Homeschooling Gift Idea: Magazine Subscriptions

Homeschoolers value ready access to information. Reading is vital to the homeschool experience, opening up worlds and probing depths that otherwise would remain unknown.

Magazines provide perfect portals into current events, new ideas, breakthroughs, and our ever-expanding universe. The beauty of magazines lies in their timeliness and their diversity.

Consequently, magazine subscriptions make a perfect gift for the homeschooling families in your life. Whether the children are very young or are heading off to university, you can find a magazine that fits their reading level, interests, and style. And although the subscription may only last one year, the thoughts and paths it opens up will last a lifetime.

While too many magazines exist to list, here are some titles and categories to get you started. Age-ranges are suggestions only, as many higher-level magazines will have parts that capture the attention of younger readers, and all magazines benefit from being shared by a family. Remember: check with the parents for hints on what they are looking for and what might appeal to their children.

Magazine Ideas
National Geographic: For kids, teens, and families.

Cricket Magazines: Fiction, history, archeology, and more. Babies through teens.

Highlights: Magazines and clubs (countries, U.S. states, math, puzzles, and more). Elementary through middle school.

MAKE magazine: Amazing do-it-yourself projects of varying ability. Upper elementary (with adult help) through adult.

Astronomy magazines: Discussions of everything beyond Earth. Upper elementary (especially the monthly star charts in Astronomy) through adult.

Interweave Press: Fiber arts, beading, art, weaving, knitting, and more. Upper elementary through adult.

Architecture magazines: Architecture, design, landscape design, business design, and more. Teen through adult.

Fiction magazines: New writing, in all genres. Teens through adult.

Boys' Life: Official publication of the Boy Scouts of America. Elementary through teen.

Girls' magazines: Advice, crafts, fiction, contests, sports, and more. Elementary-aged through preteen girls.

Another option is to find a bookseller or newsstand with an extensive selection of publications, and spend sometime looking through various subjects and titles.

If you want to give a present to open along with your gift subscription, wrap a current issue or two of the magazine, along with a note telling them about their new subscription. Since most publishing companies take four to six weeks to mail the first issue, this will give the recipient something to read now and look forward to later.

Article by Sarah J. Wilson