Magazines for children are a luxury, a fun read. Some have activities and some are more educational than others. These are six children's magazines that we read and love. We have subscriptions to a couple (Dot and Anorak) and the others we get when they are available. From a Montessori perspective, the first three of these magazines have some abstract concepts so you might want to read them first before introducing them to your child.
Dot - Ages 5 and under. "DOT encompasses all aspects of a child’s life, from jumping in puddles to learning through play. It encourages kids to be resourceful and find solutions using all the tools they naturally have at their disposition: imagination, creativity, and fun." Produced by the same publishers as Anorak. Suitable for early readers.
Anorak - Ages 6+. "Published four times a year, every issue has a theme (inspired by the British National Curriculum) to inspire and encourage kids to tap into their natural creativity and learn while having fun. Every edition has plenty of beautifully illustrated stories, games, and activities to keep your little ones' creative cells buzzing."
Okido - Ages 5+. "Okido is the arts and science magazine for children. It's designed to engage young children in scientific discovery in the most fun and creative way. Okido magazine helps children learn through play. It is full of stories, activities, and games that stimulate creativity and inspire scientific interest."
Double Helix - Ages 7+. "Double Helix magazine is designed to foster an interest in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). We aim to make it an easy, fun read for people, whether they are already interested in science or not. Double Helix magazine also promotes critical thinking and literacy in school-aged children and teens." From the CSIRO Australia.
National Geographic Kids - Ages 5+. "National Geographic Kids is an exciting monthly read that makes learning fun. From wildlife to space, geography to the environment, it has all the incredible stories and dazzling images you'd expect from National Geographic, packed into bite-sized chunks." I've enjoyed many of the National Geographic magazines with my children but I would always read them first to ensure the content was suitable. The US also have National Geographic Little Kids which we read many years ago.
Wildlife Australia - Not written specifically for children, however, I recommend for ages 5+. "The Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland has for 50 years published Wildlife Australia, a national magazine, to increase ecological understanding and environmental awareness." This is suitable for much younger children if they just want to look at the pictures, there are often lots of interesting and up close images. Australian Wildlife look amazing too!
Sometimes it's nice to see the magazines in person. Where The Wild Things Are in West End (Brisbane) often has both Dot and Anorak. Our local newsagents stock National Geographic Kids and Wildlife Australia. I know there are many more magazines aimed at young children. We tend to avoid magazines with advertising or where the themes are too adult or commercialised. Sometimes they are really useful (as are new books) to take when travelling or while waiting for an appointment. Please let me know if you read any of these or if there are others you would recommend!