Children’s books will continue to be very popular for kids who enjoy reading, but children’s magazines and kid magazine subscriptions that arrive in the mail are a great way to spark a child’s interest in reading, with magazines being one of the things kids often put on their gift wish-list as a Birthday present or as the holidays approach.
Kids magazines are not only cheap, with many kid magazines offering free trials, but they offer a wide range of interesting stories, picture illustrations, games, puzzles, crafts and art projects for children and teens that help promote reading and widen a child’s interests and imagination. Magazines for kids, tweens and teens, also provides many opportunities to improve a child’s grades and academics in school, with many of the most popular kid magazines being educational as well as a fun and enjoyable past-time.
TOP 40 Magazines for Children and Teens:
 1. Ranger Rick Ages 7 and Up: Published Monthly. Parent’s Choice Gold Award winner! |  2. Time for Kids All Ages: National Bestseller and Award Winner! Science related topics; planets, animals, insects and more. |
 3. Highlights Ages 2-8: Published Monthly. Award Winning Magazine the whole family can enjoy. |  4. Your Big Backyard Ages 3-7: Published Monthly. Filled with fun activities, simple stories and crafts, easy recipes and fun games for kids. |
 5. Kids Discover Ages 6-12: Published Monthly. Science and Social Studies. |  6. Wild Animal Baby Ages 1-4 yrs: 10 Magazines per year. Animal photos & short picture stories and fun activities. |
 7. Muse Ages 7 & Up: 9 issues per year. Space, genetics, physics, math, visual arts, earth sciences. |  8. Ladybug Ages 3-6: 9 Issues per year. Charming characters, activities, songs, poems and stories for kids to enjoy. |
 9. Click Ages 3-6: 9 Issues per year. Science, nature and environment articles. |  10. Zoobooks Ages 5-12: Published Monthly. Kids enjoy these photos of animals and interactive activity pages. |
 11. Ask Ages 6-9: 9 Issues per year. Fun activities and articles, photos, games and puzzles. |  12. Babybug Birth – 3 Yrs: 9 Issues per year. Colorful pictures, simple rhymes and stories that babies and parents enjoy together. |
 13. Spider Ages 6-9: 9 Issues per year. Great stories, poems, articles, and illustrations from around the world. |  14. National Geographic Little Kids Ages 6-14: Published Bi-Monthly. Fun magazine with photos, stories and games for kids. |
 15. Calliope Ages 9-14: 9 Issues per year. World History magazine. Napoleon, Tang Dynasty, Galileo and more. |  16. Dig Ages 9-14: 9 Issues per year. Science and archaeology, mummies, pyramids and more. |
 17. Cricket Ages 9-14: 9 Issues per year. Filled with stories, poems, puzzles, recipes, science and nature. |  18. Chirp Ages 3-6: 10 Issues per year. Read-out-loud stories, illustrations, interactive puzzles, games and crafts. |
 19. ChickaDEE Ages 6-9: 10 Issues per year. Interactive games, science experiments, photos, illustrations and stories to educate and entertain. |  20. Appleseeds Ages 6-9: 9 Issues per year. Award-winning magazine filled with non-fiction reading and social studies topics for kids. |
 21. KNOW: the Science Magazine for Curious Kids Ages 6-9: Published Bi-Monthly. Introduces science, technology, engineering, and math in a fun way. |  22. Kid Zone Ages 4-12: Published Bi-Monthly. Craft activities, kid-friendly games, puzzles, trivia, recipes, jokes, and stories. |
 23. Faces Ages 9-14: 9 Issues per year. Social Studies, stories of history and traditions of people and places. |  24. Cicada Ages 12- UP: Published Bi-Monthly. Fiction and poetry; issues of growing up and becoming an adult. |
 25. Children’s Digest Ages 9-12: Published Bi-Monthly. Health, fitness & environment, puzzles and cartoons. |  26. FamilyFun All Ages: 10 Issues per year. *Editor’s Pick! Crafts, fun activities, recipes, party ideas, travel tips, and more! |
 27. Discovery Girls Ages 8 & UP: Published Bi-Monthly. Middle school challenges, inspiring stories of exceptional teens, sports, contests, quizzes and more. |  28. Owl Ages 9-13: 10 Issues per year. Science, how things work, quizzes, contests and puzzles. |
 29. Nickelodeon Ages 6-14: Published Bi-Monthly. Fun magazine with contests, puzzles, Q&A articles and more. |  30. Sports Illustrated Kids Ages 8 & UP: Published Monthly. Sports topics and interviews with sports heroes kids will enjoy and funny comics. |
 31. Cobblestone Ages 9-14: 9 Issues per year. Award Winning American history magazine. |  32. Kiki Ages 9-14: 4 Issues per year. Award winning fashion magazine for girls to develop self-confidence and creativity. |
 33. Odyssey Ages 9-14: 9 Issues per year. Award winning Science magazine allows kids to explore everything about science. |  34. Highlights High Five Ages 2-6: Published Monthly. Read-aloud stories, puzzles and activities for young children. |
 35. Disney and Me Ages 2-6: Published Bi-Monthly. Join Pooh and his friends with exciting stories, drawings, matching, counting and coloring fun projects. |  36. Humpty Dumpty’s Ages 4-8: Published Bi-Monthly. Stimulating young imaginations with fiction, poems, puzzles and crafts. |
 37. Boys Life Ages 7-18: Published Monthly. Award winning magazine for all boys. Fiction, history, outdoors, non-fiction, science, sports and more. |  38. PACK O FUN All Ages: Published Bi-Monthly. Craft magazine for children, featuring simple crafts, seasonal decorations, skits, and fun ideas. |
 39. Imagine Ages 12-18: Published Bi-Monthly. Winner of four Parents Choice Gold Awards. Written for gifted teens. |  40. American Girl Ages 8 & UP: Published Bi-Monthly. Great alternative to “teen” magazines with advice, crafts, contests, puzzles, games and giggles. |
Thanks for the great post.
I’ve actually been thinking about getting a magazine subscription for my 6 year old son and with the list you provided I now have a better idea as to what is out there for children’s magazines.
Now to narrow done the large selection.
Hi Wendy, I’m actually getting ready to choose one or two for my step-granddaughter as a “just because” gift. I’m anxious to see her reaction when she starts getting her own mail.
Thank you for the great list of the children’s magazines!!!
Your list helped me to choose one.
I think that every mother can now choose the most appropriate magazine for her child.
Hi Alentina, I’m glad this list of children’s magazines was helpful to you. Kid magazines are a wonderful, fun and educational gift idea for children and teens at any time of year, or as birthday gift or Christmas gift.
hi Lin,
This is a great list of magazines for kids. I’m just glad Robert Stanek doesn’t publish a kid’s magazine!
I remember getting Ranger Rick as a kid. My kids get Highlights and absolutely LOVE it. Their “G-Ma” got them the subscription. My youngest seems to ask me everytime I bring in the mail, “Did we get a Highlights today?” I then tell him, “No, it only comes once a month.”
It’s great when kids are so into magazines and reading.
~ Steve (aka “display booths“)
Steve, I wholeheartedly agree about your comment about Robert Stanek. Even if he did write kid magazines, there’s no way I would include anything from Stanek ever again.
We receive the Highlights magazine at my office, as well as Ranger Rick, and the kids love these magazines! Sometimes they even…ahem…disappear from the reception room…somehow… I don’t mind at all.
hi Lin,
I really like Highlights magazine. It’s got stuff for different ages and also boys and girls, so both my kids like looking at it. I highly recommend it. My daughter sent in a poem a few months ago. She got a letter saying they received it and thanking her, and letting her know they get a lot of submissions. Well, we’ve got our fingers crossed…
~ Steve (aka “display booths”)
Awww that would be so cool if your daughter’s poem is used in the highlights magazine. That would be a magazine to keep and treasure forever, maybe even frame it. Keeping my fingers crossed for her too.
When I was a kid, my mum and dad used to buy me a lot of children magazines with puzzles, funny stories, interesting pictures and comics. I am of course out of this now but if I have children, I’ll no doubts will buy magazines for them too (and restrict the Internet usage
).