FAMILY
Quite possibly the most perfect non-toy gifts: Magazine subscriptions
By Melissa Thibodeau
Do you subscribe to magazines? I still remember all the different magazines I’ve subscribed to over the years. But the one that was the most memorable and meaningful to me was my subscription to Martha Stewart Living. My mother had gifted me a subscription for Christmas when I was 20 because she knew how much I loved Martha. I remember thinking how thoughtful and original her present was. As soon as a new issue arrived in the mail, I pored over every page. It’s lovely how something as simple as a subscription could be loved and appreciated so much!
Everyone loves getting mail. Special mail. Especially kids. And lucky for them, there are so many age-appropriate magazines to choose from to suit every interest. To date, I’ve gifted my girls 5 different magazine subscriptions and we’ve had great fun reading each page, doing the games, the quizzes, the activities. A magazine subscription is truly like a gift that keeps on giving: kids will first feel the joy at Christmas when they get their first issue and then the joy will repeat itself with every new issue that comes in the mail. They’ll never tire of receiving special mail that’s addressed to them. And the best part is, they’re not toys!
So, this Christmas, if you’re trying to move away from toys, or simply want to offer more meaningful gifts to the kids in your life, I urge you to consider subscriptions to any of these 8 awesome magazines that ship everywhere.
Grilled Cheese
A bilingual magazine created and risograph printed here in Montréal. Each issue features a story, an interview, an activity, a cut-out, games and postcards. Available for kids, 2 to 4 and 5 to 10. We read these cover to cover each time.
Dot and Anorak
Dot is for pre-schoolers while Anorak is for kids, 6 to 12. Each issue explores a different theme with stories, comics, jokes, games and more. The bright and beautiful illustrations are what drew me in. We loved these.
Ladybug by Cricket
Created for kids, 3 to 6, Ladybug offers enchanting stories and poems to read aloud, simple games to do together and everything is just the right length. My daughter waited impatiently for this one. For kids, 6 to 9, be sure to check out Spider.
Chickadee Magazine
Kids aged 6 to 9, will satisfy their thirst for knowledge and appetite for humour with this magazine and its interactive stories, puzzles, animal features, and science experiments. Owl is the edition for kids, 9 to 12, and Chirp is for kids, 3 to 6. These are the magazine I’ll be gifting my girls this Christmas.
Bravery Magazine
Each issue of Bravery features a strong female role model. Filled with illustrated stories, fun DIYs, and educational activities, it empowers kids to dream, do, and become their own kind of brave. Past issues included the likes of Maya Angelou, Jane Goodall and Bernice Bing. Designed for kids, 5-12.
Okido Magazine
Offering a world of discovery, play and exploration, each book-quality issue of Okido features STEAM experiments, activities, recipes, doodles, games and much more. Created for kids, 3 to 7.
Honest History
An adventure magazine for future historians aged 6 to 12! This magazine is a place for kids to explore the past and re-discover stories of people, who changed the world through articles, infographics and games.
Ditto Magazine
This is a new anti-racism magazine for kids, 3 to 12, and their parents. Their goal is to help parents guide their children as they journey towards being actively anti-racist through story prompts and activities.
Tip: If you opt for a quarterly magazine subscription, buy a few back issues if you can. I put mine in separate envelopes, addressed them to my girls and dropped them in our mailbox between scheduled magazine deliveries as extra surprises throughout the year. They never noticed a thing and it made the wait more bearable for them (especially when they were pre-schoolers.)