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What Your Child’s Kindergarten Teacher Wants You to Know

By Denise Yellen Ganot It is that time of year again. Summer is drawing to a close and kids and adults alike are starting to think about heading back to school. At this time of year, change is imminent and unavoidable. As children move up to the next grade they are bound to encounter […]

Enter the 3rd Annual Global Folklorist Challenge

Cricket Media and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage are pleased to cosponsor the 3rd Annual Global Folklorist Challenge. This contest connects kids from 8 to 18 with tradition bearers in in their communities, providing young people with opportunities to tap into knowledge and skills that have been passed down from generation to generation, and giving the tradition bearers themselves a chance to tell their own personal stories. […]

Being a Good Sport May Take Some Medaling

Did you know race walking is an Olympic sport? Seriously, it is. After learning that I had to ask: Do you train for that in a mall on Black Friday? Another interesting out-of-the limelight event is Steeplechase, which basically consists of a track with a giant puddle in the middle of it. Did you realize […]

Making the “Beach Read” a Thing for Kids

As an adult, I like nothing better than to sit on the beach or at the pool and read. Give me a satisfying “beach read” and I’m happy for days. However, I’m sad to say the “beach read” isn’t really a thing for kids. Most kids would rather splash in the waves, make sand castles, […]

Meet Spider: Cricket Magazine’s Younger Sibling

The year was 1994. A first-class stamp cost 29¢, the White House was just about to launch its first web page, and the Chunnel (the tunnel between France and the United Kingdom) was about to open. Oh, and one other important thing happened: Spider magazine, Cricket’s new offering for beginning readers ages 6 to 9, […]

The Olympics: A Look Back

When we—the editors of DIG, COBBLESTONE, FACES, and MUSE—met to discuss a theme for a 2016 issue that would work well across all four magazines, the Olympics came to mind almost immediately. Rio de Janeiro had already been chosen as the site, and the topic was one that could be approached from many angles. I […]

Discover Summer: Encourage Thinking, Creativity and Imagination

It’s the final week of our Discover Summer Reading program, but don’t fret! We will continue to share stories from our archives all year long to keep your kids’ reading. Our 11 children’s magazines encourage thinking, creativity and imagination. They are filled with beautiful illustrations, engaging stories, interesting facts and fun activities. For example, here’s […]

The Art of Letting Go

The creative process begins when the artist forgets himself and becomes the work. That is when the magic happens. It is an integral part of every artistic form of creation; theatre, music, dance, writing and art. My son, Chip Ghigna, is an artist. He paints pictures with paint. I am a writer. I paint […]

5 Award-Winning Illustrators First Seen in Cricket Magazine

Back in January, I wrote a blog called “5 Award-Winning Authors You Read First in Cricket Magazine.” That blog only touched the tip of the talented iceberg when it comes to the authors who have graced the pages of Cricket, Spider, Ladybug, and Babybug, and it didn’t mention at all the wonderfully talented illustrators discovered […]

Discover Summer: Benefits of Getting Outside to Play

Did you know that there are a ton of science backed health benefits of kids playing outside? Here are a few you may not be aware of… Kids See Better: According to the Journal of Optometry and Vision Science, kids who spend more time outside during the day tend to have better distance vision […]