Since DS1 loves checking the mail with me every day I thought about subscribing to a magazine or two for him. I am leaning towards Your Big Backyard by the National Wildlife Foundation. Anyone ever seen this one? Any other ideas for good kid magazines?

Hmmmmmm I used to get a magazine I loved when I was a kid "Cricket" and they had a few versions based on age. Cricket was for older kids but I am pretty sure they had a toddler version. Nice idea to combine his interest in getting mail with getting some fun mail of his own!

I would suggest going to your local library and seeing what's available. You can see what is of interest or subscribe to something your library does not carry.

My son enjoyed ladybug magazine. http://www.cricketmag.com/kids_home.asp

It will be fun for him getting something in the mail. If you have the subscription addresses to your child it's feels special. Happy reading.

I don't have magazine suggestion but we are members of local zoo and they send us their magazine with lot of animal pictures. DD loves to read it and discuss about the animals. It is not specifically for kids but she likes it more than the kid magazines grandma sends.

ETA I went to check the link. Anybody have experience with Click magazine. It looks like something DD would enjoy.

my son has gotten subscriptions for years. The big backyard is a fun one for little people. National Geographics for kids if they are a reader. Zoobooks can also be done by subscription. Disney also has several magazine type materials.

We love all the Cricket mags too. DD 4 gets Click and just started a subscription to Ranger Rick. Your Big Backyard is cute and has nice photos, but the writing is pretty limited, so it's better (IMHO) for toddlers than for kids aged 4-6.

DS8 gets two Cricket magazines now - Dig and Muse. I love that they don't have advertising!

DS5 likes Just for Fun. It's a Ranger Rick quarterly of nothing but puzzles and games.

We got Big Backyard for two years and my son enjoyed them, moved up to Ranger Rick and now we're get National Geographic for kids. My son loves getting his own mail!

CHICKADEE!!!
Chickadee

Not sure where you are located/if it's available internationally but Chickadee is a FANTASTIC Canadian environment/animal/science magazine - 100% grew up on it & owl!

It's supposed to be for 6-9 but there are always lots of bright pictures & fun puzzles you can save for years & years. I'm sure I still have a PILE of them at my parent's house somewhere .

That's such a great idea though!! I usually just hand my little guy all the junk mail

Edit: there is actually a 'Chirp' magazine for 3-6 I don't know anything about it though (just hit subscribe on the link & there is all the info)

I second National Geographic for kids, we don't subscribe, but I occasionally pick one up and then I don't see one or two of them for a while. They love it!

Muse is not an inexpensive magazine (over $30/year), but my gifted D absolutely LOVED it. She was about 8 or 9 when we started getting it, and we got it for several years. It was a small price to pay for the information and joy she got from it.

http://www.cricketmag.com/ProductDetail.asp?pid=12

If it is too pricey, see if you can talk your local library into subscribing.

I had never looked at the Cricket magazines. They look excellent. I just ordered Ladybug and Click for my son. More affordable with a discount code I found through Google.