After books, children’s magazines are often the first “reading” for children, even if they can’t read yet. If you want to know which children’s magazines are current now and which magazines are recommended for kids, you can get all the info here.
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Why Should Kids Read Magazines?
Children’s magazines are particularly appealing to young readers because of their entertaining design. Colorful pictures, articles with exciting topics, puzzles and hands-on activities alternate in a good magazine for kids.
In addition, there is often a poster in the inside section and, in some formats, a magazine extra. Unlike books, which are not always extensively illustrated, children’s magazines have a more colorful layout. Depending on the thematic focus, the educational effect of children’s magazines should not be underestimated.
The playful communication of information works even with children who cannot yet read. This is where parents are called upon to read aloud and explain. Coloring pictures, counting tasks, search puzzles – all of these things inspire readers as young as kindergarten age.
If the magazines appear at regular intervals, there is always something to look forward to. But from what age are children’s magazines useful?
Also interesting:At What Age Do Children’s Magazines Make Sense?
Even if it sounds strange – even non-readers can enjoy children’s magazines. On the one hand, this is due to the new format for children who previously only knew books. On the other hand, it’s also the challenges, such as puzzles and quizzes, that make children’s magazines appealing.
Although mom or dad still have to help out as readers for the stories and articles, this usually doesn’t detract from the children’s enjoyment. If the children’s magazines are also devoted to the little ones’ favorite topics, they will be happy to look at them again and again.
In general, no kindergarten child needs to read magazines from the age of three. But if you have the feeling that your child is very interested in something and asks a lot of questions about it, children’s magazines can be a good introduction to a topic.
It is important that you pay attention to the age recommendation when buying the magazines. The respective contents are adapted to the level of knowledge and the development of certain age groups. For example, some children’s magazines are too complex for younger readers. If your child falls for certain magazines while shopping, you should accompany the selection carefully.
Ab dem Schulalter sind Kinderzeitschriften, wie alle anderen Lektüren auch, zu empfehlen, wenn sie das Lesen fördern. Lerninhalte werden hier spielerisch vermittelt und machen sogar Spaß.
Which Children’s Magazines Are Recommended?
With children’s magazines, as with many other products for children, it depends on personal preferences. If your child loves animals, you will find many different issues on the market.
The same applies to science, sports, handicrafts and much more. There are also many children’s magazines today that relate to TV shows and certain brands. The latter in particular often entice children with colorful magazine extras in the form of toys. However, experience shows that most of these gimmicks have a rather short lifespan.
To ensure that the magazine is also read at home, you should take your child’s interests into account in addition to the age recommendation.
Children’s Magazines For The Youngest
Magazines for children over the age of three are often very lovingly and pedagogically designed. Familiar figures usually guide children through the magazines, explain relationships and encourage them to participate.
At this age, you should accompany your child while reading or looking at the magazine until he or she is able to grasp the content on his or her own. We can recommend the following children’s magazines for kindergarten age.
Olli and Molli Kindergarten.
Olli und Molli Kindergarten is recommended for children over the age of three and is a good tip for all parents who value educational content. In the four thematic pillars of reading aloud, playing, crafting and encouraging, your child can discover the booklet together with you.
All topics are carefully illustrated and reflect the reality of your child’s life. Olli und Molli Kindergarten is published monthly and is also recommended by Stiftung Lesen.
Gecko
Gecko is also one of the children’s magazines that is recommended for children as young as three. It is designed almost like a book and focuses on stories and designs by well-known authors and illustrators.
Gecko is ideal for reading aloud, especially since there are no advertisements to distract from the short stories. But if you want, you can also use Gecko to do puzzles and crafts or find cooking recipes suitable for children. The children’s magazine is published every two months and is recommended by Stiftung Lesen.
Bummi
“Educationally valuable” is written on every issue of the monthly magazine for children over the age of three. Bummi has a colorful and simple design, with the yellow bear and his animal friends leading the way through the magazine.
In addition to short stories to read aloud or by themselves, children will also find a large section for puzzles, coloring, searching and crafts in the center of the magazine. A special section of Bummi is the “Children’s Circle,” a kind of guidebook for the youngest children.
Here, problems from children’s everyday lives are highlighted and solutions offered. With each issue comes a little extra.
Bussi Bear
Do you still know Bussi Bear? For decades, Bussi, together with his friend Bello, has been delighting young readers aged three and up. There are exciting stories to read or have read aloud and colorful craft ideas.
Kindergarten and preschool children can do their first math exercises, match letters and learn interesting facts about nature. Each monthly issue has a specific theme that runs through the magazine. A small toy is enclosed with the children’s magazine to match the theme.
Children’s Magazines For Preschoolers And School Children
If your child is already in school, the demands on entertainment media usually increase as well. This applies to children’s TV programs as well as to children’s magazines.
From the age of six at the latest, your offspring may want to choose children’s magazines that you can’t see any educational value in. Very popular now are magazines with action heroes or other characters that children are familiar with from TV.
In terms of content, however, such children’s magazines often offer only colorful adventures and little of quality. The printed comics are also less conducive to learning to read, but are fun for many kids.
You’ll find a good balance if you don’t limit yourself to one or the other when buying children’s magazines. We can recommend the following magazines for children aged five to six.
GEOmini
GEOmini is a hands-on magazine for children aged five and up that focuses on nature and animals, just like its big role model GEO. Together with Georg, the little grasshopper, children discover the world of GEOmini every month.
First-time readers will find simple, short stories in the magazine. Everyone else simply lets mom and dad explain the content to them. What’s especially nice is that the information is presented in an exciting and child-friendly way. Creative craft ideas, tricky puzzles and beautiful pictures to color in round off the magazine. True to the motto: colorful, clever, fun!
GEOlino
Like GEOmini, GEOlino is one of GEO’s children’s magazines, but is aimed at kids aged eight and up who can already read. If your child already liked GEOmini, GEOlino is the right follow-up magazine.
The topics are, of course, animals and plants, but scientific relationships are also explained in a way that is appropriate for children. If your child has a thirst for knowledge and loves animals, GEOlino is one of the recommended monthly children’s magazines.
Benni
Benni is one of the funny children’s magazines that are sure to delight your offspring. The format describes itself as a “hands-on magazine for young explorers.” Benni is aimed at children aged seven and up and covers a wide range of topics.
The magazine is therefore not only recommended by Stiftung Lesen, but also praised for its mix of topics. The content covers sports, animals, but also technology and many other areas that children would like to read more about.
Particularly noteworthy are the activity ideas in the booklet and the creative craft suggestions. Elementary school children can practice reading through play with the short stories. Benni is published monthly and is equally suitable for boys and girls.
ZEIT LEO
ZEIT LEO is the children’s magazine of the weekly newspaper of the same name and comes with an age recommendation of nine years. The magazine focuses on the lives of its readers and all the topics that are important to children.
Everyday phenomena, but also problems, scientific, funny, creative – all this finds a place in ZEIT LEO. In addition to the school aspect, the magazine also reports on the stars and role models of school children and provides media tips. Stiftung Lesen recommends ZEIT LEO as promoting reading and arousing curiosity.
More Tips On Children’s Magazines
Tip 1: E-book as a paperless alternative.
Your child is a real bookworm, but you don’t want to deal with paper waste? Then children’s magazines as e-books can be a good alternative. Many magazines and journals also offer their issues as electronic reading material.
A child-friendly e-reader and the right children’s magazine subscription are also an educationally valuable gift idea. Another advantage of magazines as e-books: Nothing crinkles or gets tattered, and your child can read the content over and over again.
Tip 2: Think carefully about subscriptions.
Subscription: You should only subscribe to a children’s magazine if your child is really enthusiastic about the format. If there is no longer any interest in the magazine after a few issues, it will be difficult to cancel.
Therefore, at the beginning of the reading phase, it is better to take out only a six-month subscription or to buy children’s magazines individually.
Tip 3: Get to grips with the content.
Many parents follow the motto: “The main thing is that my child reads! This is basically correct. But if you don’t get to grips with kids’ interests, you won’t be able to understand their world.
That’s why you should ask your child to explain the magazines he or she is reading. This is especially recommended if children’s magazines are already paid for out of pocket money. This way, you can not only have your say, but perhaps also have a little say in what reading material ends up in the shopping cart. This is also a great exercise for concentration.
Tip 4: Let them read to you.
In the beginning, you probably read aloud from the children’s magazines, but now your child is already browsing through the magazines all by himself. To strengthen not only reading skills, but also reading aloud, why not organize small lectures at home?
Many children still find it difficult to read (aloud) at elementary school age. In the protected environment of the family, it is possible to stutter or skip a line. It has also been scientifically proven that reading and reading aloud strengthen writing skills. Those who regularly practice reciting complete sentences are also better able to formulate them themselves.
