Best Educational Magazines for Kids: 15+ Fun Learning-Focused Options
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Educational magazines for kids are a great way to encourage reading while helping children learn about the world around them. A good kids’ magazine can make learning feel like entertainment, with colorful pictures, fascinating facts, interesting stories, puzzles, experiments, and hands-on activities.
There are magazines for kids that can capture their interests and keep them reading, regardless of their interests: reading, animals, science, history, current events. Many educational magazines are also excellent additions to a homeschool because they offer reading practice and introduce children to topics beyond their regular curriculum. Personally, I like to give magazine subscriptions as gifts. Kids love getting something special in the mail!
I’ve rounded up some of the best educational magazines for kids, including options for different ages and interests. You’ll also find recommendations for the best magazine subscriptions for kids, so you can choose a magazine that your child will actually look forward to reading.
Best Educational Magazines for Kids
Best Magazines for Preschoolers
Preschoolers are naturally curious, and a good magazine can turn that curiosity into opportunities for learning. The best magazines for kids in this age group combine short stories and engaging pictures with puzzles, crafts, games, and activities that are appropriate for young children.
These preschool magazines are also a great addition to a homeschool preschool routine. You can read them together, choose an activity to do during the week, or let your child explore the pages and discover topics that interest them.
| Preschool Magazines for Kids | Best for Preschoolers Who |
| National Geographic Little Kids | Love animals and nature |
| Highlights: High Five | Enjoy stories, crafts, and puzzles |
| Ladybug | Love read-alouds |
| Chirp | Learn through play |
National Geographic Little Kids
Best for: Preschoolers who love animals and nature
Ages: 3 – 5
Subject: Animals, science, nature, and early learning
National Geographic Little Kids is designed specifically for young children ages 3–5. Each issue combines animal photography with simple stories, fun facts, and hands-on activities that expose preschoolers to science and the world around them. The content is created with early learners in mind, making it a good choice for children who are beginning to develop an interest in nonfiction and informational reading.
My son had a subscription when he was younger, and I liked to keep the issues in a basket near the couch. That made it easy for him to pick up a magazine and read for a while.
What kids will find inside:
- Animal stories
- Interesting facts
- Science and nature information
- Puzzles and games
- Hands-on activity suggestions
Subscription: Currently $39 for 6 issues (delivered every other month)
High Five
Best for: Preschoolers who enjoy stories, crafts, and puzzles
Ages: 2 – 6
Subject: Reading, math, and problem-solving
Highlights: High Five is a fun, activity-filled magazine designed for young children. Every issue combines stories, puzzles, crafts, and games to help children practice early literacy, math, and problem-solving skills.
What kids will find inside:
- Stories
- Puzzles
- Activities
Subscription: Currently $47.50 for 12 issues (delivered monthly)
Ladybug
Best for: Preschoolers who love read alouds
Ages: 3 – 6
Subject: Stories, poems, and early literacy
Ladybug Magazine is written for young children and focuses on creating a love of reading through engaging stories, poems, illustrations, and age-appropriate nonfiction. Every issue also includes information about topics such as animals, nature, and space, giving curious preschoolers information to explore.
What kids will find inside:
- Stories
- Poems
- Non-fiction
Subscription: Currently $35.99 for 6 issues (delivered every other month)
Chirp
Best for: Preschoolers who learn through play
Ages: 3 – 6
Subject: Early literacy, stories, crafts, and puzzles
Chirp Magazine is written specifically for preschool age children. It combines stories, puzzles, and crafts. The colorful pages and activities encourage young children to explore, create, and develop early reading while having fun.
What kids will find:
- Chirp comic adventure
- Stories
- Crafts
- Kid-friendly recipes
- Puzzles
- Science
Subscription: Currently $35.95 for 8 issues a year
Best Magazines for Elementary Age Kids
As children become independent readers, magazines can give them a fun way to practice reading while exploring topics that interest them. The best magazines for kids who are elementary-aged offer a mix of fiction and nonfiction articles or stories, interesting facts, puzzles, experiments, and creative activities. You will know it is a great magazine for them when they eagerly await the next issue.
Educational magazines for kids can be a useful supplement to your regular homeschool curriculum. They can introduce children to science, history, nature, current events, and other topics in an approachable screen-free format.
| Elementary Magazines for Kids | Best for Kids Who |
| National Geographic for Kids | Love animals, science, and nature |
| Highlights | Enjoy a mix of stories, puzzles, experiments, and crafts |
| BrainPLAY | Love puzzles, games, and challenges |
| SPIDER | Love stories |
| Chickadee | Like to learn by reading, solving, creating, and experimenting |
| Ranger Rick Zoobooks | Are obsessed with animals |
| Time for Kids | Enjoy current events |
| Oyla Junior | Love science experiments |
| STEM to Bloom | Love space |
| Honest History | Love history |
National Geographic Kids
Best for: Kids who love animals, science, and nature
Ages: 6 – 8
Subject: Science, animals, nature, geography, history, and exploration
National Geographic Kids is a magazine that makes nonfiction reading fun. Each issue is full of engaging animal stories, surprising facts, beautiful photographs, and articles that encourage kids to explore the world around them.
This magazine is especially appealing to young readers who are naturally curious and love asking questions: a child who wants to know the world’s weirdest animals, discover how something works, or learn about places and people around the world. The combination of short articles, photographs, facts, and activities gives children plenty to check out.
What kids will find inside:
- Interesting animal stories and facts
- Science and nature articles
- Geography and world exploration
- History and biographies
- Weird-but-true facts
- Puzzles and games
- Hands-on activity suggestions
Subscription: Currently $39, with 10 issues.
Highlights
Best for: Elementary-aged kids who enjoy a mix of stories, puzzles, experiments, and crafts
Ages: 6 – 12
Subject: Reading, creativity, problem-solving, and general learning
Highlights is a good choice for children who enjoy a little bit of everything. Each monthly issue includes stories, puzzles, riddles, experiments, crafts, jokes, and activities designed to encourage kids to explore new topics and ask questions. Even reluctant readers might enjoy Highlights.
What kids will find inside:
- Stories
- Games
- Puzzles
- Riddles
- Science experiments
- Craft projects
- Activity suggestions
Subscription: Currently $47.50 for 12 issues (delivered monthly)
BrainPLAY
Best for: Kids who love puzzles, games, and challenges
Ages: 7+
Subject: Logic, problem-solving, and critical thinking
Highlights: brainPLAY is a magazine written for kids ages 7 and up who love solving puzzles. Each issue gives kids a variety of puzzles, brainteasers, riddles, logic challenges, and other challenges designed to get them thinking.
What kids will find inside:
- Photo puzzles
- Logic games
- Silly riddles
Subscription: Currently $23.75 for 6 issues (delivered every other month)
Spider
Best for: Independent readers who love stories
Ages: 6 – 9
Subject: Reading and science
SPIDER Magazine is written for children who are beginning to get excited about reading on their own. Each issue combines engaging stories, folk tales, poems, and nonfiction giving new independent readers a variety of genres to explore. The magazine also includes engaging STEM challenges.
What kids will find inside:
- Stories
- Poems
- Non-fiction
- STEM challenges
Subscription: Currently $35.99 for 6 issues (delivered every other month)
Chickadee
Best for: elementary-aged kids who enjoy exploring a variety of topics and like to learn by reading, solving, creating, and experimenting
Ages: 6 – 9
Subject: Science, animals, nature, reading, crafts, and puzzles
Chickadee Magazine is a fun magazine written for children ages 6–9. Each issue combines stories, animal features, puzzles, crafts, and science experiments. The variety makes it a great choice for kids who enjoy learning about the world.
What kids will find:
- Adventures with Chick and Dee
- Animal of the month
- Puzzles
- Fun facts
- Crafts
- Science experiments
Subscription: Currently $35.95 for 8 issues
Ranger Rick Zoobooks
Best for: Kids who are obsessed with animals
Ages: 7+
Subject: Animals
Ranger Rick is a favorite for kids who can’t get enough of animals and nature. Published by the National Wildlife Federation, the magazine combines amazing wildlife photography with animal stories, fascinating facts, nature discoveries, puzzles, and games. Each issue focuses on one animal.
What kids will find inside:
- Animal stories
- Facts
- Science and conservation
Subscription: Currently $15 for 9 issues
Time for Kids
Best for: Kids who enjoy learning about current events
Ages: Kindergarten – 6th Grade
Subject: Current events and news
TIME for Kids gives readers an opportunity to learn about what’s happening in the world through news stories written specifically for children. Articles cover topics such as science, animals, history, government, the environment, sports, culture, and current events, with content organized by grade level.
TIME for Kids can be a particularly useful way to incorporate current events into the school day. You can read and discuss an article together or use an article as a jumping-off point for a history, science, or geography lesson. The grade-specific editions also make it easier to find content that matches your child’s reading level.
What kids will find inside:
- Current events and news stories
- Articles designed for different grade levels
- Discussion and critical-thinking questions
Subscription: Currently a Time for Kids subscription is $34.95 per year. The number of issues varies by grade level. Kindergarten through second grade subscriptions include 7 monthly bundles with 4 issues per bundle for a total of 28 weekly issues. Third grade through 6th grade subscriptions include 20 issues.
Oyla Junior
Best for: Kids who love science experiments
Ages: 8 – 11
Subject: Science
OYLA Junior is a science magazine created for kids ages 8–11. Each issue includes scientific explanations, experiments, and puzzles to introduce children to STEM topics. The magazine covers topics such as space, nature, inventions, the human body, and physics.
What kids will find inside:
- Space and nature stories
- Games and brain teasers
- Easy experiments
Subscription: Currently $96 for 12 issues (delivered monthly)
STEM to Bloom
Best for: Elementary kids who love space
Ages: 6 – 12
Subject: Astromony and science
STEM to Bloom is a magazine written for kids who love space and science. Each issue combines STEM lessons with fiction stories, real-world space and science missions, hands-on activities, and fascinating topics.
What kids will find inside:
- 2 Fiction stories about space or STEM
- Facts about a space mission or STEM challenge
- Hands-on activity
- Museum of the Month
- Interactive pages
Subscription: Currently $25 for 5 issues
Honest History
Best for: Kids who love history
Ages: 6 – 12
Subject: History
Honest History is a history magazine for elementary kids. Each issue takes readers on an adventure into the past, exploring important people, places, events, and cultures from around the world. This magazine combines historical information with activities and stories that make history feel like an adventure.
What kids will find inside:
- Historical stories from around the world
- Information about important people and events
Subscription: Currently $49.99 for 4 issues (delivered every 3 months)
Best Magazines for Older Kids and Tweens
As kids get older, their interests begin to change. Older elementary students and tweens are often ready for magazines with longer articles, challenging puzzles, complex science and history topics, and stories that encourage them to think. Magazines can be a great way to keep older kids reading while allowing them to explore subjects that interest them.
| Tween Magazines for Kids | Best for Kids Who |
| Cricket | Love reading a variety of genres |
| Owl | Love science and technology |
| The Week Junior | Enjoy current events |
| Oyla | Love science |
Cricket
Best for: Strong readers who love reading a variety of genres
Ages: 9 – 14
Subject: Reading genres
CRICKET Magazine is a great choice for older elementary students and tweens who have an interest in reading. Every issue combines fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art, with topics such as science, history, culture, and the arts.
What kids will find inside:
- Fiction
- Non-fiction
- Poetry
- History
- Arts
Subscription: Currently $35.99 for 6 issues (delivered every other month)
Owl
Best for: Tweens and older kids who love science and technology
Ages: 9 – 13
Subject: Science, technology, engineering, and math
OWL Magazine is written specifically for preteens and offers a mix of learning and hands-on activities. Each issue explores topics in science, technology, engineering, art, and math through articles, interviews, infographics, puzzles, quizzes, and comics.
What kids will find inside:
- Science and tech news
- Interviews
- Hands-on building and activities
- Puzzles and Quizzes
- Comics
Subscription: Currently $35.95 for 8 issues
The Week Junior
Best for: Olders and preteens who enjoy current events
Ages: 8 – 14
Subject: Current events and news on a variety of topics: science, nature, history, culture, and sports
The Week Junior is a weekly magazine that helps older kids understand what’s happening in the world. The magazine uses age-appropriate reporting to give children the information they need to form their own opinions and develop a better understanding of the world around them.
What kids will find inside:
- This week’s big news
- National news
- Around the world
- The big debate
- People
- Animals and the environment
- Science and technology
- Photos of the week
- Sports
- Arts and entertainment
- Book club
- How to
- Puzzles
- Unbelievable facts
- Quiz
Subscription: Currently $49 for 25 weekly issues
Oyla
Best for: Teens and older kids who love science
Ages: 12+
Subject: Science
OYLA Magazine is a science magazine designed for curious teens. Each monthly issue explores questions about science, technology, nature, space, the human body, and the world around us. OYLA encourages readers to ask questions, think critically, and dig deeper into how and why things work.
What kids will find inside:
- Space and nature stories
- Games and brain teasers
- Easy experiments
Subscription: Currently $96 for 12 issues (delivered monthly)
These are excellent magazines for homeschoolers, but I think most kids will enjoy them, regardless of where they are educated. The best educational magazines for kids make learning interesting. There is a magazine that can encourage them to read, ask questions, and explore new interests. I hope this post helps you find the best magazines for kids in your life.
Keep reading . . .
- Best Gifts for Kids Who Love to Read: 15+ Bookish Gift Ideas
- Best Homeschool Supplies on Amazon
- Banned Books for Kids
- How to Start a Book Club for Kids
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