Click :: Education by Design Store

Customer Reviews

Our number 1 pick, even over Ladybug

2004-01-25
My curious 3 1/2 yr old pre-schooler is absolutely fascinated by the themes in this magazine. A few of the articles are above his level which means I will be saving the magazine in a slipcase for future re-reading. The last issue I received was on the theme of magnification -- and we played with a magnifying glass and now more than a month later he enjoys pulling out a magnifying glass and magnifying all of the teeny tiny objects that catch his interest like the little metal balls in mazes, ants outside the house etc... Don't pass on this one, it has in depth articles, and plenty of pictures to engage a young ones interest too. What a great opportunity for open ended learning!

Another Great Magazine for Pre-Readers/Emerging Readers

2003-06-06
I've been subscribing to Click, along with its sister publication, Ladybug, for about 2 years now. It's a great way to introduce the "real world" to my 5-year-old.

As an earlier review noted, each issue has a specific theme. For example, the last few issues were titled "At The Zoo", "In The Night Sky", "In The Islands", and "Busy Cities". This makes each issue like a mini-book, to be read and re-read, depending on your child's interest in the topic of the month.

Even if the current issue's topic doesn't engage your child, he/she will still want to read it, if only to see the recurring features, such as "Click & The Kids" and "Yo Wants To Know". This combination is a great way to introduce new topics in a familiar setting.

The writing is fresh and much more interesting to young minds than what you find in some other kids' magazines. Each story is well-illustrated. A given issue will have a variety of types of writing - cartoons, photoessays, non-fiction articles, 4-5 page fiction stories, and ideas of things to do.

This mix is great for kids with variable attention spans - if he/she can sit for 30 minutes, you can read the whole magazine. If 5 minutes, or 15 minutes, is today's limit, you can find something to fit that span.

Finally, as another reviewer noted, the magazine is written at several different comprehension levels, meaning that it spans the suggested age range quite well, with something for everyone, and that you can go back and read old issues with more mature eyes and get a new experience.

All in all, this magazine has been a great source of information for my son, and I recommend it highly.

Click and we're off ! 2003-01-16
Click is a kids magazine that addresses the physical world in a way that appeals across a broad age range.

The Cricket Group seems to have cut its teeth on first literary magazines (Spider and Cricket), but Click is the complement, discussing the real concrete world of "people who work at night", "where things come from", "on the moon", and "surviving in the desert".

The articles range from early read-it-yourself to longer listening stories. Recurring cartoons with text "Clicks and the kids", "Yo wants to know" and "Beatrice Black Bear" are perennial favorites.

The real magic to Click is that it is a preferred read for both our 7 and 4 year olds. That is a tough spread, but Click has and is the favorite. When its time to read to both, or time for a warm comfort, Click is it.

When you order, find a safe place to keep the issues, because they will be read and re-read. And if you are doing the re-reading, you may want to refresh with last year's issue.

Excellent magazine 2002-11-29
My four year old and seven year old enjoy this magazine which is published by the Smithsonian and Cricket. Working with one theme (ie, gardens, animal homes, working animals, flight, communication, etc.) the magazine presents the material with stories, comic strips, non-fiction articles and games. The issues are 36 pages long, not too long to read in one sitting, but thorough and satisfying. The photographs and illustrations are attractive and informative. The only complaint I have about it is that there are only nine issues in twelve months, a problem in my house since my older children's magazines come every month. Otherwise, this is an excellent magazine and well worth the money.

Excellent starter magazine for kids 2008-05-26
Along with Ladybug, another Cricket Publications magainze for kids, Click is best in its class for 2 to 6 year olds. Where Ladybuy is largely fantasy, fables, fairy tales and loose play, Click is more pragmatic. Each issue has a theme on some worldly issue or basic knowledge. For example one recent feature focuses on recognizing and understanding the value of money. Another on the recycling. If that seems dry to you, don't fret, each theme is playfully introduced through cartoons and kid-friendly devices such as cut-out projects and picture association games. Recurring features such as "Yo Wants to Know", "Click and the Kids" and "Beatrice Black Bear" helps excite kids to look forward to and identify with regular characters and themes. No less important, no annoying ads. Highly recommended.

Escaping the tyranny of commercialism 2008-05-09
We have been happy subscribers to Cricket magazines from our first issue of Babybug. Now that he's five, my son treasures his subscription to Click and reads it cover to cover the minute it arrives. The magazine is informative, enjoyable, and fun--the articles feature a well-balanced mix of topics, the illustrations are varied and clever, and the writing is top-notch. All of this is apparent to any one who glances through an issue of the magazine.

What's just as wonderful about Click to me is its ability to create a world totally apart from the general realm of children's media. Not only is this world imaginative and stimulating, it is also completely free of the overbearing commercialism that dominates the everyday culture of children. No brand names, no licensed characters, no endless encouragements to consume.

I am a mom trying to raise children who are curious, creative, and capable of pursuing a wide range of interests. Click supports them in all of this, and it does so by clearing a space where they can truly be themselves.

Kid-friendly, parent-approved 2007-07-13
Click is one of the best magazines out there for the 4 to 6 year old age group. Great photos, great articles that explain interesting themes in a simple, concrete, but never patronizing way, and lovely complementary cartoons.

Best of all, there are NO ADVERTISEMENTS. Yup. Just pure reading pleasure for you and your kids.

Not so hot 2007-07-07
My kids, who are 3, 6 and 9, and all huge science/nature lovers, have just not gotten into this magazine at all. They LOVE the Ranger Rick/Backyard issues they also receive, as well as some other kid magazines like Amer Girl and SI Kids, but the youngest two refuse to even pause to look through Click. Not sure why, since all the other reviews here are so positive...

Yeah, what they said. Plus.... 2004-10-01
...once you tear out the subscription cards, there are no ads (unless you count one unobtrusive one buried in the publisher's information, telling you how to renew your subscription or order a slipcase).

Each issue includes a tear-out activity...a craft or game related to that issue's theme.

The cast of characters is fairly diverse with various races represented. And if you like your child's reading material to be secular, this magazine fits the bill.

My 4 year old and I look forward to each issue...it's a little expensive for 9 issues, but it's worth it!