Writing is a means of connecting and communicating with others. The “Kid Magazine” is a great way to allow children to share their work with friends or family in meaningful ways.

To start, just find some friends or family members that are interested in participating. Determine how often you want to “publish” your magazine (1-2 times a semester is a good amount). Each child (or adult) creates one or more submissions. You can have an adult, or assign an older child, to edit and compile the magazine.

Creating a shared folder for participants to submit their entries is a great way to stay organized. You may want to create a separate folder for each family. You can use Word or Indesign to edit the magazine. You can download a sample template from the Printables section of this page. You could also have your children submit their work to Simply Smart’s “The Kid” magazine to get published worldwide (only the child’s first name and last initial will appear).

Possible topics to include are:

• Stories
• Art work
• Crafts
• Letters to the editor
• Summaries of information learned (i.e. Joan of Arc)
• “Fun Facts” bullet list on a topic
• Research
• Photos of activities done as a group
• Photos of the child and creations they made
• Comics
• Coloring pages kids create
• Poems
• Instructions for how to do something (i.e. origami, science project, etc).
• Jokes
• Recipes
• Crossword Puzzles
• Persuasive Essays

You can create a PDF or online version of the magazine. It is also fun for kids though to have physical copies.