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Original poster

Childrens magazine subscriptions?

17 replies

Nightynight · 01/02/2006 19:55

I am going to miss ds's birthday soon and although I have already given him a present, I want to send him something in the post. Postage is extortionate in Germany, so I was thinking about getting him a subscription to a weekly or fortnightly magazine.
He is 8 years old. Does anyone know any good magazines by post for 8 yr olds? He is in UK by the way, so it would have to be something from there.

OP posts:
Fauve · 01/02/2006 20:08

I'm a huge kids' magazine fan, and I'd recommend Horrible Science and Horrible Histories - my ds (11) has the science one on subscription.

Take a look. You get yucky free gifts!

There's also a Roald Dahl mag, which dd (7) likes.

Marina · 01/02/2006 20:54

Do you think he might like this NN?
Aquila for 8-13s
Sorry you will be missing his birthday

Fauve · 01/02/2006 22:58

Mmmm, Aquila - sorry to cast doubt, Marina, I know lots of kids like it, but my kids completely spurn it - they always spurn things which are overtly 'educational', and can spot them a mile off. My poor ds in particular used to hate me coming at him with an educational device. I have a year's worth of totally unread copies of Aquila if anyone wants them...

Original poster
Nightynight · 02/02/2006 08:14

thank you for these suggestions!
I am going to look at them when I have more time. Science is right up ds's street, not sure if he is old enough though, he is just 8.

OP posts:
Fauve · 02/02/2006 08:59

I was thinking also that at the other end of the spectrum is The Beano, which both my kids really like, and The Simpsons comic, which they both really really like.

batters · 02/02/2006 09:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Marina · 02/02/2006 09:48

Fauve, you are right, it is a love-hate thing I think (I was a geeky little girl who adored Look and Learn and World of Wonder...but I did also read Bunty and Jackie ). We've had two hits and a miss with gift subs, and were planning to try ds (seven next birthday) with Aquila then. If you are serious about the unwanted copies, can I mail you? I'd pay postage of course Will bear the Horrible comics in mind - was yattered at non-stop on the walk to school this morning about what size lump of sodium and what size water tank would be needed to blow up all of school...
Glad dd likes it Batters - and, NN, you can't go wrong with the Beano, ds adores his and is a fully fledged member of the Beano Club etc. The other thing he really likes is his Wallace and Gromit comic. Good mix of fun, yuk and sensible stuff IMO

Fauve · 02/02/2006 10:48

Aha, another Marmite thing, eh? I was a Look and Learn plus Bunty girl - never really did Jackie, though. Umm, not sure that I am serious about the back copies actually, Marina - was thinking about that last night - have I promised more than I'm prepared to deliver??? I keep them in a magazine box and offer them to ds to cut up for his school projects once in a while - so there you go, my bluff is called! I'm also hoping dd may, one day, at least do the word searches. However, if I change my mind, I'll let you know!

Nightynight, I'm not sure if your ds will be too young for Horrible Science - the info is very much bite-size and comic style - but having said that, my dd of 7 is only really interested in the free gifts, it's my ds (11) who reads it from cover to cover (and then regurgitates all the info for our entertainment).

Marina · 02/02/2006 10:50

Rats I will fork out for a trial sub then Fauve!

popsycalindisguise · 02/02/2006 10:51

i got my 9 year old godson a subscription of Aquila for his birthday 0 sciency type thing

he loves it (he is in Germany -BFPO thoguh)

Bink · 02/02/2006 10:57

My MIL is queen of children's mag subscriptions, and uses Newstand - I've linked it to the puzzle mag she gave ds to pick them. Apparently UWIUGI is good (link to it is on page linked to above).

Aquila a hit with ds (6) - will keep him quiet for an hour - though suspect quite a lot whooshes over his head. Jokes on back page Giant hit with both him and dd (5). Personally I rather like the self-consciously serious Letters to the Editor (from nine-year-olds).

Marina · 02/02/2006 11:08

What a wonderful site Bink! Thanks, that has gone straight in my faves. Now I know how to secure fun-sized and Special Beanos for ds...

Frenchgirl · 02/02/2006 11:21

Dd loves this one, it's very good quality and has lots of interesting stuff in it: Discovery Box

Original poster
Nightynight · 03/02/2006 07:26

oooh, thank you thank you for all these ideas and links!

I did consider the Beano actually, I was an avid Dandy reader myself...

Marina, I am ashamed to confess that the only part of Look and Learn that I ever read was the sci-fi comic strip

I can see several subscriptions coming out of this idea now!

By the way, does anyone remember a magazine for small children called Once Upon A Time? It was partly stories and partly educational - I learned stuff about History of Art from it, that I subsequently used studying the same subject at university! Loved it, but it folded when I was around 5. My mother kept the copies bound up together, and we re-read them over and over again.

OP posts:
roisin · 03/02/2006 07:48

Aquila is another huge hit in this house. The latest copy arrived, was read immediately by ds1 and ds2. Then ds1 took it to school to show something to his teacher, and has passed it on to a schoolfriend to borrow! I haven't even had chance to glance at it to see what's so fascinating this month!

(I often reproduce the quizzes and puzzles for use in registration groups at school!)

geekgrrl · 03/02/2006 07:50

dd gets the Magical World of Roald Dahl and loves it (but then she's a huge Roald Dahl fan). It always comes with nice goodies, too.
The subscription took 6 weeks to come through though.

Fauve · 03/02/2006 13:24

Geekgrrl, we've been buying the Roald Dahl one at the newsagent, but there hasn't been one for ages

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