stories, games, puzzles and other fun that will keep your little ones occupied for hours.
  • Ladybug (2-6) Published by the Cricket Magazine Group, this magazine “opens the door to reading for toddlers, preschoolers, and beginning readers.” Each 40-page issue contains read-aloud stories, activities that build memory and motor skills, illustrated songs, and poems. It also includes a four-page activity insert with things to cut out and make. Parent pages guide mom and dad and help them use the magazine to its fullest potential.
  • Your Big Backyard (3-6) Published by the National Wildlife Federation, each issue brings the world of animals into your home. See baby opossums, bats, or owls. Each month brings fun for your little ones.
  • Click (3-7) Published by the Cricket Magazine Group in conjunction with Smithsonian Magazine; "Click" introduces young children to the arts, sciences, history, nature, and the environment. Every issue comes with a removable Parent’s Companion that includes suggestions for activities and further reading to guide young explorers. This magazine answers the hows and whys of the world around you.
  • Ranger Rick (6-10) Published by the National Wildlife Federation, this magazine helps kids understand the environment in which we all live. They can read about how to clean up their neighborhood park or natural area. The magazine also features jokes, puzzles, and other fun.
  • Spider (6-9) Published by the Cricket Magazine Group, this publication tries to draw new readers into the world of reading through 40 pages filled with stories and activities, articles on nature and science, humor, multi-cultural folk takes, jokes, riddles, puzzles and word games.
  • Highlights for Children (7- 12) features fun for everyone in your family. From its traditional seek and find cover, to the fiction and non-fiction within its pages, this publication features picture oriented material for young and middle readers. Inside find adventure, history, fantasy, folk tales, puzzles, jokes and more.
  • American Girl (8-11) Published by the Pleasant Company, this magazine features fiction and non-fiction stories and articles about girls in history as well as those living in the present day. Each issue offers games, puzzles and crafts and comes with a paper doll. This is a great reading accompaniment to the American Girl history novels series.
  • Muse (8-14) Published by the Cricket Magazine Group and Smithsonian Magazine, the publication takes kids through the halls of the Smithsonian Institution bringing the collections and research to life. The magazine features articles on the physical, biological and social sciences, technology, history and the arts--all written to entice and intrigue children. The magazine also includes photos, illustrations, cartoons, experiments, letters, jokes, and resource lists in every issue.
  • Cobblestone: Discover American History (8-14) Published by Cobblestone Publishing, each issue brings history to life through stories, feature articles, recipes, and other activities.
  • Faces (8-14) Published by Cobblestone Publishing, this magazine brings the people and cultures of the world to life through articles, stories, folk tales, plays, arts and crafts, biographies, recipes, games and puzzles and other activities.
  • National Geographic World (8-14) Published by National Geographic, this publication brings the world to your children. Each issue features puzzles, games, stories, and articles about the animal and human inhabitants of the Earth.
  • Sports Illustrated for Kids (8-18) If your child is into sports, then this is the magazine for you. A younger version of Sports Illustrated, kids can read about their favorite athletes and sports though articles, photos and other features.
  • Girls' Life (9-14) Published by Monarch, this magazine is pure non-fiction featuring interviews and profiles, and articles on nature and the environment, new products, party ideas, skin care, social issues, sports, travel, health and hobbies.
  • Cricket (9-14) Published by the Cricket Magazine Group, this magazine gives readers 64 full-color pages of fantasy, fiction, nonsense, folk tales, fairy tales, scary tales, adventures, humor, biographies, silly poems, serious poems, science, history, and sports articles. Each issue includes crafts, science experiments, recipes, crossword puzzles, math and logic puzzles, and games and activities from around the world.
  • Cicada (14 and up) Published by the Cricket Magazine Group, this publication is one of the few literary magazines that targets teenagers. Each issue contains 128 pages of fiction and poetry by outstanding authors as well as work by readers.

Unfortunately, there is not room in this article to include every great kid’s magazine out there. Keep your eyes open for other good ones that might interest your children, and check out the periodical section of your favorite public library.