I always know when something interesting and worthwhile has entered the house. It disappears. The culprits vary, but I can usually track down the items in one of two places: the piles on my husband’s side of the bed, or the basket of reading material next to my son. With each of the two issues of Nature’s Friend that we received, I had to go searching in new places. My three year old loved looking at the beautiful illustrations, primarily photographs. My five year old tried out the search and find pictures. And even my seven year old, who isn’t into science, could be found reading the articles and retelling some of the information. This is definitely a hit around here.
As for me, once I finally got my hands on them…I was impressed by the amount of reader submissions they include, from captions on the back cover photo to drawings based on the instruction from a previous issue. With all the writing workshops I provide, I’m constantly asked for places that children can be published. I’ve added this to my list, because they always have at least one article written by a young person. However, these are tightly written, strong articles, not just a simple report about frogs or birds. They have high standards for submissions. This explains the overall effect of looking through this publication—impressed.
I’m impressed…
- that each issue tends to cover a single topic, providing focus and less distraction
- that each article contains something that points to God, whether it be the creature, or the science behind pigments—I don’t have to edit out the evolution each issue
- that all the photographs are such high quality
- that they also include experiments and activities to extend the learning
- that the writing style is simple but not condescending. My husband and I enjoyed reading it, and the kids could easily understand it.
- that I didn’t have to skim pages of ads to get to the articles
Their website contains three sample issues to view online here.
A yearly subscription costs $36 and includes 12 issues. Each issue is printed on heavy-feeling, high quality paper and contains approximately 25 pages. While that may seem slim, remember, there are no ads.
In addition, you can order an activity guide for each issue for an additional $2.00/issue. These contain crossword puzzles, comprehension questions, writing lessons and prompts, a photography lesson, and other activities that reinforce the topics.
My children have received a variety of magazine subscriptions through the years. This one is going on the list for this Christmas…we love it!
Disclaimer: Nature’s Friend provided me with a free copy of these two issues to review and use in order to write this review. I receive no other compensation, and my reviews are based on my opinion and the feedback I receive from my family.
