Best educational magazines for children

If you're looking for a great way to inspire your child's love for reading and learning, we highly recommends What on Earth! Magazine. It’s a fantastic resource that not only gets kids excited about exploring new things but also gives them a much-needed break from screens. Each issue is packed with fascinating facts, stunning photos, quizzes, puzzles, games, jokes and loads more to keep curious minds aged 7-14 happily engaged and entertained. Your kids will love it!

Frequency: monthly 

Subscription: six months £26.99, 12 months £53.99

Bright, colourful and packed with creative activities, Brilliant Brainz is a multi-subject interactive magazine for 6 to 12 year old girls and boys. From art history to healthy eating, music to S.T.E.A.M-based learning (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Maths), mental health and wellbeing to environmental matters, it covers all the important and real-world issues facing the kids of today!

Frequency: monthly

Brilliant Brainz is only available by postal subscription.

Subscription offer: an annual subscription is £39.99.

Get your child into the habit of reading news and being aware of what's happening in the world with the UK's only newspaper for young people, First News. Packed with news, photographs interesting stories from the UK and around the word, your child will get a real understanding of current affairs, explained clearly and concisely in age-appropriate language. It's not all serious news, either – there are puzzles, competitions, crazy but true stories, celebrity interviews, sport articles and more to browse to read. Hugely popular with primary schools, First News also offers online headlines for newshounds who want to keep up-to-date every day. See a free First News preview issue online.

Frequency: published weekly

Cost: £1.50 per issue; buy single issues at newsagents nationwide. Also available as a digital edition to read on a tablet (24 issues for £26.99).

Subscription offer: £1 for three issues then £16.49 every three months with a Direct Debit subscription.
 

Filled with inspiring and empowering content for girls aged 7-14 years old, Cocoa Girl is the first UK's Black Girls' magazine. Their mission is to celebrate black culture and history and build a community for young Black Girls, as well as supporting parents and carers.

Cocoa Boy is also available and published six times a year.

Frequency: published bimonthly

Cost: £3.99 per issue or subscribe to Cocoa Girl for £25 for six issues

With factual articles, puzzles and fun activities to expand general knowledge, AQUILA is aimed at inquisitive, independent readers aged 8-12. A new topic is presented every month, as well as articles about our world, historical figures, science, ethical issues, original fiction and a very absorbing readers' letters page. There's tons to read (and think about) in every issue, and it's all clearly and beautifully presented, with no advertising. Get a feel for AQUILA's content by looking through the sample content online.

Frequency: published 12 times a year (July-August is a summer double issue)

AQUILA is only available on subscription.

Subscription offer: an annual subscription is £55.

Each of the Box magazines has been designed to appeal to different ages: Story Box is for 3-6 year olds (to be read with a parent), Adventure Box is for 6-9 year olds (you can choose to receive a CD with each issue, so your child can listen to the stories as they read along), Adventure Box Max! is for children from 9 and Discovery Box is for children aged 9 to 12.

With a variety of writing styles and a mixture of fun facts, riddles, cartoons, experiments and games, each magazine offers a great monthly mix for a specific age and stage of development.

Frequency: published ten times a year

Story Box, Adventure Box, Adventure Box Max! and Discovery Box are only available on subscription.

Subscription offer: an annual subscription to each magazine is £67.

Aimed at 8 to 14 year olds, The Week Junior explains news and events from a child’s perspective. From news to nature, science to geography, and film to coding, it covers a huge range of topics and keeps kids in the loop about what's happening in the world in an engaging, age-appropriate way. See sample pages from The Week Junior online.

Frequency: weekly

Cost: £1.99 per issue; The Week Junior is available in major retailers and by subscription.

Subscription offer: From £21.50 for 13 issues.

Anorak Magazine, the ‘happy mag for kids’ is aimed at boys and girls aged between 6 and 12 years old (there's loads to read in each issue, so proficient readers will get the most out of it). A variety of subjects are covered, with beautiful, full-colour contemporary illustrations, board games, puzzles and drawing suggestions and projects included. Definitely not a five-minute read destined for the recycling, this is a magazine kids will keep and refer back to.

Frequency: published four times a year

Cost: £6.50 per issue; buy single issues at newsstands, bookshops and in museum shops.

Subscription offer: get four issues and home delivery for £25 with a Direct Debit subscription.

From the award-winning team behind The Week Junior, Science+Nature is focused on the world around us and how it works. It's packed with scientific information, fascinating stories, astonishing facts, awe-inspiring photography and fun activities – designed to spark curiosity, challenge bright minds and ignite kids' passion for discovery.

Frequency: monthly

Six-month subscriptions start at £19.99.

Eco Kids Planet is a multi-award-winning, advert-free nature and wildlife magazine for children aged 7-11. It truly grabs your child’s imagination with wild discoveries, beautiful photography, inspiring projects and fun activities. When children discover for themselves how impossibly, incredibly and unforgettably special each creature is, it has a profound effect on their desire to love and protect our planet. Take a look at the free sample issue of this top-notch publication.

Frequency: published 11 times a year, monthly except for combined double July/August issue.

Cost: £4.90 per issue, including free shipping in the UK.

Subscription offer: Try first 3 issues for just £5. An annual gift subscription is £47.40 plus a free illustrated world map.