Fun & Educational Magazines for Preschoolers

My kids love to grab all the magazines and catalogues that come in the mail, especially the ones that include toys. I decided to look into kids’ magazines in hopes of finding one that my 3-year-old would not only like but also learn from. I came across quite a few different titles, and ended up choosing two different magazines that I thought he would enjoy. Preschool Playroom is for ages 2 to 6 years, and includes all their favorite characters from PBS Kids and Playhouse Disney, including Curious George, Bob the Builder, and Caillou, and the Wiggles. It is a learning magazine that offers activities like mazes, counting projects, letter recognition, coloring pages, and, of course, stories, with the added bonus of their favorite characters from morning TV helping them learn.

The other magazine that I choose was Your Big Backyard, which is for children aged 3 to 7. It’s a wildlife-themed publication that’s filled with fun activities, seasonal crafts, recipes, simple stories, and wild animals that my kids love. This magazine exposes preschoolers to nature and gets them ready to read. It’s published by the National Wildlife Federation, which also puts out Ranger Rick (for older kids ages 7+), as well as another publication aimed at toddlers and preschoolers called Wild Animal Baby.

I also just recently learned that the Highlights magazine—you probably remember it from every pediatrician’s office visit when you were young--now has something called Highlights Highfive magazine, intended for children ages 2 to 6. This new magazine for toddlers aims to promote children's development while letting them have fun at the same time. Based on sound educational principles and child-development theories, Highfive, like the other magazines mentioned, includes read-aloud stories as well as age-appropriate puzzles and activities.