Recommendations for magazine subscriptions for kids please

Last Christmas DD was given some Christmas money from a relative abroad and so I got her an annual subscription to Kids National Geographic magazine. It's quite nice because each month when it drops through the letterbox we think of the relative who sent her the money. However, we were disappointed in the actual magazine - far too many ads. This year I would like to subscribe to a different magazine - especially nice for lazy Sundays when DH and I are sitting around the table reading the papers. Has anyone ever read the Newspaper for Kids? Is it worth subscribing to? She'll be seven by Christmas. Or any other decent educational magazines, particularly about animals? xxx

Some of the charity junior memberships includes a regular magazine- RSPB, RNLI, RSPCA all do. They usually have a nice joining pack too so if you buy membership as a present they get a goodie pack and then the magazines through the year.

Oh great, thanks Moggy, I'll check them out. x

We had First News at school - our y5/6 read it with enthusiasm. Okido for year 2/3 Aquila for 4/5 they all swapped at wet play though.
At 7 couldn't she choose her own magazine, a fun one? That way she is more likely to be engrossed enough to allow you to have a Sunday newspaper reading session.
My boys used to choose a magazine of their choice - not neccissarily as education....Beano was one favourite and Shoot....they moved on to how it works, Warhammer, Match....then rugby mag....cycling...Focus...Q.then grown up newspapers, the spectator etc...( and no doubt men only types in private) But It was always their choice, personal interest and fun being the key which kept them wanting the weekly/ monthly read. We used to go to a big WHSmith and browse and try out until one was chosen then we would subscribe.
Now my weekly choice when I was young was The Bunty....I loved the paper doll clothes on the back cover. The Diana came out at one point but it was too 'racy' for my mum to allow....so I read it around at my friends.

Oh great suggestions too, thanks Floradora. I haven't heard of some of those. She has been choosing her own 'fun' magazines regularly since she was about two - but I have to say, it is all about which has the best free gift! Maybe there is a fun magazine out there that is the next step up from the usual CBBC mags. We'll have to find a big WH Smith like you said. She did specifically ask for a newspaper this morning though and has mentioned a magazine that she saw somewhere about domestic and wild cats, but I can't remember where we saw it advertised.

I used to love Bunty too, and I think I had 'Tracy' at one point, and maybe a 'Pippa'. I would then get the annual at Christmas. They were totally great. Then I moved onto 'Look in' and 'Smash Hits'.

Thinking about it now, I'm not sure my magazines/comics were called Tracey or Pippa. I'm thinking Mandy, Jackie and Debbie now! I have to say I too started getting them because of the free gift. Nearly all the girls in my class had a shoe lace necklace with a plastic cola bottle on it which came free with one of the magazines. By the time my mum decided that I could have one it was onto the next issue and I got a necklace with half a slice of plastic lemon on it. That one never caught on. I had missed my chance and my mum felt bad, lol. I was hooked on the magazines by then though.

Thank you to both of you.

I spotted 'Okido' in our local WH Smiths and she loved it and so we have subscribed. She got the second one a couple of days ago and immediately set to work doing some of the activities independently. This month the topic is Space Floradora, and so it made me remember to come on here to thank you. I love that it focuses on a different topic each issue and so introduces them to new concepts that we might not naturally cover ourselves.

Moggy, we have also subscribed to the junior RSPCA magazine and we will get our first one shortly. Can't wait! They are both bi monthly and so I am hoping they arrive on alternate months - I bet they won't though, lol!

Thanks again. :)