Reasons to Buy Children’s Magazines
The average child of today doesn’t read half as much as children did fifty years ago. The plethora of toys available for kids as well as the all pervasive influence of television, video games and computer access seems to have made reading for pleasure obsolete.
This failure of our children to read has reached epidemic proportions, and the measures in place to encourage reading are proving insufficient. As parents, it is our responsibility to instill a love for reading in our children. There is of course one obstacle. When was the time we had a moment to sit down and actually read a book? It is difficult to lead without setting an example; children are notoriously quick to see through the ‘do as I say, not as I do’ routine!
Many of us do read, however. The greatly abbreviated yet highly gratifying world of magazines is something we can spend ten minutes on, leave and return to an hour later without having to recap a complex story line or get back into the zone. We peruse the headlines lazily in the checkout line or while away the minutes spent in waiting rooms.
Has your child has ever tugged at your arm wanting to see a brightly colored picture on the cover of your favorite issue, or wished aloud that they might just once receive something of their own in the mail? If so, magazine subscriptions might be the perfect way to spark an interest in reading and keep it alive through the crucial years of development.
You might feel that magazines are a step down from books, but in reality they can be a stepping stone to further reading. The excitement of ownership coupled with the feeling that magazines are sophisticated and grown-up can spur your child to read more frequently.
The trick is finding the magazine that is right for your child. Age alone is not the issue here; maturity also can tip the scales as to whether your child will prefer a shorter storybook type format with lots of pictures and easy puzzles or a more informational format with trivia quizzes and harder word games.
You want to challenge your child without losing their interest, which means you would do well to find a topic they are enthusiastic about and choose a subscription that will be of true interest to them. You can start by buying a few cheap magazine subscriptions and saving them for a rainy day.
Eventually, there will come that day when your child is bored. They will complain that there is nothing on TV, that all of their games are too babyish, and that they are tired of all their old stuff. This is the perfect opening to surprise them with their very own magazines!
Find your child a quiet place to sit and read, and offer a snack to sweeten the deal. The excitement of an unexpected present will probably be enough to catch their interest. Leave them alone with their new treasure, and you may be pleasantly surprised when they rapidly become absorbed between glossy pages, emerging only to look around in disappointment that the journey is over.
Of course, their disappointment will quickly turn to joy when you reveal that the much enjoyed publication is only one of several! By the time they finish the last of your stored up treasures, it should be nearly time for the next installment of kid’s magazines to arrive by post.
You can encourage children to read and re-read their magazines by making a special place for them to store them. Plastic shields to slide the front and back covers into will prevent tearing or crumpling, and a rack or shelf designated for their storage will keep them neatly organized.
Don’t underestimate how excited and involved your child may become over their newfound hobby. You may have to troll your local library for back issues to keep them satisfied while they are waiting for a new issue, and don’t be surprised if you are suddenly hit up for accompanying special editions and posters.
Hopefully you will be able to translate this passion for magazines into a love for the written word in general! Often children’s magazines will feature book excerpts that can provide an opening to encourage either checking the book out from the library or buying a copy for themselves. Once your child is hooked on a popular book series, you can consider the money spent on the subscriptions well spent!
Other children who enjoy magazines with a more scientific slant can be encouraged to try a short book of juvenile science factoids or even a short science fiction book. A mania for deep sea creatures can segue naturally into an equal fascination for Jules Verne, and many a budding naturalist has first been captivated by a stray issue of Ranger Rick Magazine.
There are appropriate magazines for almost every age and interest, from dinosaurs to teen hair fashion and back again. Sports magazines geared towards the young male demographic are becoming popular as the teen crowd dominates the rapidly expanding skateboard and stunt bike arena, and young girls are seeking fashion advice from teen celebs at earlier and earlier ages.
Gaming magazines prove that even video games can require some reading if you hope to learn the secrets to beating level nineteen of Final Fantasy XII, and even television can play a part in promoting reading with publications based on popular children’s shows or channels.
Younger children not yet able to read can enjoy magazines designed for the preschool crowd; Highlights has been a staple of pediatrician waiting rooms for decades, and remains a favorite of parents everywhere. Nickelodeon Magazine has gathered a huge readership since their debut as a Pizza Hut Giveaway in 1990; although published by a major cable network, it still manages to include plenty of non-television based educational fun.
Give your children the gift of reading material in a monthly, take anywhere, inexpensive format - you just might be doing them a favor for life!
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