to try to find a magazine for girls that's not all pink lip gloss.

[betterwhenthesunshines]

DS loves his Beano but DD (6) would like a magazine too, she would pick anything with free plastic stuck to the front. But I wish there was something with broader appeal, maybe with science, nature, easy cooking, craft etc. She's a bit past Charlie and Lola and defintely past the CBeebies one.

What would you like to see in a girls ( or unisex magazine) for 5-7 yr olds?

My DD ready's PONY magazine (she's 6 (7 in a few days)) i know it's about horses, but she loves it. Free gift with every mag, usually stickers or a toy, or something sparkly (never make up) last week it was some horse magnets - has posters, some horsey cartoons & loads of other bits.

But that's a bit of a 'one trick pony' :o isn't it? What if you're not interested in horses?

I know what you mean....there is a bit of a gap in the market when it comes to little girls magazines. There seems to be a huge jump from the Cbeebies type of thing to really girlie ones.

Bit of a shame....

The junior national geographic is quite good (if you can get it).

I find kids just love to relax with a comic/magazine and a few sweets/chocs...and I always indulge my nieces and nephews in this way.

DD (8) loves the Beano and Moshi Monsters comics. Sometimes Doctor Who. She isn't averse to lip gloss and pink but not as reading matter

My nephew is quite happy with a Beano/Simpsons mag....and yes they do love the 'freebie' toys they put on the front

We struggle with dd1, i often buy her sister cbeebies mag but now dd1 is older its hard to find anything as its all pink (she does not do pink), she has the mooshi monsters mag once a month but we struggle to find anything else .

OK sausages and Marne. I think I'm on to something here - but what do you think your DD would really like to see in a magazine?

Pets, Cooking, making things, maybe gardening, nature....and maybe a bit of fashion.

Definitely a gap in the market, I agree.

The BBC were due to publish this magazine. It sounds perfect for my DD, but I don't think it ever actually hit the newstands .

At the moment DD reads some god-awful animal thing full of pictures of cute pets, which her GM buys for her.

The magazines are so pricey that I've started buying packs of books from the Book People and just giving her a new book every couple of weeks instead.

Have you tried national geographic kids magazine?

dd loves okido magazine, she's 7. Used to get it in Borders but get it delivered now.

National geographic kids here too. And the Beano is unisex, isn't it?

just about to take out a subscription for our grandaughter for the Aquila magazine but it is perhaps a little old aimed at 8-13 year olds.

When I was about 8 I used t buy Debbie magazine. It had lots of good stories in it and was age-appropriate

spongebob or buy sparkles etc but take any nail varnish off/lip gloss and bin it (after buying it) before you give it to dd! that's what i always did

My dd loves junior national geographic and yoy get good free gifts sometimes too

My DD is almost 9 and love the Jacqueline Wilson mag - it say it is for girls who love to read, and is aimed at 7 -11 I think.

How about Adventure Box? My 10yo dd gets it even though it's aimed at 6 -9 yo kids (she's a bit developmentally delayed and also educated in French). No freebies but nice stories, a bit about nature, some games and cartoon strips.

Is new moon girls pitched at older readers? It has no advertising, which is lovely

I think my dd would like something with adventure, characters (anything similar to Moshi monster, but no cute furry animals), maybe something about girls doing boy things (she likes to think she can join in with boys things like football or cars), anything crafty (making things), maybe a quiz and some good jokes (she loves jokes), deffently nothing pink, no lip gloss or hair bands and no cute animals . Dd1 is 7.

www.okido.co.uk/Okido is like Anorak but good for younger readers.

DD likes Moshi Monsters magazine too and nothing too pink. Might try the national geographic for her too.